What Season ski pass should I buy?, Everything you need to know about the Epic and Ikon pass

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Over the past five plus years, the ski industry has seen numerous changes. Lift ticket prices continue to increase with no sign of stopping, gear has become more advanced, and resorts are changing the way they do business, especially in the Season Pass sector. If you have been a dedicated rider, vacationer, weekend warrior, or even just the 1-2 days/year skier or boarder, you’ve probably noticed some changes in how resorts are operating.

Each year, larger ski corporations are either buying up ski resorts or partnering with them in order to include more “iconic” resort destinations on their season pass options. Once off the beaten path, resorts as well as small mom and pop mountains are now drawing more and more crowds to their locations each year. It’s the classic, never ending resort town saga of not wanting to “bite the hand that feeds you” while at the same time, hoping your once “local” resort isn’t going in the direction of being overrun by Corporate yahoos and the occasional self entitled tourist (If you’re reading this hopefully that isn’t you lol).

For someone who has had a season ski pass since junior high, I’ve never seen anything quite like it and it has been fascinating, yet sometimes agonizing to watch the acquisitions unfold. None-the-less it has been nice to venture out to new resorts and places that just five years ago would have cost the average skier an arm and a leg at the ticket window. Now, one can access most resorts all over North America as well as select ones in Europe and Japan with a season pass for around $1000. Not a bad deal, all things considered. I’m talking about the Epic and Ikon season passes that have revolutionized the ski industry and changed the game entirely.

Buying a season pass, especially if your new to it, can be a lot of information at once. In this post I’ll be giving insight on what to know, what to expect, what resorts are on each pass, the positives and negatives with each pass, as well as how to get the most out of your Epic or Ikon season pass:)

Jackson Hole is on the Ikon and Ikon Base Plus

What to know when purchasing the Ikon or Epic pass

The Epic pass was started back in 2008 and is sold through Vail Resorts, one of the larger if not the largest ski resort corporations in the world that is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange. From Epic Burgers to Epic Mix (an app that provides stats such as vertical feet skied) to Epic Mountain Express, Vail Resorts has found a way to have their hands in almost every connecting piece that revolves around providing what VR has coined an “experience of a lifetime” for guests. It’s genius from a business perspective. In what appeared to be a monopoly on the ski industry for quite some time, 3 years ago the Ikon Pass was introduced.

Unlike Vail Resorts, who owns most of the resorts on the Epic Pass, The Ikon pass owned by Alterra Mountain company, offers unlimited riding at a number of their resorts, but has also partnered with a number of resorts not owned by Alterra, with unlimited riding and up to 7 days at select resorts. A move that was pretty new in the season pass world just a few years ago. Although season passes in the past offered limited days at other resorts, it hadn’t been done on such a large scale as when the Ikon was introduced. Vail Resorts has since started to catch on, offering 7 days at resorts such as Telluride in Colorado and 7 Days combined at select resorts in the Canadian Rockies..

Both passes offer a monthly payment plan and passes typically go on sale in the spring for the following winter and the best time to buy is no later then the end of summer, when pass prices typically increase. In an attempt to increase pass sales, resorts will advertise, “to lock in a pass before prices increase”. Both passes offer a protection plan as well as reward discounts on lodging, rentals, and on mountain dining, which I’ll cover in more detail later in this blog.

Copper Mountain has become a local favorite in Colorado and offers unlimited riding on the Ikon Photo: Chip Proulx

What Resorts are on the Ikon and Epic Pass

Each season, more resorts are added to the above passes. Below I have listed out the resorts on each pass, their location, and the type of access you have to each resort.

Epic Pass (No Blackout Dates)

• Colorado Rockies

  • Unlimited Access at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Crested Butte

  • 7 days at Telluride, after 7 days you’ll get 50 percent off lift tickets

• Utah

  • Unlimited access at Park City

• Washington

  • Unlimited Access at Stevens Pass

• Tahoe California

  • Unlimited Access at Northstar, Kirkwood, and Heavenly

• East Coast

  • Unlimited Access at Stowe, Mount Snow, and Okemo in Vermont

  • Unlimited Access at Wildcat, Mount Sunapee, Crotched Mountain, and Attitash in New Hampshire

  • Unlimited Access at Liberty Mountain, Roundtop Mountain, Whitetail, Jack Frost, Big Boulder, Seven Springs, Laurel Mountain, and Hidden Valley in Pennsylvania

• Midwest

  • Unlimited access to Boston Mills, Alpine Valley, Brandy Wine, and Mad River Mountain in Ohio

