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Epic Pass just got more Epic

gmcunni

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Perhaps in response to the new Ikon Pass...

Telluride is joining the Epic Pass!

Beginning in the 2018/19 winter season, the Epic Pass, Epic 7-Day and Epic 4-Day will have direct-to-lift access to Telluride Ski Resort.
 

BenedictGomez

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Just saw that and yes, let the battle begin...

Count me out.

I am not a fan of these "pass battles" as I think they're bad for the skiing public in general, most of who do not have (or wish to have) a season pass.

The net effect of these pass alliances doing battle is an increase in single day ticket rates, the rates for which many people pay. Making skiing more expensive (to the point they seek to "force" you to choose a pass option), for most people, and certainly for the casual masses, is not a good thing IMO. My 2¢..
 

ss20

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Count me out.

I am not a fan of these "pass battles" as I think they're bad for the skiing public in general, most of who do not have (or wish to have) a season pass.

The net effect of these pass alliances doing battle is an increase in single day ticket rates, the rates for which many people pay. Making skiing more expensive (to the point they seek to "force" you to choose a pass option), for most people, and certainly for the casual masses, is not a good thing IMO. My 2¢..

I agree. But it is great for enthusiasts like us who get a bunch of mountains dirt cheap.

I do hate the increase in day ticket prices...people still seem to buy them though. I don't go to the big resorts (ones that charge $90+) during peak winter weekends/holidays, but I always hear stories of long lines for day tickets at the window.
 

cdskier

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Count me out.

I am not a fan of these "pass battles" as I think they're bad for the skiing public in general, most of who do not have (or wish to have) a season pass.

The net effect of these pass alliances doing battle is an increase in single day ticket rates, the rates for which many people pay. Making skiing more expensive (to the point they seek to "force" you to choose a pass option), for most people, and certainly for the casual masses, is not a good thing IMO. My 2¢..

While I have a season pass (to a single resort) and am ultimately benefiting from the wars causing my pass price to drop, I still agree that trying to "force" people into buying season passes and pricing day tickets at rates that scare people away is not a good thing. In particular I still see high day ticket prices as a major roadblock to growth in the sport or even introducing new people to the sport (the exception being kids that are brought up skiing from a young age).
 

mbedle

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Count me out.

I am not a fan of these "pass battles" as I think they're bad for the skiing public in general, most of who do not have (or wish to have) a season pass.

The net effect of these pass alliances doing battle is an increase in single day ticket rates, the rates for which many people pay. Making skiing more expensive (to the point they seek to "force" you to choose a pass option), for most people, and certainly for the casual masses, is not a good thing IMO. My 2¢..

If I didn't spend 99% of my time skiing one resort, I couldn't agree with you more. But in my case, its nothing but a win for me. Plus, if Epic adds any places in the northeast to their 50% off group, its even better for me. My guess is that they will look to pick up a couple of NE resorts to add to their pass.
 

Jully

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Count me out.

I am not a fan of these "pass battles" as I think they're bad for the skiing public in general, most of who do not have (or wish to have) a season pass.

The net effect of these pass alliances doing battle is an increase in single day ticket rates, the rates for which many people pay. Making skiing more expensive (to the point they seek to "force" you to choose a pass option), for most people, and certainly for the casual masses, is not a good thing IMO. My 2¢..

Definitely nervous about the increased consolidation and ticket prices due to passes, but as that is the way the industry is just going right now, I don't think it is reversing anytime soon. Eventually a mountain will reverse the trend, I'm sure, by offering incredible ticket deals or something but the passes appear to be working well for the masses right now at least.
 

Jully

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Perhaps in response to the new Ikon Pass...

Definitely seems like a response to the Ikon. Interesting that Telluride was one of the last independent large destination resort in CO. They were also a Mountain Collective resort. I doubt they will be next year.

The MCP will look really different with Tride and probably the new Ikon mountains off the pass.

The part that impacts me will be if Vail adds anywhere in the Northeast. The Ikon is currently a better NE option (though it still isn't great from a strictly eastern perspective, IMO).
 

cdskier

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The MCP will look really different with Tride and probably the new Ikon mountains off the pass.

