The Indy Pass

Indy Pass Adds Mountain High and Dodge Ridge, California
The co-owned resorts bring Indy Pass to five mountains in the Golden State and 16 on the West coast.

PORTLAND, Ore. (August 24, 2022) – The Indy Pass announced today that two of California's most popular independent resorts have joined the coalition for the 22/23 season. Mountain High, in SoCal's San Gabriel Mountains, is now conveniently paired with Snow Valley, while the Bay Area's Dodge Ridge joins Indy partner China Peak in the Central Sierras. Indy Pass holders from San Francisco to Los Angeles have cause to celebrate as none of the resorts will have any blackout restrictions for Base Pass holders.

"This off-season, we've worked very hard to increase our number of Western partnerships, and Mountain High and Dodge Ridge are two outstanding mountains joining our family of resorts, said Indy Pass founder Doug Fish. The Indy Pass now has more West Coast U.S. resorts than ALL other passes combined."

"As ski conglomerates continue to swallow up independent resorts, locally-owned California ski areas are becoming increasingly rare, said Karl Kapuscinski, owner of Mountain High and Dodge Ridge. We are proud to stand with the hundreds of family-run resorts across the country that offer affordable, uncrowded slopes and a refreshing alternative to the corporate model."


Dodge Ridge, Pinecrest, California

The closest ski resort to the Bay Area, Dodge Ridge is known for its consistent snowpack, family-friendly atmosphere, uncrowded slopes, and some of the best glade skiing in the Sierras. Their new Triple Nugget chairlift will increase access to beginner and intermediate terrain for the upcoming season.

Vertical Rise: 1,600 feet

Summit Elevation: 8,200
Skiable Terrain: 862 acres
Average Annual Snowfall: 300-500 inches

Total Trails: 67

Blackout Days: None

Lifts: 12
1 Quad
2 Triple Chairlifts
5 Double Chairlifts
4 Surface Lifts


Mountain High, Wrightwood, California

Discover a world of winter just 90 minutes from downtown Los Angeles. What was once three separate resorts is now a single destination with skiing and snowboarding, tubing, and snow play. The closest resort to Southern California is now within reach of Indy Pass holders everywhere.

Vertical Rise: 1,600 feet

Summit Elevation:

Skiable Terrain: 290 acres
Permit Terrain: 515 acres
Average Annual Snowfall: 117 inches (23 yr average)

Snowmaking: Coverage on 80% of the resort

Total Trails: 54

Blackout Days: None

Lifts: 14
2 High-Speed Quads
2 Quad Chairlifts
2 Triple Chairlifts
5 Double Chairlifts
3 Moving Carpets
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August Payment Plan Ends September 1 - Interest-Free and No Credit Checks

Indy Pass offers an innovative, interest-free payment plan that allows purchasers to make equal monthly payments through December 15th. If purchased by September 1, payments are $49/month for an adult pass and $146/month for a family of four with two kids under 13. No credit check or credit app is needed, and no 3rd-party lenders are involved.

Indy Pass 22-23 Pre-Season Prices End September 12th

Indy Base Pass - Adult $299, Kids (12-and-under) $139

Indy+ Pass - Adult $399, Kids $189 (no blackouts)

Indy Base AddOn Pass - Adult $199, Kids $99 (partner and allied resort season passholders only)

Indy+ AddOn Pass - Adult $309, Kids $149 (no blackouts)

Indy Cross Country (XC) Pass - Adult $69, Kids $29 (no blackouts)


About the Indy Pass

After three seasons, the Indy Pass is the fastest-growing multi-mountain pass in North America. It offers 106 Alpine and Nordic resorts across the US, Canada, and Japan, each providing two days of skiing or riding, and ten Alpine Allied Resorts offering up to 50% discounts on lift tickets. Indy resorts are independent and uniquely authentic; many are owned and operated by multi-generational families.
 
Indy Pass Adds Midwest and Colorado Resorts

Snowriver, Michigan - Chestnut Mountain, Illinois - Bluebird Backcountry, Colorado join the coalition for the 22/23 season.

PORTLAND, Ore. (September 6, 2022) – The Indy Pass announced today that Illinois' most popular winter resort - Chestnut Mountain, will join Michigan's newest named resort - Snowriver, and Colorado's only non-lift-served resort - Bluebird Backcountry, to offer two days each to passholders this season.

