Passes for 2020 - 2021

agree. with golf once you pay and start playing you rarely interact with anyone outside the other 3 in your group. you wait behind the players in front of you no matter how slow they are. if you staggered ski times we would still all eventually gather at the lift based on different abilities and terrain skied. golf tends to be closer to home. i usually only ski 3-4 hours but most people drive to mountain expecting full day.

^^^
This.

Just totally impractible for skiing and could actually make things worse by causing an increase congestion at the btm waiting for your next "lift time."
 
2 of our local golf courses have reported having best years in their history this year. Greek Peak is mobbed today, hoping the same for them.?
 
So, with a third of the ski season in the books.....evaluate your pass purchases for the year.

I’ll go first. My pass choices have been for shit.

ORDA FSC remains unused to date, will use first day this coming weekend. Given the need to secure tickets in advance (not being able to load days yet) I had to pay out of pocket for MLK and Prez weekend tickets. I’ll probably just break even on the FSC.

IKON Session Pass. Bust. Looks like I’ll be rolling over that purchase price next year. I can only really consider half a dozen of the 30 available resorts on that pass (logistics and such for a long weekend) and I can’t get any weekend reservations at any of them.

How are your pass purchases working out?
 
Ski3 and Plattekill combo has worked for me so far. I mean you know.
 
No problem getting reservations for days I want with Epic Local. Crowds have been large in peak periods though, and efforts Vail has made in snowmaking and getting terrain open seem shaky however, compared to when areas were controlled by Peak.
 
Just spent my usual timeshare week at my home hill, Massanutten, so better than break even for that season pass. My friend who got the Special Value Pass (good Sun-Fri and Sat after 4pm) also past break even. Also her son who has a Student pass. We're going back for MLK week.

Used Ikon for a couple days at JH. Expect to get in enough days in Colorado in Feb to break even. My friends and I already made reservations already made for either lift access or parking, as needed. Only skiing at Ikon locations midweek. Since I cancelled Taos, won't be quite as good as usual on a per day basis.

Also started using my Alta Midweek pass in Dec. Booked for Alta Lodge in April so that should work out.
 
My ORDA SKi3 will work out. I expect I'll only ski Gore and Whiteface this year. I also have an ABasin pass, but it doesn't look like I'll get out there until June or so. I didn't expect to be in the money on that one, but I wanted to be sure I could ski with my son if I got out to Denver.

mm
 
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Questionable whether I will use my Ikon- tempting to break into the 5 days at Windham, only doing that if I commit plans for Utah in Feb and/or Sugarbush in March. Either way the ORDA FSC will get used at Belle and Gore... Possible that'll be my only chairlift skiing this season :/ Tempting to use the Indy Pass for Catamount, but likely will hold off also, because primo Indy areas like Berkshire East, Magic, Cannon, Bolton aren't feasible for me as a 'rule follower' in NY. Oy vey... At least the Ikon and Indy are straightforward--> no use means rollover credit for 21/22
 
Got 9 days on my orda ski3 pass at whiteface, couple more days I'll break even. May have to make 3 hour trip south to gore if whiteface doesn't get shit together and improve terrain.
 
I got Belle only because Gore is not really day tripable at about 4 hours each way. I have only skied two days, but for my mental health I am glad I got the pass. With how ORDA is treating season passes, I view it as an expensive option, which had value to me, given the combination of my low risk tolerance but love of skiing. I expect that instead of my relative norm of about 20 days, I will get 5-10 this season. I am good with that this year.
I thought about Vail for the first time year, but (1) I don't really know Vail and their rep is not great (2) given how ORDA gives basically an open option to passholders, it made more sense to stick with a pass for me.
This will be the first time since my son (10 soon) hasn't been on skis in I think 7 years. My 7 yo was on skis at 2. They and my wife very likely won't ski at all.
 
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