Colorado Take This Mountain Collective-Telluride joins the Epic Pass

[Blue Streak]

TELLURIDE SKI RESORT JOINS THE EPIC PASS

Today, I’m thrilled to announce that Telluride Ski Resort in Colorado will join our Epic Pass in a long-term alliance beginning in the 2018-2019 winter season. This brings our Epic Pass total to 46 mountain resorts in seven countries, offering skiers and snowboarders even greater variety with the most popular season pass in the mountain resort industry.

Telluride Ski Resort is a premier mountain resort destination that delivers an exceptional guest experience and has been rated the “#1 Ski Resort in North America” five of the last six years by readers of Condé Nast Traveler. Telluride is on the bucket lists of passionate skiers and snowboarders around the world and boasts some of ski country’s most incredible terrain amidst an authentic, welcoming mountain town surrounded by stunning scenery.

 

[Blue Streak]

We got us a cage match, boys n' girls.
Let's hope the competition benefits us all.

 

[mikel]

wow ...

 

[Blue Streak]

Epic Pass™: Epic Pass holders will receive seven days of skiing or snowboarding with no blackout dates. Once the seven days have been used, pass holders can get 50 percent off lift tickets at Telluride. Pass holders get the added benefit of going direct to the lift with their pass and avoid the ticket window.

 

[mikel]

Didn't see that one coming. Sounds like a good deal for Epic holders and probably employees.

 

[tball]

Wow. Is that rumbling I feel an aftershock or the precursor to the big one?

 

[Blue Streak]

wow ...

WOW...

 

[Blue Streak]

wow ...

WOW...

 

[Blue Streak]

Didn't see that one coming. Sounds like a good deal for Epic holders and probably employees.

Not a great deal for employees. That will keep the riff-raff off the hill, for the most part.

Vail Resorts employees and their dependents with an active employee or dependent season pass will have the opportunity to purchase lift tickets for their own personal use to ski and snowboard at Telluride for $50/day beginning with the 2018-2019 season.

But it's great for Epic Pass holders.

 

[tball]

Probably just my strong personal desire, but maybe this means A-basin is in play? Telluride is a nice addition to the Epic Pass if they lose A-basin.

Related, I hope this means CB is being courted and not left without a dance partner. CB might be a little too close and actually attract skiers from Denver/DIA, though. The nice thing about Telluride for VR is it's so damn hard to get there to actually use the days.

 

[raytseng]

You mean "Take this Alterra Mountain Company"

Found some info that should be worthy of its own thread that i missed but is over in the other forum. Big enough news there to warrant crossposting here, as this is the Great Season Pass War we all saw brewing

https://pugski.com/threads/introducing-ikon-pass-alterra-mountain-company.8314/

https://www.alterramtnco.com/news/2018/01/11/announcing-alterra-mountain-company
DENVER, CO, January 11, 2018 - The joint venture of affiliates of KSL Capital Partners and Henry Crown and Company that curated 12 premier destinations in North America, now has a name. Announcing Alterra Mountain Company, a new destination group that is changing the landscape of the mountain resort industry.

https://www.ikonpass.com
QUESTION: WHAT PARTNER DESTINATIONS ARE INCLUDED IN THE IKON PASS?
Answer: Aspen Snowmass, Copper Mountain Resort, Eldora Mountain Resort, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Big Sky Resort, Killington Resort, Sunday River, Sugarloaf, Loon Mountain Resort, Alta Ski Area, and Snowbird

By State
California: Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, Mammoth Mountain, June Mountain, Big Bear Mountain Resort
Colorado: Aspen/Snowmass, Steamboat, Winter Park Resort, Copper Mountain, Eldora Mountain Resort
Maine: Sugarloaf, Sunday River
Montana: Big Sky Resort
New Hampshire: Loon Mountain Resort
Utah: Deer Valley Resort, Alta Ski Area, Snowbird
Vermont: Stratton, Killington Resort
West Virginia: Snowshoe
Wyoming: Jackson Hole Mountain Resort
Ontario, Canada: Blue Mountain
Quebec, Canada: Tremblant

(editted after I found the alterra thread)

 

[Uncle Louie]

But it's great for Epic Pass holders.

I wonder if they will extend the deal to passes other than the Full pass, such as the Summit Local's pass. Interesting development.

 

[Nancy Hummel]

I am thrilled - I work at Aspen and have a lifetime pass to VR thanks to my SO. I think I am covered in the pass department. Now, I just have to quit my day job to have time to ski all these places.

 

[mikel]

Probably just my strong personal desire, but maybe this means A-basin is in play? Telluride is a nice addition to the Epic Pass if they lose A-basin.

Related, I hope this means CB is being courted and not left without a dance partner. CB might be a little too close and actually attract skiers from Denver/DIA, though. The nice thing about Telluride for VR is it's so damn hard to get there to actually use the days.

When the question about the pending status of A Basin came up I tried to find contract/date info online but no luck. I love Telluride. Wish I would ski there more. That place is beautiful but honestly we have spent way more time there in the summer and fall than in the winter. By a lot.

 

[Green08]

MCP is claimed to survive, but I have my growing doubts it will continue in a similar fashion.

I wondered about this kind of partnership developing with the Epic Pass when I overheard a resort employee talking about mountains left out of the Ikon instead partnering with Vail instead. I bet more announcements will come, as they did last year when Alterra kept buying mountains every other week.

 

[Uncle Louie]

When the question about the pending status of A Basin came up I tried to find contract/date info online but no luck. .

I don't think the reference you may have seen was about a sale. VR has an agreement with A-Basin and there passes are valid there. I think that agreement was set to end either this season or next.

 

[jmeb]

I wonder if they will extend the deal to passes other than the Full pass, such as the Summit Local's pass. Interesting development.

Given the article says that the 7 & 4 day Epic pass can be used all at T-ride, I'm guessing the Local and Summit will get some days there too.

 

[tball]

When the question about the pending status of A Basin came up I tried to find contract/date info online but no luck. I love Telluride. Wish I would ski there more. That place is beautiful but honestly we have spent way more time there in the summer and fall than in the winter. By a lot.

I'm one of the sources of rumor/innuendo about the A-basin contract. A couple years ago I overheard a conversation in the A-basin season pass office and probed a bit. The understanding of the employees was this 2017/18 season was the last on the VR agreement. They could have been wrong, or things could have changed. Who knows. This was all documented on Epicski, but VR destroyed the evidence.

Kudos to A-basin management on their excellent investments of their Epic Pass windfalls. They have and continue to make fantastic improvements. I hope their upgrades and expansions allow them to be acquired for a premium by Alterra or Powdr during this reshuffling.

 

[mikel]

I don't think the reference you may have seen was about a sale. VR has an agreement with A-Basin and there passes are valid there. I think that agreement was set to end either this season or next.

exactly I was trying to find the status of the contract/date

 

[Blue Streak]

I bet A Basin finds itself in the cat bird seat.
Xterra (sorry, I meant Alterra, or was that Altima) would be well served to poach A-Basin, to offer Front Rangers more choice.
It would be hard to imagine A Basin without some significant affiliation; otherwise, it would be a ghost town.
That's not going to happen.
Proximity to Keystone should give VR the upper hand, not to mention the fact that Katz and company clearly know how to make a deal.