"The Indy Pass is the dominant pass in the Midwest with 26 resorts now," said Indy Pass founder Doug Fish. "The addition of Chestnut and Snowriver gives us two more great mountains for our passholders to enjoy in a region that is so passionate about the sport. And with the recent explosion of off-piste, uphill exploration, we are proud to welcome Bluebird Backcountry, the world's first and only resort dedicated to human-powered skiing and riding."

About Chestnut Mountain Resort

Only in the Midwest will you find such an unexpected diamond in the rough. High above the Mississippi, tucked nicely in the hills near historic Galena, Chestnut Mountain is Illinois' premier winter resort that offers nineteen trails, a seven-acre terrain park among 220 rolling acres with a total vertical drop of 475 feet.

"Chestnut Mountain is excited to be a part of the Indy Pass, and we look forward to welcoming Indy skiers and riders from across the Midwest. Our season passholders will also be thrilled to explore other Indy mountains using the Indy AddOn Pass," said Mike Bergles, GM of Chestnut Mountain.


Mountain Stats

Vertical: 475 ft.
Top elevation:1,020'
Base elevation: 600'
Skiable acres: 220
Runs 19
Longest run: .66 miles
Lifts: 2 Quads, four triples, three surface lifts

No blackouts at Chestnut for Base Pass holders.

About Snowriver Mountain Resort

Snowriver Mountain Resort is the new name for the resort previously called Big Snow Resort, located in the “Big Snow Country” area of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, so named because of its 20 feet of annual snowfall. Snowriver consists of two base areas about 1 mile apart, Black River Basin (previously Blackjack), and Jackson Creek Summit (previously Indianhead, the UP’s first ski area, founded in 1959). Total skiable acreage is over 400 acres, making Snowriver one of the largest in the Midwest.

“We are pleased to add our newest acquisition Snowriver Mountain Resort to the Indy Pass revolution,” stated Greg Fisher, CMO of Midwest Family Ski Resorts. “Last season Granite Peak and Lutsen saw huge redemptions, placing both properties within the top 15 most visited resorts by Indy Passholders. With over 200” of annual snowfall, Snowriver should easily be a destination for Midwest Indy Passholders for powder-filled fun.”


Mountain Stats

Jackson Creek Summit
Annual snowfall: 204"
Vertical drop: 638
Skiable acres: 230
Lifts: 9 (including a magic carpet lift)
Terrain park:


Black River Basin
Annual snowfall: 204"
Vertical drop: 490
Skiable acres: 170
Lifts: 6 (including two rope tows)
Terrain parks: 2

Snowriver will blackout the MLK and President's weekends (six days) for Indy Base Pass holders.

About Bluebird Backcountry

Bluebird Backcountry offers avalanche-managed terrain, skin tracks instead of chairlifts, slopeside parking instead of crowded lots, great terrain without all the hype, a culture of education, and a grassroots scene chock full of campfires and live music. Located in the heart of Colorado ski country, between Steamboat Springs and Kremmling, and just two hours from Denver.

“Bluebird’s mission to revive the soul of skiing aligns perfectly with the goals of the Indy Pass,” said Bluebird Backcountry co-founder Jeff Woodward. “We love the mom & pop ski area culture that the Indy Pass continues to support and look forward to making the backcountry more accessible for this season’s Indy Passholders.”

Mountain Stats

Skiable acres: 4,200+
Avalanche-managed and ski-patrolled acres: 1,200+
Guided-only acres: 3,000
Vertical rise: 1,245′
Base elevation: 8,600′
Highest elevation: 9,845′
Marked skin tracks: 11
Total runs: 28
Longest Run: 1.4 miles

No blackouts at Bluebird for Base Passholders.

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Pre-Season Prices End September 13th
Indy Base Pass - Adult $299, Kids (12-and-under) $139
Indy+ Pass - Adult $399, Kids $189 (no blackouts)
Indy Base AddOn Pass - Adult $199, Kids $99 (partner and allied resort season passholders only)
Indy+ AddOn Pass - Adult $309, Kids $149 (no blackouts)
Indy Cross Country (XC) Pass - Adult $69, Kids $29 (no blackouts)
 
Indy Pass Opens Eastern Canada with Calabogie Peaks + 11 More Resorts
133 resorts now offer two free days each or discounted lift tickets to
Indy Pass holders

PORTLAND, Ore. (October 11, 2022) – The Indy Pass announced today that Calabogie Peaks Resort in Ontario would become the first Eastern Canadian resort to join the coalition of independent mountains. In addition, three other full Alpine partners, four cross-country resorts, and four Allied resorts have been added.

