Ikon Pass

[Name Redacted]

Jay Peak

Mount Baker

Yeah, those came to mind. Bachelor? I'm kinda surprised they haven't gotten to Batchelor yet.

Monarch, Loveland, Sunlight, Purgatory, Powderhorn come to mind in CO.

[simple]

You said best. Those are pretty average. Better if you count sidecountry.

[Name Redacted]

You said best. Those are pretty average. Better if you count sidecountry.

OK, semantics. But yeah, Baker is probably the last good ski area that I can think of that isn't EPIKONic. Of course, they only have agreements with a lot of these resorts, so things could change in the future, but once a lot of these guys get on the teat, it'll be hard to wean them off. Kinda like Abasin should have been off Epic a long time ago.

[old goat]

Disagree on crowds not being IKON related at least at Alta. Posted elsewhere but a reliable source told me YTD IKON was almost 30% of skiers. When two of the busiest days I have seen in 35 years was last weekend, President's holiday ought to be a "peach"

From today's paper...

Riled locals blame Ikon Pass for resort crowding

Pass accounts for 14 percent of skier days so far this season

https://www.jhnewsandguide.com/news/...b365126b0.html

How many of those IKON pass skiers were people who would have skied those resorts on day tickets in years past? In the last 4 years I've skied AltaBird (twice), JH, and BS on day ticket packages. (This year on an IKON pass (the only pass SVAM offers) I probably won't travel to ski for various reasons. )

I have no doubt that IKON and Epic passes increase skier days at destination resorts to some degree, just as cheap one resort passes increased skier days at local resorts. Things would be less crowded if the resorts eliminated the big passes and cranked up the cost of season passes and increased the cost of day passes even further. Then instead of us complaining about how crowded the resorts are we'll all be complaining about how we can't afford to ski any more.

[Dantheman]

What are some of the best resorts or ski areas in the US that are not on one of these passes?

Targhee.

[Duffman]

How many of those IKON pass skiers were people who would have skied those resorts on day tickets in years past? In the last 4 years I've skied AltaBird (twice), JH, and BS on day ticket packages. (This year on an IKON pass (the only pass SVAM offers) I probably won't travel to ski for various reasons. )

I have no doubt that IKON and Epic passes increase skier days at destination resorts to some degree, just as cheap one resort passes increased skier days at local resorts. Things would be less crowded if the resorts eliminated the big passes and cranked up the cost of season passes and increased the cost of day passes even further. Then instead of us complaining about how crowded the resorts are we'll all be complaining about how we can't afford to ski any more.

This is what I suspect is involved somewhat. Not arguing with those on the ground everyday that mountains are more crowded, but living on the EC and skiing at least 1 to 2 weeks in LCC most years , something like an IKon would potentially make sense even though I didn't get one this year. That wouldn't amount to an increase in visits from me , it would just be swaping day tickets or package deals for Ikon passes.

I can see where CO locals getting an IKon as their local season pass may add to visits that wouldn't otherwise happen, because what the hell, it's basically free.

Personally as a travel skiier who really doesn't home base at any mountain , I hate this trend to cheap multimountain passes w expensive day passes that Epic started , because I don't like to lock in to a network in April and be essentially forced to ski those places for the most part, but I don't see this trend ending anytime soon

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[skaredshtles]

Targhee.

Bridger?

[phatty]

What are some of the best resorts or ski areas in the US that are not on one of these passes?

Mt. Bachelor
Bridger Bowl
Brighton (all of the Boyne Resorts)
Mt. Hood Meadows

Key is that most of those are not destination resorts.

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

Mt. Bachelor
Bridger Bowl
Brighton (all of the Boyne Resorts)
Mt. Hood Meadows

Key is that most of those are not destination resorts.

Some Boyne resorts are on Ikon. (Big Sky, Brighton, Boyne Mtn, Boyne Highlands)

[skaredshtles]

Mt. Bachelor
Bridger Bowl
Brighton (all of the Boyne Resorts)
Mt. Hood Meadows

Key is that most of those are not destination resorts.

Brighton is on Ikon, as are most of the other Boyne resorts, IIRC.

Dammit, WG beat me to it.

[PNWbrit]

How many of those IKON pass skiers were people who would have skied those resorts on day tickets in years past?

The pass/ticket situation following the buyout at Crystal is instructive.

Those of us who bought passes in the spring sale have a Xtal pass and a separate Ikon pass for use elsewhere - which was added on after the early autumn buyout. The Ikon pass with unlimited Crystal days was sold at same(ish) price as our spring deal.. those Ikon pass holder have to get a day ticket that denotes "Ikon pass holder"

See a lot of these day tickets. Given the limited lodging or destination status of Crystal it has to be Puget Sound folks who wouldn't have otherwise bought a pass here. Crowds are noticeably up.. lots full on days when they wouldn't previously have been.

Combined with the population and economic boom here... more affordable skiing.... sucks.

(I feel kind of unclean about using my Ikon pass at BS next week...)

[ASmileyFace]

not sure why one would expect line employees to think being busier is better.

Well duh. But based on the rumors flying around the bars it sounds like upper management might be changing their tune also. Long time pass holders are seriously pissed.

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

Well duh. But based on the rumors flying around the bars it sounds like upper management might be changing their tune also. Long time pass holders are seriously pissed.

We can only hope. Curious to see the numbers at Big Sky. I am still a noob here, but the difference between last season and this season is astounding. What bunion said is true. I have gone up to ski on random Wednesdays with no no snow and the main lot is already full. Last year was my first year skiing there and lots of snow and even powder weekdays were like half full in the main lot.

