East coast pass options suck.

BenedictGomez · Mar 5, 2019

gregnye said:
So in a way the east coast is better in terms of cheaper skiing at non-corporate resorts. I mean we've even got state-owned resorts in New York and New Hampshire! I know people on this site tend to hate the government but at this point I have more faith in the state of NH to keep skiing affordable then I do Vail.

You do realize the big "government-owned" resort in New York is almost $100 for a lift ticket right (with virtually zero amenities)? That's not "cheap" unless you're comparing it to Vail, but anything is cheap compared to Vail.

Quietman · Mar 5, 2019

deadheadskier said:
The introduction of the Ranger pass was still a financial jump for Crotched skiers. They were pissed about it. But you could still ski Holidays on a cheaper pass. Now that has gone away for next season.

Makes zero sense for primarily Crotched skiers to pay Mt Snow rates while also offering a cheap as shit pass price valid at Mt Snow to bring in even more crowds.

I've long said that Crotched is a locals mountain and suggested that Peaks should offer a Crotched only pass. I understand the logistics of why they don't, but still think that they should.

thebigo · Mar 5, 2019

Quietman said:
I've long said that Crotched is a locals mountain and suggested that Peaks should offer a Crotched only pass. I understand the logistics of why they don't, but still think that they should.

Think you are onto something re logistics. The ranger passes would not scan on holidays this year. At first they requested people go to the ticket window to have their pass validated. When people refused they started manually applying stickers to the pass in the lift line, obviously became a shitshow.

machski · Mar 5, 2019

Kind of surprised Ikon Base drops Stratton to just 5 restricted days this coming year. Kind of crappy, especially given Stratton is Alterra owned. I don't consider them in the same league as Aspen or DV, but that is what they are equating them as. I would think Tremblant would be in that league over Stratton and need the redux in guests given their lower capacity lift system than Stratton. Interesting.

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deadheadskier · Mar 5, 2019

Quietman said:
I've long said that Crotched is a locals mountain and suggested that Peaks should offer a Crotched only pass. I understand the logistics of why they don't, but still think that they should.

Agree 100% and this years pricing is a step further away from that. They will lose additional NH market share to Pat's, Gunstock and even McIntyre. I bought a McIntyre pass this year to supplement my Peak pass because of the freedom access it provided in addition to Mac having a great carpet/ learning area for my 3 year old.

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SKI-3PO · Mar 5, 2019

Stratton is 5 days on the base pass this year as well. It has not changed.

https://www.ikonpass.com/en/shop-passes/ikon-base-pass-2018-2019

JimG. · Mar 5, 2019

I hope the NYS mountains stay off of these multi resort passes.

I would have to re-evaluate my purchase of the NYS 3 in 1 if they go back even though I have seen no difference in skier density this season as opposed to last.

BenedictGomez · Mar 5, 2019

thetrailboss said:
Alta/Snowbird and a Brighton night pass.

You must really hate Solitude?

Seems 7 Days at Deer Valley, 7 Days at Alta/Snowbird, and unlimited Solitude for $949 would be tough to beat.

snoseek · Mar 6, 2019

I used to carry multiple passes. Im going the other way now where I get one pass (free) and buy tickets at local hills. Its a nice escape from the crowds honestly. A four pack to Powderhorn and some day tickets via liftopia and Im still under 500 bucks for the season total. Hell I walked up to beaver mtn and bought a 50 dollar ticket at the window and had a fantastic day.

I suggest saving some dough for the little places...they are cheap and we will miss them when they're gone more than you realize.

snoseek · Mar 6, 2019

BenedictGomez said:
You must really hate Solitude?

Seems 7 Days at Deer Valley, 7 Days at Alta/Snowbird, and unlimited Solitude for $949 would be tough to beat.

7 days at altabird ain't enough imo. Also solitude is busy now. Solitudes biggest sell was an escape from the masses. The terrain is good but it skis smaller and has an akwerd layout.

gladerider · Mar 6, 2019

on ikon this year and will be next year as well; however, in the next year or two i will be heading out to whistler/blackcomb. that year, i will be on the epic.
adding ORDA mtns to ikon would be a perfect pass for me.

Zermatt · Mar 6, 2019

machski said:
Kind of surprised Ikon Base drops Stratton to just 5 restricted days this coming year. Kind of crappy, especially given Stratton is Alterra owned. I don't consider them in the same league as Aspen or DV, but that is what they are equating them as. I would think Tremblant would be in that league over Stratton and need the redux in guests given their lower capacity lift system than Stratton. Interesting.

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Um...it has always been 5 restricted days.

machski · Mar 6, 2019

billo said:
Um...it has always been 5 restricted days.

Guess I missed that this year, thought it was blackout only. Still idd as it is a fully owned Alterra Mountain and weakens their Base pass in New England given Epic Local's unlimited/unrestricted Okemo/Sunapee.

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machski · Mar 6, 2019

snoseek said:
7 days at altabird ain't enough imo. Also solitude is busy now. Solitudes biggest sell was an escape from the masses. The terrain is good but it skis smaller and has an akwerd layout.

Solitude is nice, but it depends what you like. Honeycomb is fun but mostly short. The longer good steep stuff all requires hiking for it at Solitude. Yes, Alta requires some hiking for goods, but not to the same extent and Snowbird, well there us some hiking if you want but plenty right off the lifts.