  • Unlimited access at Wilmot in Wisconsin

  • Unlimited access to Afton Alps in Minnesota

  • Unlimited access at Paoli Peaks in Indiana

  • Unlimited access at Mt. Brighton in Michigan

  • Unlimited access at Hidden Valley and Snow Creek in Missouri

• British Columbia

  • Unlimited access at Whistler Blackcomb

• Canadian Rockies

  • Seven days total combined, not for each resort, at Fernie Alpine, Kimberley Alpine, Stoneham, Kicking Horse, Nakiska, and Monte Sainte Anne. After seven days, 50% off lift tickets

• Japan

  • Five days combined at a number of resorts in Hakuba Valley

  • Also Five days total at Rusutsu 

• Europe

  • With the FULL Epic pass you’ll also have access to a number of different resorts in Switzerland, Italy, France, and Austria

  • Lodging eservations must be booked at select properties in order to use your Epic Pass in Switzerland and Austrian resorts. Once booked, the properties will deliver your ski passes.

  • 3 days total combined at Ski Alberg resorts in Austria including St. Anon, one of the largest ski resorts in the world.

  • 5 days total combined at Verbier4vaallées resorts in Switzerland.

  • 7 days total combined at Les 3 Vallées resorts in France and also seven days in Italy at Skirama Dolomiti resorts.

  • Instead of using your epic pass visit the ticket window of the resorts mentioned above in France and Italy to receive day passes. Pass holders receive 50 percent off lift tickets after seven days are used at Skirama Dolomiti resorts.

• Switzerland

  • Unlimited Access to Andermatt-Sedrun-Disentis

• Australia

  • Unlimited Access at Perisher, Hotham, and Falls Creek

Ikon Pass (No Blackout Dates)

• Colorado Rockies

  • Unlimited Access at Steamboat, Copper Mountain, Winter Park, and Eldora

  • 7 days at Arapahoe Basin

  • 7 days combined, not with each individual resort, at Buttermilk, Snowmass, Aspen Mountain, and Highlands in Aspen.

• Utah

  • 7 days with each resort at Brighton and Deer Valley(Skiers only)

  • Unlimited access at Solitude

  • 7 days combined not with each individual resort at Alta and Snowbird

  • 7 Days at Snowbasin

• Washington

  • 7 days at Crystal Mountain

  • 7 days at Snoqualmie

• California

• Unlimited access at Palisades Tahoe (formally Squaw Valley), Mammoth Mountain, Bear Mountain, and June Mountain

• Oregon

  • 7 days at Mt. Bachelor

• New Mexico

  • 7 days at Taos resort

• Idaho

  • 7 days at Sun Valley

  • Unlimited at Schweitzer

• Montana

  • 7 Days at Big Sky (No access to the Tram)

• Wyoming

  • 7 days at Jackson Hole Resort

• East Coast

  • Unlimited access at Stratton and Sugarbush resorts in Vermont

  • 7 days combined at Killington/Pico resorts in Vermont

  • Unlimited Access at Snowshoe in West Virginia

  • 7 days at Loon Mountain in New Hampshire

  • 7 days at Sunday River and Sugarloaf in Maine

  • 7 Days at Windham in New York

  • 7 days each at Blue Mountain and Camelback in Pennsylvania

• Midwest

  • 7 days at Boyne Mountain and Boyne Highlands in Michigan

• Alaska

  • 7 days at Alyeska Resort

• Canada

  • 7 days each at Revelstoke, Red Mountain, Sun Peaks, Panorama, and Cypress Mountain in British Columbia

  • 7 days combined not with each individual resort, at Banff, Lake Louise, and Mt. Norquay

  • Unlimited access at Tremblant in Quebec

  • Unlimited access at Blue Mountain in Ontario

• Europe

  • 7 days combined at Dolomiti Superski resorts in Italy

  • 7 days combined at Zermatt Matterhorn resorts in Switzerland (Excluding Cervinia-Valtournenche in Italy)

  • 7 Days combined at Chamonix Mont-Blanc Valley in France

  • 7 days combined at Kitzbühel and Mittersil in Austria

  • 7 Days combined at Ordino Arcalís, Pal Arinsal, and Grandvalira in Andorra

• Japan

  • 7 days each at Niseko United and Arai Snow

• South America

  • 7 days at Valle Nevado in Chile

• Australia

  • 7 days at Thredbo Resort

• New Zealand

  • 7 days combined not with each resort, at Coronet Peak, The Remarkables, and Mt Hutt

The positive and negatives of each season pass

Not gonna lie, both passes have amazing resorts for skiing and snowboarding, making it a tough decision. However, depending on where you live and what you’re looking for, will decide what pass will be purchased. Below I’ll cover the pros and cons of each pass.

