Ikon or Epic Local Pass?

[TheHitman]

There's a real good chance I'm moving to Fort Collins area this summer (90% chance). Even if I don't move I'll fly out to ski.

So...what's better or Ikon or Epic Local?

I'll have kids age 5, 7, 15, and 17 skiing with me.

I've only skied Steamboat and Winter Park in CO, but I love both of those resorts. However, I'm open to skiing others. In fact, Brek and Vail look pretty fun to try out.

 

[mdf]

@TheHitman you better decide quickly!
Only 13 hours, 55 minutes and 2 seconds left on the reduced price childs Ikon pass.

 

[TheHitman]

I know. I'm leaning toward Ikon at this point. I saw that my 4 year old will still be considered 4 and NOT 5, so he's $29. That may make my deciding decision. Plus Eldora is close-ish to Ft Collins to hit up on a weekend.

 

[RachelV]

From the Ft Collins area, I think the Steamboat days + Eldora make the Ikon pass a winner. It's nice to have options that don't involve I-70.

 

[coskigirl]

I agree with @RachelV.

 

[tball]

Ikon for sure. The Ikon areas are less crowded which is really nice with kiddos. Especially with the little ones, the naturally divided terrain at Copper is fantastic. It's not just a marketing thing. Copper's beginner base area with no blue or black trails is ideal for kids.

If you are thinking about lessons, you might consider a kid's seasonal program at Copper that includes a free season pass. For $400-650ish kids get a lesson every weekend for 3-6 weeks and a season pass. That's what we've been doing and it's been great.
http://www.coppercolorado.com/plan-your-trip/lessons-rentals/lessons/youth-seasonal-programs

 

[TheHitman]

Thanks! I didn't realize too that the Ikon areas are generally less crowded...so that's another huge plus. I'm thinking Ikon. Better get it by the end of the day.

 

[StuckonI70]

I'll say this....I70 resorts are going to be a poor choice from Fort Collins.
You're going to be on the road really freaking early to beat the Denver horde.
Can it be done? Sure. I fully expect a few people to come to the rescue and tell you so (let me guess, go on weekdays?), but you're adding 130 round trip miles to the "minimize time on I70" equation. Good luck.
FC is a great town, but it's more suitable for backcountry touring at Cam Pass and the park, with Steamboat days sprinkled in.

 

[fatbob]

Ikon for sure. The Ikon areas are less crowded which is really nice with kiddos.

You don't know this for sure as Ikon has never existed before and its very existence is likely to have an impact on front range traffic.

 

[David Chaus]

You don't know this for sure as Ikon has never existed before and its very existence is likely to have an impact on front range traffic.

More so than the impact the Rocky Mountain Pass and Max Pass already had? I guess we’ll see, but it would be interesting to see the numbers of Ikon Pass skier days that are sold and utilized in CO vs the number of Rocky Mountain passes and Max Pass skier days that were utilized in CO.

 

[Seldomski]

As @tball mentions, think about the ski school cost in the equation. It could dominate your skiing costs more so than the pass, though of course depends on how much ski school you and your family expect to do...

Some of the ski school lesson packs also include lift tickets or even season passes ... it can be complicated to figure which one is better value wise.

 

[SShore]

One other option is look North. Snowy Range in WY is closer than any CO area except maybe Eldora with much less traffic, season passes would be over a grand less and they have a cool looking ski club for the little kids.

 

[aerojack]

As @tball mentions, think about the ski school cost in the equation. It could dominate your skiing costs more so than the pass, though of course depends on how much ski school you and your family expect to do...

Some of the ski school lesson packs also include lift tickets or even season passes ... it can be complicated to figure which one is better value wise.

I was talking to one of the guys in the Private Lesson Center at Winter Park and he was mentioning that some families will pool funds and buy a 10-pack of private lessons (effectively the 10th lesson is free). I think he said it often ended up being a little cheaper than season lesson packages. Just something to consider given that a private lesson can be tailored a lot more and generally has a higher level of instruction training compared to the packaged group lessons.

 

[tball]

And, consider lodging too!

My suggestion for Copper assumed you'd spend some weekends up there rather than day trips from FC, which I agree would be brutal.

Eldora is a nice option, but traffic and parking can be a hassle on the weekends and powder days.

If you are doing day trips I'd also consider Loveland, maybe some transferable four packs along with an Eldora or Copper pass, or a Loveland pass with their 3 class pass deal for the kids?
http://skiloveland.com/rentals-lessons/3-class-pass/

Too many options!

 

[tball]

Oh yeah, don't forget about the various free skiing options for your younger kiddos:

https://www.coloradoski.com/passport
https://www.coloradoski.com/blog/free-skiing-and-riding-kids-colorado-ski-country-usa-resorts
https://www.epicpass.com/info/epic-schoolkids/colorado.aspx

Those could change for 2018-2019, but I believe have been fairly similar for a few years.

Good luck. You've got 9 hours and 58 minutes to decide.

 

[TheHitman]

Got the Ikon Pass!

 

[tball]

Not even close!

 

[TheHitman]

View attachment 43777
Not even close!

Ha!!!