Best of the Rest: Non-Ikon/Epic/MCP Pass Discussion for 2018-2019

[Itinerant skier]

I think most folks here are familiar with the oft discussed EPIC/ IKON/ Mountain Collective Passes. What about the other options out there? This thread is for passes that offer maximum value across multiple resorts that aren't any of the above three. If you know of one, add it here! Could be a multi-mountain pass, maybe a reciprocity deal. Share your knowledge!

The Powder Alliance: Included with an unlimited season pass to any participating resort. Gets your three free weekday tickets or 50% off 3 weekend tickets at each resort. Assorted lodging discounts as well. www.powderalliance.com

Member resorts:

Angel Fire Resort, NM
Bogus Basin, ID
Bridger Bowl, MT
Castle Mountain, AB
China Peak Mountain Resort, CA
Kiroro Ski Resort, JP
La Parva Ski Resort, CH
Loveland, CO
Mountain High, CA
Mt. Hood Ski Bowl, OR
Schweitzer Mountain Resort, ID
Sierra At Tahoe, CA
Silver Star Mountain Resort, BC
Stevens Pass, WA
Timberline Lodge Ski Area, OR
Whitewater Ski Resort, BC

The Freedom Pass:
Included with an unlimited season pass to any member resort. Gets you three free tickets at each member resort. No weekend restrictions noted. Mostly smaller, independent resorts. www.freedompass.ski

Member resorts:

Black Mountain, NH
Bolton Valley, VT
Crystal Mountain, MI
Dartmouth Skiway, NH
Eagle Crest, AK
Granite Gorge, NH
Lost Valley, ME
Magic Mountain, VT
Mcintyre, NH
Pajarito Mountain, NM
Plattekill Mountain, NY
Sipapu, NM
Ski Cooper, CO
Whaleback Mountain, NH

The PEAK Pass:
Standalone pass product with unlimited, blackout days, and weekday only versions available. Good at Peak Resorts properties in the Northeast. Lodging and retail discounts included, as are bonus days at Peak Resorts Midwestern properties. www.peakpass.com

Member Resorts:
Attitash, NH
Big Boulder, PA
Crotched Mountain, NH
Hunter Mountain, NY
Jack Frost, PA
Mount Snow, VT.
Wildcat Mountain, NH

The Power Pass:
Standalone pass product with various value tiers. Member resorts are primarily located in the SW. www.thepowerpass.com

Highest tier pass ($599 for adults) gets unlimited access to:

Purgatory Resort, CO
Arizona Snow Bowl, AZ
Ski Hesperus, CO
Pajarito Mountain, NM
Sipapu, NM

And 3 tickets at each of:

Brundage Mountain Resort (ID)
Copper Mountain (CO)
Eldora Mountain Resort (CO)
Grand Targhee Resort (WY-With lodging purchase)
Loveland Ski Area (CO)
Masella Ski Resort (Spain)
Monarch Mountain (CO)
Powder Mountain (UT)
Snow King Mountain (WY)
Snowy Range Ski and Recreation Area (WY)
Sunlight Mountain Resort (CO)

White Mountain Superpass:

Standalone pass product good for unlimited access to 4 NH mountains. Includes $15 off 1 buddy ticket per day. College and child pricing options available.
www.whitemountainsuperpass.com

Member resorts:
Cranmore Mountain Resort, NH
Bretton Woods, NH
Cannon Mountain, NH
Waterville Valley, NH

Cascadia Pass:

Add on product ($199) to any unlimited season pass at the 3 participating NW resorts. Gets you 3 anytime tickets at each of the other two resorts.

Member Resorts:

Crystal Mountain, WA
Stevens Pass, WA
Summit at Snoqualmie, WA

New England Pass:

Standalone pass product with varying value tiers good at 3 New England resorts. www.newenglandpass.com

Member Resorts:
Sugarloaf, ME
Sunday River, ME
Loon Mountain, NH


Others???? Discuss!

 

[cantunamunch]

@Brian Finch was looking for this thread...just the other month

 

[surfsnowgirl]

We're doing the Peak Pass and Killington spring pass. We work at Bromley so that's covered. Then for any other day we'd like to ski elsewhere we have access to the ski council days all over new england. These are discount days from thanksgiving through early april. Lift tickets range from $30-53.

http://skiclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Aw-1718-FV3.pdf

Next year we'll probably do the IKON pass but we'll see.

 

[Tricia]

Is Loveland a new addition to the Powder Alliance?

 

[jmeb]

Is Loveland a new addition to the Powder Alliance?

Yep, it and Castle are new this year. There may be others too as more announce season passes?

This is a thread worth featuring.

 

[Green08]

Bretton Woods NH has a few partnership passes, one with Cannon and the other with Cranmore. This is in addition to the White Mountain Superpass.

Killington passes come with access to Pico.

Okemo passes generally come with acces to Mt Sunapee. Most Sunapee passes are good at Okemo too.

Jay Peak and Burke have a joint pass option—we will see how a sale this summer impacts things in the future.

 

[Philpug]

We will have Mt. Rose passes aling with Ikons and chances are will get more days at Rose that the Ikon resorts.

 

[jmeb]

I think an interesting thing happening at many places in reaction to the Ikon/Epic, is that unlimited season passes to a single hill are coming with more and more bonus days. So much so that for some, it could make sense to buy a pass to a mountain that isn't their home mountain but one they might ski at a handful of days. And then use the bonus days as a primary benefit.