Ikon Pass

Pros

• Lot’s of unlimited riding options if you live in California, Colorado, and Vermont.

• Resorts have more of a mom and pop feel and less of a corporate like vibe. More of a homey/community like feel with less of a tourism like vibe.

• Renewal Discounts

• Monthly payment plan offered

• Pass insurance offered in case of emergencies and illnesses

• 15% off food, beverage, and retail

• 25% off lift tickets for friends and family

• Discounts with North Face and SMITH

• Discounts on Heli Trips

• Lodging discounts

• First Tracks- Once per month (Jan-March) at certain resorts, get first tracks before the mountain is open to the public.

• Discounted summer activities

• Protect our Winters membership

• Elect to Defer option- If your pass isn’t used after you buy it for any reason you can defer the pass to the following winter season. Must select this before Dec 9

• Discount pricing for Nurses, College students, and Military

Cons

• Not as many unlimited resort options

• More expensive than EPIC

• Not as many midwest resort options

• Ikon Military passes are more expensive then Epic military passes

Epic Pass

Pros

• More unlimited riding options in the Midwest, Colorado, and the East Coast. The epic pass works great if you live in the midwest because it allows you to ride your local hill, but also take trips out west and around the world. Check out reasons to ski or snowboard in the Midwest.

• Epic Coverage offered in case of job loss, illness, injury, or resort closures. May be covered for a pro-rated amount or full refund

• 20% off food, lodging, rentals, epic mountain express, Lessons, Golf at select courses, Keystone cat skiing, and Whistler heli-skiing

• Discounts on waxing and tuning at select locations

• Monthly payment plan offered

• Ski with a friend Lift Tickets. Discount varies based on resort and time of year

• Epic Mix app which provides Mobile pass interactive trail maps, resort info, and statistics from your day of riding such as vertical feet skied.

• Discounts for Military, College Students, and people with disabilities

Cons

• Most infrastructure at resorts have a similar feel and vibe. More cookie cutter approach with Epic burgers, Epic mix photos, etc.

• Mountain safety- You’ve probably noticed these yellow jackets on the mountain. Although they appear to be keeping everyone safe, not all are friendly. Instead of giving out warnings they can be irrational at times and take away peoples passes.

  Having more Ski Patrol on the mountain would be a better idea as they have more experience with navigating the mountain. Typically Ski Patrol are good skiers who have better judgement on whose in control and who is reckless.

• Lift Lines at resorts such as Breckenridge, Keystone, and Vail can get pretty long especially during holidays and weekends.

Are there other season pass options that are less Expensive?

Yep, don’t plan on riding a lot or perhaps looking for a more affordable season pass, both Ikon and Epic have other season pass options. Under Ikon, there is the Base, Base plus, and a 4 day lift ticket pass.

Epic has a lot of different pass options including an Epic Local, Summit Value, Tahoe Local, Keystone Plus, and a 1 through 7 day lift ticket pass.

In order to get access to Snowmass in Aspen you have to purchase the full Ikon or the Ikon Base Plus

What to expect and how to get the most out of your Season Pass

Now that you’ve considered what pass you’ll buy for the upcoming season, a few things to be aware of when you’re riding different resorts are sometimes there will be lift lines, crowded slopes, bad snow, closed lifts, and traffic to the resort. Like anything in life, things don’t always go as planned. The best way to have a great day on the mountain is to be prepared and plan ahead. Weekends and Holidays can get pretty crowded so leave really early to beat the traffic. Weekdays will always be the best time to ride the resort. Also, depending on what pass you purchase, make sure to check Black Out dates around holidays, before traveling all the way to a resort. Check weather and road conditions ahead of time.

Make sure to have to the proper equipment. This includes the correct outerwear, layers, goggles, and board/skis for the day. Also make sure to get your board tuned periodically and check your equipment before heading to the mountain. I worked at a snowboard shop for years and I can’t tell you how many times people would come in with loose screws on their bindings as well as old or broken parts on their boots/bindings.

Planning ahead and having the proper equipment will allow you to get the most out of your season pass and have not only great days on the mountain, but an amazing season overall. Lastly, don’t forget to put your season pass to use. Take a weekend road trip, wake up early, book a flight, and try to get to the mountain as much as possible!