I wouldn't bet on that...I suspect there will be significant overlap between the two passes. And honestly, why not be part of multiple multi-pass options? Multiple ways to drive people to your resort isn't a bad thing.
 

thetrailboss

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Considering that Telluride is having another shitty season, I imagine that this was done, in part, for survival. If you don't know what I am talking about, Utah and most of Colorado is in another terrible drought. Telluride has only had 65" of snow for the entire season and is skiing on a 30-40" base.
 

abc

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I wouldn't bet on that...I suspect there will be significant overlap between the two passes. And honestly, why not be part of multiple multi-pass options? Multiple ways to drive people to your resort isn't a bad thing.
Yeah, right!

Would Ikon allow the mountains to stay on MCP while also ne part of Ikon?
 

KustyTheKlown

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^MC would be stripped if they lost all of the ikon places. I suspect next year that those places will be on both passes.
 

Jully

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^MC would be stripped if they lost all of the ikon places. I suspect next year that those places will be on both passes.

It'd be nice if they all stayed on the MC for sure, but it wouldn't shock me if Alterra/Ikon required exclusivity. Given there will be some MAX/MC style set # of days per resort associated with Ikon, if they all stayed on the MC they would poach each other's sales. Given Alterra and Aspen have both announced the MC will live next year, it wouldn't surprise me if you're right though.

Tride will be off the collective though. No way Vail lets them be on two passes.

Edit: And Tride is officially out of the MCP. http://www.tellurideinside.com/2018/01/telluride-ski-resorts-joins-epic-pass.html
 

KustyTheKlown

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I think MC will be a lower tiered version of Ikon. MC will be the same useless 2 days per destination, and Ikon will be 5+ with some resorts having unlimited access. or ikon will have various epic pass style tiers. I don't have any inside info. I just know mc will still exist at least for one year and that it would make zero sense to continue to exist if it was losing squaw, alpine, mammoth, aspen, snowmass, alta, snowbird, Jackson.
 

cdskier

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Yeah, right!

Would Ikon allow the mountains to stay on MCP while also ne part of Ikon?

Why not? What's the harm? If Alterra's resorts are one of the key components, they'd be making money no matter which pass people picked.

^MC would be stripped if they lost all of the ikon places. I suspect next year that those places will be on both passes.

Yup, why specifically mention in the FAQ that MCP will still exist if all those mountains were off it. It wouldn't be much of a pass if all the Ikon ones were gone and then there's no way they'd be so sure MCP would still exist.

I think MC will be a lower tiered version of Ikon. MC will be the same useless 2 days per destination, and Ikon will be 5+ with some resorts having unlimited access. or ikon will have various epic pass style tiers. I don't have any inside info. I just know mc will still exist at least for one year and that it would make zero sense to continue to exist if it was losing squaw, alpine, mammoth, aspen, snowmass, alta, snowbird, Jackson.

I think this is very much in line with what we'll see as well.
 

KustyTheKlown

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there is no recovering from the abysmal start Utah and Colorado had to their season.

I stopped following Utah resorts closely since I'm not going back that way this year, but I have been keeping an eye on crested butte (granted that is significantly east and south of SLC), and it's really ugly. 77 inches of snow YTD at crested butte. more snow has fallen at killington, Stratton, etc.
 

Smellytele

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there is no recovering from the abysmal start Utah and Colorado had to their season.

I stopped following Utah resorts closely since I'm not going back that way this year, but I have been keeping an eye on crested butte (granted that is significantly east and south of SLC), and it's really ugly. 77 inches of snow YTD at crested butte. more snow has fallen at killington, Stratton, etc.
difference maybe though that it rained here so 77 here is different than 77 there.
 

KustyTheKlown

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difference maybe though that it rained here so 77 here is different than 77 there.

they had plenty of sunny days above freezing there too. i know comparing eastern YTD with our rain and thaws and western YTD is generally stupid and an apples to baseballs comparison. I'm just highlighting how absolutely terrible the southwest has been this season. a friend and i just split off from a group trip to crested butte/winter park for the first week of march. we are opting for fernie and kicking horse instead. i refuse to spend money and time away from work on skiing in Colorado this year, given how things have gone and look to continue going. my Utah trip already had to be kiboshed in favour of big sky.
 
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