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drjeff · Mar 6, 2019

machski said:
Guess I missed that this year, thought it was blackout only. Still idd as it is a fully owned Alterra Mountain and weakens their Base pass in New England given Epic Local's unlimited/unrestricted Okemo/Sunapee.

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My hunch is it may be more to do with Alterra realizing that when they bought Stratton, that #1 they had a mountain, that even with the upgrading of the snowbowl lift to a HSQ (which IMHO has made a big difference in the 3 days I've been at Stratton around the URSA pod watching races this year) that it was still often close to the maximum amount of guests on a busy day that it could handle from a trail crowding, lift capacity, parking availability, and lodge space, so opening it up to an unlimited amount of days on the IKON with it being the "closest" IKON resort to the NYC and Boston population bases may not be the best of ideas and #2, the Stratton "regular" clientele is a demographic that I'm sure Alterra looked at as a group who via the IKON they could get them out to their Western properties and spending more $$ out there, so why "anger" them too much by potentially increasing the crowds beyond what was already sizeable many days a season??

catskillman · Mar 6, 2019

drjeff said:
Honestly wish they would up upped their prices a bit. Weekend crowds, especially Saturdays, have been crazy this season... To the point where many of us Mount Snow regulars now have come to realize that what used to be a "big" holiday weekend crowd is now more like a normal Saturday, and a "big" holiday weekend crowd, noticably larger than the old version of it...

And it's not just season passes doing this, there's a bunch of "paper tickets" being sold as well!!

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agree - same at Hunter. weekends are unbearable..

slatham · Mar 6, 2019

drjeff said:
My hunch is it may be more to do with Alterra realizing that when they bought Stratton, that #1 they had a mountain, that even with the upgrading of the snowbowl lift to a HSQ (which IMHO has made a big difference in the 3 days I've been at Stratton around the URSA pod watching races this year) that it was still often close to the maximum amount of guests on a busy day that it could handle from a trail crowding, lift capacity, parking availability, and lodge space, so opening it up to an unlimited amount of days on the IKON with it being the "closest" IKON resort to the NYC and Boston population bases may not be the best of ideas and #2, the Stratton "regular" clientele is a demographic that I'm sure Alterra looked at as a group who via the IKON they could get them out to their Western properties and spending more $$ out there, so why "anger" them too much by potentially increasing the crowds beyond what was already sizeable many days a season??

Agree. Anyone wanting to ski Stratton >5 days will easily pay up for the full Ikon pass.

machski · Mar 6, 2019

slatham said:
Agree. Anyone wanting to ski Stratton >5 days will easily pay up for the full Ikon pass.

Probably true, but kind of tags it as a premier destination of the Ikons owned by Alterra. Guess I just don't consider it as such. Been once, in no hurry to go back so 5 is fine with me on the base. Not sure if that is the case at Stratton, why they didn't do the same with Tremblant. Went up on MLK weekend on the Max couple years ago and it was a damn zoo on Saturday. Sunday was a tad better as it was much colder and Monday not bad at all (Canadians all back to school/work). But there were 45 minute lift lines that Saturday. Doubt it has gotten any better, even with the Lowell Thomas Upgrade this year.

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Kleetus · Mar 6, 2019

gladerider said:
on ikon this year and will be next year as well; however, in the next year or two i will be heading out to whistler/blackcomb. that year, i will be on the epic.
adding ORDA mtns to ikon would be a perfect pass for me.

This 100%. As a current ORDA passholder, I have heard this on many a lift ride this season at Gore from other ORDA passholders and those who lament the death of the MAX pass. I'm considering not even getting an ORDA pass next year and just doing IKON and the Empire Card for the days I want to ski Gore and WF next year.

Not that I want Gore to become super crowded from being on IKON, but it would be nice to have VT options paired with the ability to go out west and do everything on one pass vs. an ORDA only pass and having to patch deals together to ski elsewhere or doing an ORDA and IKON pass at a pretty hefty price.

It's been a goal of ORDA for many years to increase skier visits, and at Gore, they have been mostly flat since the addition of all the new terrain and lift improvements over the last 10 years. Getting on IKON or even a multi-mountain pass such as Mountain Collective would definitely help.

pauldotcom · Mar 6, 2019

1- I am not buying 2 passes.
2- Mount Snow has an excellent pass product; but without a west option, it really isn't feasible. I go out west usually every year, but without a pass, it would be $1000+ for me and my son to ski a week. I have a pass this year, but didn't go out west. I'm going out west next year, so not an option.
3- When I say local, I mean up to 2.5 hours. The IKON only has 2 mountains within that distance for me. Stratton is 1.7 hours and Killy about 2.2 hours. Sugarbush is 3 hours so I could do a couple day trips a year but wouldn't want more than that. So that's 12 days local.
4- IKON has like 12 unlimited options for the $649 pass; yet none in the North East. I'm not a huge Stratton fan, but hell, at least give me that unlimited for the hardpack/ice days.
5- EPIC pass is decent with unlimited OKEMO and a little Stowe. But - Stowe is about 3.5 hours, so it's defiantly not a day trip. I prefer Mount Snow over Okemo because Okemo can be a little flat...

East coast pass options suck.

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