It really doesn't help that they pimped the fuck out of the new 8 person chair. Full AP push and national news coverage. Lots and lots of people who had been skiing CO and UT for 20 years and had just kind of assumed MT was still super bumfuck had their minds blown when that 8 person chair was on the national news in December.

[EWG]

Agree with all that. It's a little more crowded than years past, and seemingly with most people at a lower skill/awareness level. Annoying.

Well, all the high skill people were already skiing, so the only people left to add have a lower level of skill. I guess it makes sense.

[mall walker]

Anecdotally I know of a number of people (current/former coworkers, acquaintances, people who have posted as much in the Wasatch thread) who have made their first trip to LCC this season because of Ikon. In some cases multiple extended trips.

[thebirdhunter]

Solitude (an Ikon resort now) had it's busiest day ever this year.

Snowbird had it's busiest day ever this year.

Last Friday at the bird was the busiest Friday I've ever seen in 30 years of skiing there. Busier than 95% of the most crowded Saturdays I've seen.

Weekends have almost always been busy but manageable, this year however, weekends are a complete fucking shitshow.

Everyone I know that skis Alta says it's the busiest they've ever seen it.

30 minutes from international airport, unlimited cheap places to eat and stay, AltaBird, and unlimited days at Soli make the Wasatch an Ikoners wet dream.

Not to mention the complete fucking shit quality of skiers/boarders zig zagging across the mountain seem to have doubled this year.

FUCK THE IKON PASS!!!!!!!

[phatty]

Some Boyne resorts are on Ikon. (Big Sky, Brighton, Boyne Mtn, Boyne Highlands)

Yep, I'm an idiot and missed those. Hopefully Alpental (Snoqualmie) doesn't get added as a Boyne resort next year. We're already slammed with Jerrys as it is.

[Name Redacted]

Mt. Bachelor
Bridger Bowl
Brighton (all of the Boyne Resorts)
Mt. Hood Meadows

Key is that most of those are not destination resorts.

Yeah, Batchelor may be a "Destination resort" I guess, at least regionally. The others aren't.

Pretty crazy though that almost every "Destination Resort" in the country is on one of these two passes right now. Pretty damn good time to be alive (and be retired and own a Sprinter van)

[snowaddict91]

Solitude (an Ikon resort now) had it's busiest day ever this year.

Snowbird had it's busiest day ever this year.

Last Friday at the bird was the busiest Friday I've ever seen in 30 years of skiing there. Busier than 95% of the most crowded Saturdays I've seen.

Weekends have almost always been busy but manageable, this year however, weekends are a complete fucking shitshow.

Everyone I know that skis Alta says it's the busiest they've ever seen it.

30 minutes from international airport, unlimited cheap places to eat and stay, AltaBird, and unlimited days at Soli make the Wasatch an Ikoners wet dream.

Not to mention the complete fucking shit quality of skiers/boarders zig zagging across the mountain seem to have doubled this year.

FUCK THE IKON PASS!!!!!!!

That's a big x2 from me! Also, where do I get one of those stickers? Every ski in the quiver needs one!

[Foggy_Goggles]

"Back in the day" was yesterday. We don't gotta like it but we better get used to it!



Where ya gonna go?

[Bunion 2020]

Sucks that N&G article doesn't break it down, but ask any local and those 14% of visits all just happened in the past month or so. You didn't see a single Ikoner out there in December.

If I had to wager that number is going to end up over 20%, and be more like 25 when it is all said and done.

700k skier visits at Jackson is a massive increase. They just broke 500k for the first time a couple years ago.

Same scenario in Big Sky, November and December were pretty quiet up until Christmas and now it is like Christmas week has never ended.

As for Bridger Bowl, They don't need IKON/Epic/MC. They sold > 12K season passes this year and on any really good days they run out of parking already.

[Benny Profane]

Bridger?

Non profit.

[Bunion 2020]

Non profit.

That makes so much fucking money it is unbelievable. Well run, pretty happy employees many of which have been there forever.

[alect47]

What are some of the best resorts or ski areas in the US that are not on one of these passes?

I may be wrong about some of these and I haven't skied most of them but:
Mt. Rose
Sugarbowl
Silver Mt.
Schweitzer
Monarch
Bachelor
Baker
Powmow
White Pass
Mt Hood Meadows
Mission Ridge
Pajarito (questionable snow)
Whitefish

[Sirshredalot]

That makes so much fucking money it is unbelievable. Well run, pretty happy employees many of which have been there forever.

The Mrs and I still talk about coming back. But we can't go back to 2004 Bridger. You can't go home again. Etc. It's worth noting that the nonprofit business model means BB invests the money it makes in facilities upgrades (Slushmans, the upgrades to Alpine) with an eye to improving the experience for skiers. No dividends to shareholders and no mandate to sell condo bullshit make it a uniquely great locals' ski hill. Bogus is the same, but the terrain and snow aren't on par.

One thing that hasn't been discussed here: the cities in the rocky mountain west have experienced massive growth in population and income in recent years. We are at 2 million people in the Wasatch Front. A nice Sugarhouse bungalow is half a million bucks easy these days. This winter is the best in a decade (so far).

The Gallatin Valley has tripled in population since I first moved there in 2004, and people were bitching (in a light hearted way, mostly) about the Californicators back then.

Mid-sized cities in the Rockies and the intermountain West are experiencing breakneck economic and population growth (and they have been for a while). If records for skier visits weren't getting broken, it would be shocking. A lot of good has come with this, but so do the crowds. Managing the economic transformation of this region and funneling the growth into more good than bad is complicated and not easy, but it's probably unfair to blame the Ikon pass for the crowding.

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