Epic Vailure - why would you buy an epic pass???

[My Pet Powder Goat]

I'm sold! Haha i wasn't familiar with the BC access. We have a Similar situation here at canyons.

[powdork]

JH is the most overrated mountain on MC IMO. Conditions in late Mar were craptastic at best. I think the appeal is the sidecountry options, which are pretty amazing. The snow there suffers from lots of south-east exposure. It went from ice to Velcro before you knew what happened.

Yeah when I was there for the collective I spent about 2 hours inbounds and found exactly what you describe and then had amazing days in the sidecountry and then spent another 4 days in the backcountry. I assume it is awesome in January though. I felt like Sun Valley was the most overrated but my visit there coincided with the worst conditions of the trip.

[Vets]

How much money does the skiing bring in during May? Are lots of people purchasing day passes? Because if they are not, Vail will close. More important than turning a profit every quarter is turning a profit every day. They don't give a shit about passholders that gave them money 10 months ago.

This was Blaise Carrig after the purchase of Kirkwood in an interview with the Skier Channel

The Vibe - Destroyed
Lower price points - thing of the past
Kirkwood only pass - no longer exists

Kirkwood Season Pass is still listed here at $549.

[Vets]

For me, Vail owns the two resorts closest to home - Heavenly and Kirkwood.
While I am not always thrilled with some of their operating decisions, they are still fun local mountains to ski. They have also treated me well as a customer.
(I also have a Sierra at Tahoe pass and a Mountain Collective pass.)

[Skidog]

Just the way it is. ABasin and Loveland are the best April mountains in the west, hands down. I mean, talk to a few people after this weekend. And it's almost May. They just don't get the severe thaw/freeze of even Vail and Copper. Furgetabout Jackson and SLC.

4 feet this week at snowbird. Yeah a basin is best late skiing in the west...try again bunny.

[thebirdhunter]

But it's so core.

Ahhh, Bunny's still butthurt cause Jackson kicked his noob ass and sent him back to the beginner/intermedate hills of Colorado with his tail between his legs.

[Bosco]

Killebrew is better and longer than mott. The face/gunbarrel has some awesome terrain (avy bowl, hogsback). But the real treasure is the sidecountry. Firebreak and Raleys Bowl are awesome powder lines that can get busy nowadays and the 5k vertical drops off the backside are stellar when they are in. It's a great mountain but moreso than others it really requires you know your way around.

This is true. When I take an outsider to HV and show them around, they usually have a different perspective. That said, if your into the gnar, there are better options.

[My Pet Powder Goat]

Ahhh, Bunny's still butthurt cause Jackson kicked his noob ass and sent him back to the beginner/intermedate hills of Colorado with his tail between his legs.

At least he got a Pocket full of cured meats and a bagel out of it.

[skaredshtles]

JH is the most overrated mountain on MC IMO. Conditions in late Mar were craptastic at best.

Goes to JH in late March and passes judgement based on that trip.

I might humbly suggest that you did it wrong.

Any mountain is gonna be shitty with shitty snow conditions.

And JH in good snow conditions (yes, Jan-Feb best bet) is fucking outstanding.

YMMV.

[Skidog]

Goes to JH in late March and passes judgement based on that trip.

I might humbly suggest that you did it wrong.

Any mountain is gonna be shitty with shitty snow conditions.

And JH in good snow conditions (yes, Jan-Feb best bet) is fucking outstanding.

YMMV.

When I dumps at Jackson it's great. When it doesnt the southern exposure kills it.

[powdork]

Kirkwood Season Pass is still listed here at $549.

Good to see they brought it back. I know several folks that were very bummed when it went away. I always thought getting rid of it was so they could close early and say "Well you can still ski Heavenly" (like this year).

[4matic]

Kirkwood Season Pass is still listed here at $549.

Never went away afaik.

[powdork]

Never went away afaik.

I stand corrected. I had thought it went away in 2014.

[raisingarizona13]

The tree skiing at Heavenly looks pretty cool.

[Benny Profane]

the west goes further west, bunny.

And much wetter.

[Benny Profane]

4 feet this week at snowbird. Yeah a basin is best late skiing in the west...try again bunny.

How was Snowbird before that? It was slush in mid March. Betcha it's been sorta, ahem, mushy a lot since. Abasin and Loveland were pretty sweet when I was last there first week of April. Just very high and protected. And it was cold and snowing.

[Benny Profane]

When I dumps at Jackson it's great. When it doesnt the southern exposure kills it.

This.

[Benny Profane]

The tree skiing at Heavenly looks pretty cool.

I had a good time in the trees during a dump and after. But, hey, I'm not core.

[raisingarizona13]

This.

The Village mostly faces east but it has everything, especially if you are comfortable with going outside of the boundaries.

[raisingarizona13]

If we are going to bash ski areas for being less fun we might be doing it wrong.

[raisingarizona13]

I had a good time in the trees during a dump and after. But, hey, I'm not core.

WTF does "core" mean? Sounds like an insecurity.

[jorion]

Killebrew is better and longer than mott. The face/gunbarrel has some awesome terrain (avy bowl, hogsback). But the real treasure is the sidecountry. Firebreak and Raleys Bowl are awesome powder lines that can get busy nowadays and the 5k vertical drops off the backside are stellar when they are in. It's a great mountain but moreso than others it really requires you know your way around.

Shhhhhhh...Heavenly is nothing but flat terrain with long lift lines and there's no reason to go there.

Seriously though, doesn't this answer your question? It sucks that Kirkwood and Heavenly are closed now, but those two mountains compliment each other so well, and the pass is so cheap. I'm happy to switch to touring full time this time of year with an odd trip to Squaw or Mammoth.

[powdork]

Shhhhhhh...Heavenly is nothing but flat terrain with long lift lines and there's no reason to go there.

Seriously though, doesn't this answer your question? It sucks that Kirkwood and Heavenly are closed now, but those two mountains compliment each other so well, and the pass is so cheap. I'm happy to switch to touring full time this time of year with an odd trip to Squaw or Mammoth.

I simply would like to see those that at least still pay lip service to passholders rewarded. People buy the epic pass because Vail has a monopoly, and they are hurting the end consumer as a result. They also use their monopoly to get awesome deals with the city so that they don't have to pay taxes on ticket sales and what not.

[Skidog]

How was Snowbird before that? It was slush in mid March. Betcha it's been sorta, ahem, mushy a lot since. Abasin and Loveland were pretty sweet when I was last there first week of April. Just very high and protected. And it was cold and snowing.

Week before that was great too. Skied knee deep Friday before last. I've skied 16" with lifts as late as June 16th at bird. Trust me I'm far from a bird fan, but it's got great spring skiing typically.

[gimpy]

If your free to cruise around the country then yeah the mc is a no brainer over the epic.
I will be buying another epic pass cuz I can walk out my door and ski to their lifts at that totally sucky mtn known for it's groomy groomers and great views. travelling to ski other resorts is not a possibility or a desire for me anyway. Other then my kids' season getting shut down (they could care less), I could give zero fucks they are closed. When it does snow again, it'll have mostly turned to shit by the time the lifts are spinning anyway. Skiing dank pow in tahoe in May requires skiing at sunrise. The corn in the bc is as good as it gets right now. east side roads are popping and mtns are still stacked. I'll still be skiing heave terrain into June this year. Was nice of vail to groom stagecoach after they shut it down for us