"The Indy Pass supports scores of independent resorts in the US and Western Canada, and we are excited to be the first in our region to share Ontario hospitality with their passholders, said Paul Murphy, owner of Calabogie Peaks Mountain Resort.

"Calabogie Peaks is a great addition to the Indy family of resorts. We are excited to have a new partner in Eastern Ontario to complement our outstanding New England roster," said Indy Pass founder Doug Fish. "
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Calabogie Peaks is a four-season resort and the tallest mountain in Eastern Ontario

In addition to Calabogie Peaks, Alpine Loch Lomond Ski Area in Western Ontario joins the pass along with Arctic Valley, Alaska, and Mt. Crescent, Iowa as full Alpine partner resorts.

Four New Cross-Country Resorts

Four new cross-country resorts have also been added for a total of 18 across North America. Indy Pass is the only multi-mountain pass that provides access to both Alpine and Nordic resorts. New cross-country resorts include Bear Valley Adventure Center in California, Crosscut Mountain Sports Center in Montana, Jay Peak Cross Country Center in Vermont, and Nickle Plate Cross Country Ski Club in British Columbia. All four XC resorts will offer two each to all Indy Alpine and Cross Country Pass holders.

Four New Allied Resorts

The new Indy Allied Resort program has allowed Indy Pass to expand and offer partnerships to smaller resorts in all regions of North America. New Allied Resort partners include Sleeping Giant, Wyoming, Snowstar Winter Park, Illinois, Dry Hill, New York and Whitecap, Wisconsin. Allied resorts offer discounted lift tickets to Indy Pass holders at 50% off and 25% off holidays and peak weekends.

"The Allied Resort program allows us to partner with any ski area in North America that wishes to participate," said Fish. "It's great that we can continue to expand in these regions where we already have achieved peak density."

Alpine Partner Resorts

About Calabogie Peaks

Calabogie Peaks, the tallest public ski resort in Ontario, is an all seasons resort located in the beautiful Ottawa Valley at the base of Dickson Mountain on the shores of Calabogie Lake. Come for the day, or stay and enjoy this all season resort in Ontario and the best of what winters offer with snowy adventures for everyone on the Mountain, Lake & Land.

Mountain Stats
Vertical: 780'
Top elevation: 1,285'
Base elevation: 505'
Skiable acres: 80
Runs: 25
Longest run: 6961'
Lifts: 3

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Friends enjoying smooth terrain at Loch Lomond, ON

About Loch Lomond Ski Area

Nestled in the heart of the Nor'Wester Mountain Range on the North Shore of Lake Superior the ski area boasts some of Central Canada's gnarliest ski terrain with an après ski scene to match.

Mountain Stats
Annual snowfall: 80"
Vertical drop: 750'
Skiable acres: 60
Lifts: 3
Terrain park: Yes

John Robinson-Wilson

Amazing views at Arctic Valley, AK

About Arctic Valley, Alaska

Arctic Valley is a low-key, community-oriented ski area just outside Anchorage. They have great open terrain with lots of intermediate and advanced runs.

Mountain Stats
Skiable acres: 500
Vertical rise: 1,400'
Base elevation: 2,500'
Highest elevation: 4,068'
Marked skin tracks: 7
Total runs: 18

About Mt. Crescent, Iowa

For over 60 years, Mt Crescent has been a destination for winter fun in the Loess Hills of Western Iowa. With 100's taught to ski and ride each year, Mt. Crescent is the perfect place to learn or practice your skills.

Mountain Stats
Skiable acres: 50
Vertical rise: 300'
Base elevation: 1,200'
Highest elevation: 1,500'
Total runs: 10
Longest Run: 2,400'

Cross Country Resorts

About Bear Valley Adventure Company, California


Our cross-country skiing guests enjoy an extensive trail system with 70+ kilometers of groomed paths over 3,000 acres. We have 38 carefully groomed trails for track and skate skiing, a trailside Meadow Cafe, and three warming huts throughout the trail system.

Mountain Stats
Base elevation: 7,000'
Groomed terrain: 70+ kilometers
Total trails: 38

About Crosscut Mountain Sports Center, Montana

Crosscut Mountain Sports Center is a nonprofit organization providing outdoor recreation, sports training, and environmental education for people of all backgrounds, ages, and abilities.