Loveland's season pass is now a good example of this, and I'm sure there are others. For $419, you could get unlimited Loveland pass, and do a Bozeman vacation linking up 6 days at Bridge and Red Lodge Mountain, or fly into Spokane and do a Schweitzer/WhiteWater 6 days, maybe throw in Whitefish for a 9 day vacation. Fly out to Colorado early or late season for Loveland, with an excursion down to Monarch for a day or two. And maybe if business takes you, or you find a cheap plane ticket, you chase a storm to Utah at Powder Mountain.

Are these locations as famous or as large or offer as varying terrain and at-base amenities as the Ikon/Epic resorts? Nope. But most of them get great snow, have enough terrain to satisfy 98% of skiers, and no crowds.

 

[Slide of Hans]

The state of NY run ski areas have the Ski 3 pass, full season access to all, some options.. Each area also has their own midweek pass.

Bellyare
Whiteface
Gore

 

[SBrown]

I think an interesting thing happening at many places in reaction to the Ikon/Epic, is that unlimited season passes to a single hill are coming with more and more bonus days. So much so that for some, it could make sense to buy a pass to a mountain that isn't their home mountain but one they might ski at a handful of days. And then use the bonus days as a primary benefit.

I was looking into buying my nephew a Taos pass partly for the Copper and ABasin days, but I think I missed the spring sale.

 

[jmeb]

The Gold Pass. For the Tywin Lannisters among us: https://www.coloradoski.com/gold-pass

• Access to 22 Colorado Ski Country USA Member Resorts for the entire winter season.
• Absolutely no blackout dates.
• Transferable to friends, family, clients or employees.
• Direct to lift access at most ski areas.

Note: you don't get to just buy a pass. You get to apply to buy a pass. At $3350 a pop.

 

[jmeb]

Colorado has a sort of "coupon book" for skiing its small independent resorts. It's called the Gems Card. https://www.coloradoski.com/store/gems-card-2017-2018 . It'll be offered next year as well. Buy-one-get-one tickets at each of 11 ski areas. From famous hills like Arapahoe Basin, to tiny operations like Hesperus.

After a year of having and skiing the Epic and RMSP+ passes a lot (currently at 37 days), I'm doing something different next year with this Gems card + a Loveland pass.

I'll be putting a bunch of trip reports here on PugSki, and will also be keeping a personal site: http://gemsinavan.com/

 

[pchewn]

Mt Hood Meadows is offering the "Value Pass" for the 18/19 season. $399 for weekdays/nights . Does not include peak days. Peak days can be added to make it an unlimited pass for $200 more....

Mt Hood Meadows has a pass exchange program with Mt Baker in WA -- so you can get 5 days at Bau

 

[Itinerant skier]

Note: you don't get to just buy a pass. You get to apply to buy a pass. At $3350 a pop.

Do the lifties bow in your direction and line the loading area with palm fronds for that price?

Like many here, I want maximum ski variety at a reasonable per day price. These passes and other reciprocal agreements go a long way towards that goal.

True road warriors could combine a $300 Mcintyre season pass to get the Freedom Pass Resorts and a $419 Loveland Pass and get 135 days of skiing at 45 mountains ranging all the way from neighborhood rope tow bumps to legit destination resorts with everything in between plus unlimited days at Loveland (and Mcintyre) for $719. Not a bad deal at all, especially considering that such a deal includes day trip areas for NYC, BOS, SEA, PDX, DEN, SLC and LAX.

 

[aveski]

Ski Maine has had this pass for a number of years. Ski Maine Pass
http://www.skimaine.com/ski-maine-store/201718-ski-maine-mountain-pass/

 

[nay]

Is Loveland a new addition to the Powder Alliance?

 

[Itinerant skier]

Marmot and Sugar Bowl are in Powder Alliance for 18/19 as well.

 

[nay]

Colorado has a sort of "coupon book" for skiing its small independent resorts. It's called the Gems Card. https://www.coloradoski.com/store/gems-card-2017-2018 . It'll be offered next year as well. Buy-one-get-one tickets at each of 11 ski areas. From famous hills like Arapahoe Basin, to tiny operations like Hesperus.

After a year of having and skiing the Epic and RMSP+ passes a lot (currently at 37 days), I'm doing something different next year with this Gems card + a Loveland pass.

I'll be putting a bunch of trip reports here on PugSki, and will also be keeping a personal site: http://gemsinavan.com/

Since most of us have a single preferred home mountain, these single mountain passes with alliance add-ons can be more valuable than a big pass, particularly if that home mountain doesn’t suffer overcrowding.

I’m super stoked that Luv has headed in this direction since I won’t get more than a few days away in any given season outside of the A-Basin extended season.

My luv for Luv grows...

 

[Stev]

 

[MarkP]

What I call the SkiLittle3 of PA - Roundtop, Liberty, Whitetail - has an arrangement with other mountains for discounts at 8 (10 if you split out Hidden Valley and Laurel from Seven Springs) others with a teaser of "Check back... this list may grow!"

http://www.skiwhitetail.com/2018-2019-season-pass
http://www.skiwhitetail.com/content/reciprocal-resort-benefits