Mountain Stats
Base elevation: 6,000'
Groomed terrain: 45+ kilometers
Total trails: 25

About Nickle Plate Cross Country Ski Club, British Columbia

Nickel Plate Cross Country Ski Club was formed in 1989 by a group of Nordic ski enthusiasts who saw the potential for a world-class cross country ski facility in the mountains west of Penticton, BC. Nickel Plate Nordic Centre is located in the scenic Okanagan Valley, just 45 minutes from downtown Penticton.

Mountain Stats
Base elevation: 1,750'
Groomed terrain: 56+ kilometers
Total trails: 27

About Jay Peak Cross Country Center, Vermont

The Jay Peak Nordic trail network features 12 miles of groomed trails for classic and skate-skiing for novices and experts alike. Whether you're out on the trails with your friends, solo, or with your four-legged pal, we are sure you will have a memorable time!

Mountain Stats
Total trails: 12

Allied Resorts

About Sleeping Giant, Wyoming


We are a small family-centered ski area nestled at the East gate of Yellowstone, NP. What we lack in the way of massive couloirs, we make up for in safe, affordable skiing, shorter lift lines, smaller crowds, and good vibes. We have two aerial lifts and one carpet with 198 acres of skiable terrain. We offer ski instruction, tubing, and night skiing.

Mountain Stats
Night skiing: Yes
Vertical rise: 1100'
Lifts: 3
Total runs: 49

About Snowstar Winter Park, Illinois

Located just above the Mississippi River, Snowstar Winter Park is a family-oriented resort just minutes outside the quad cities in Andalusia, Illinois. We offer four lifts, 15 trails, and a kick'n terrain park with features that change weekly and are sure to satisfy skiers and boarders of all abilities.

Mountain Stats
Terrain park: Yes
Lifts: 4
Total runs: 15

About Dry Hill, New York

Since 1960 Dry Hill Ski Area has been Watertown's favorite Family Ski, Snowboard & Tubing Area. Enjoy night skiing, a brand new menu at the grill, and a family-friendly atmosphere.

Mountain Stats
Night skiing: Yes
Lifts: 3
Total runs: 12

About Whitecap Mountains, Wisconsin

Whitecap Mountains Resort offers year-round family recreation, lodging, and down-home hospitality in Northern Wisconsin. Spread over a vast 400 acres within the ancient Penokee Mountains, it’s the perfect location for a corporate retreat, mountaintop wedding, extended family reunion, or relaxing getaway.

Mountain Stats
Vertical Drop: 400
Lifts: 5 + Magic Carpet
Total runs: 43


Fall Prices
Indy Base Pass - Adult $329, Kids (12-and-under) $149
Indy+ Pass - Adult $429, Kids $199 (no blackouts)
Indy Base AddOn Pass - Adult $219, Kids 119 (partner and allied resort season passholders only)
Indy+ AddOn Pass - Adult $319, Kids $169 (no blackouts)
Indy Cross Country (XC) Pass - Adult $69, Kids $29 (no blackouts)
 
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Indy Pass Adds Midwest and Colorado Resorts

Snowriver, Michigan - Chestnut Mountain, Illinois - Bluebird Backcountry, Colorado join the coalition for the 22/23 season.

PORTLAND, Ore. (September 6, 2022) – The Indy Pass announced today that Illinois' most popular winter resort - Chestnut Mountain, will join Michigan's newest named resort - Snowriver, and Colorado's only non-lift-served resort - Bluebird Backcountry, to offer two days each to passholders this season.

"The Indy Pass is the dominant pass in the Midwest with 26 resorts now," said Indy Pass founder Doug Fish. "The addition of Chestnut and Snowriver gives us two more great mountains for our passholders to enjoy in a region that is so passionate about the sport. And with the recent explosion of off-piste, uphill exploration, we are proud to welcome Bluebird Backcountry, the world's first and only resort dedicated to human-powered skiing and riding."

About Chestnut Mountain Resort

Only in the Midwest will you find such an unexpected diamond in the rough. High above the Mississippi, tucked nicely in the hills near historic Galena, Chestnut Mountain is Illinois' premier winter resort that offers nineteen trails, a seven-acre terrain park among 220 rolling acres with a total vertical drop of 475 feet.

"Chestnut Mountain is excited to be a part of the Indy Pass, and we look forward to welcoming Indy skiers and riders from across the Midwest. Our season passholders will also be thrilled to explore other Indy mountains using the Indy AddOn Pass," said Mike Bergles, GM of Chestnut Mountain.


Mountain Stats

Vertical: 475 ft.
Top elevation:1,020'
Base elevation: 600'
Skiable acres: 220
Runs 19
Longest run: .66 miles
Lifts: 2 Quads, four triples, three surface lifts

No blackouts at Chestnut for Base Pass holders.

About Snowriver Mountain Resort

Snowriver Mountain Resort is the new name for the resort previously called Big Snow Resort, located in the “Big Snow Country” area of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, so named because of its 20 feet of annual snowfall. Snowriver consists of two base areas about 1 mile apart, Black River Basin (previously Blackjack), and Jackson Creek Summit (previously Indianhead, the UP’s first ski area, founded in 1959). Total skiable acreage is over 400 acres, making Snowriver one of the largest in the Midwest.

“We are pleased to add our newest acquisition Snowriver Mountain Resort to the Indy Pass revolution,” stated Greg Fisher, CMO of Midwest Family Ski Resorts. “Last season Granite Peak and Lutsen saw huge redemptions, placing both properties within the top 15 most visited resorts by Indy Passholders. With over 200” of annual snowfall, Snowriver should easily be a destination for Midwest Indy Passholders for powder-filled fun.”


Mountain Stats

Jackson Creek Summit
Annual snowfall: 204"
Vertical drop: 638
Skiable acres: 230
Lifts: 9 (including a magic carpet lift)
Terrain park:


Black River Basin
Annual snowfall: 204"
Vertical drop: 490
Skiable acres: 170
Lifts: 6 (including two rope tows)
Terrain parks: 2

Snowriver will blackout the MLK and President's weekends (six days) for Indy Base Pass holders.

About Bluebird Backcountry

Bluebird Backcountry offers avalanche-managed terrain, skin tracks instead of chairlifts, slopeside parking instead of crowded lots, great terrain without all the hype, a culture of education, and a grassroots scene chock full of campfires and live music. Located in the heart of Colorado ski country, between Steamboat Springs and Kremmling, and just two hours from Denver.

“Bluebird’s mission to revive the soul of skiing aligns perfectly with the goals of the Indy Pass,” said Bluebird Backcountry co-founder Jeff Woodward. “We love the mom & pop ski area culture that the Indy Pass continues to support and look forward to making the backcountry more accessible for this season’s Indy Passholders.”

Mountain Stats

Skiable acres: 4,200+
Avalanche-managed and ski-patrolled acres: 1,200+
Guided-only acres: 3,000
Vertical rise: 1,245′
Base elevation: 8,600′
Highest elevation: 9,845′
Marked skin tracks: 11
Total runs: 28
Longest Run: 1.4 miles

No blackouts at Bluebird for Base Passholders.

______________________


Pre-Season Prices End September 13th
Indy Base Pass - Adult $299, Kids (12-and-under) $139
Indy+ Pass - Adult $399, Kids $189 (no blackouts)
Indy Base AddOn Pass - Adult $199, Kids $99 (partner and allied resort season passholders only)
Indy+ AddOn Pass - Adult $309, Kids $149 (no blackouts)
Indy Cross Country (XC) Pass - Adult $69, Kids $29 (no blackouts)
Looks like Bluebird Backcountry gets some nice weather in March.
And gives an additional definition to skinning.

 
The author talked to a few folks in the ski industry including Fish.
"“Gosh, the whole world has shifted,” said another longtime industry watcher, Doug Fish, based in Portland, Ore. “We got BC and AC — before COVID and after COVID. Everything has changed, and the ski business is no different.” "
 
The author talked to a few folks in the ski industry including Fish.
"“Gosh, the whole world has shifted,” said another longtime industry watcher, Doug Fish, based in Portland, Ore. “We got BC and AC — before COVID and after COVID. Everything has changed, and the ski business is no different.” "
While the multi-resort, multi-state passes, and the pandemic are major factors, the author doesn't mention the other factor that started before the pandemic. The population growth in the decade before 2020 in the Denver metropolitan are, as well as around SLC, had little to do with Epic or Ikon.

For Denver the growth started in the 1990s. The metro area had 1.5 million in 1990, 2.0 million in 2000, 2.4 million in 2010. The annual growth rates were 2-3% in those twenty years. By 2020, the population was almost 3 million. Fair to say that many of the people who moved to that part of Colorado were attracted by the mountains for both summer and winter recreation.

Similar story in SLC and Ogden during the last few decades. The deep powder season after Ikon came on the scene, the growth in season pass usage at Alta and Snowbird compared to the season before was huge. Of course, the locals blamed Ikon travelers, which accounted for less than 5% of the days on snow as I remember.
 
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