2023/2024 Season Passes

[KustyTheKlown]

Al yes kuh

I think

 

[Dickc]

Changer ma langue de préférence ​ ​ Hurry, there is only 1 week left to lock in spring’s lowest prices. Make the most of The Good Stuff with limited time savings on child passes, immediate spring access at select destinations and a payment plan for as low as $0 down and 0% APR*. Get the goods before prices go up $100 and promos end April 21.​

BUY NOW​ ​ PRICES GO UP $100 AND PROMOS END APRIL 21​

​ Save up to $200 on Child Passes​ ​ 0% APR on Payment Plan​ ​ Ikon Pass Travel Savings​ ​ The North Face Discount​

 

[drjeff]

How do you pronounce that one
Aly-eh-skah, Al-yah-skah?

Think I remember Warren Miller in one of his old movies, pronouncing it Al - E - S - Kah

 

[machski]

Always wondered how the skiing in Alaska is with how dark it gets there in the winter, plus alot of the resorts are costal so hows the snow quality, I know they don’t lack at all in quantity…

For their relatively short lift served vertical, there is a huge disparity in snowfall between base and summit normally. I would tend to think that would also vary the quality of the snow over the vertical as well.

 

[Zermatt]

For their relatively short lift served vertical, there is a huge disparity in snowfall between base and summit normally. I would tend to think that would also vary the quality of the snow over the vertical as well.

By mid March every place on the planet has about the same daylight. I always assumed the Alaskan ski season was just later in the year. Like good heli skiing in the Chugach is in April and May.

 

[cdskier]

By mid March every place on the planet has about the same daylight. I always assumed the Alaskan ski season was just later in the year. Like good heli skiing in the Chugach is in April and May.

In mid-March, the sun-rise in Alyeska is either around 7:30 or 8:30 AM (depending on when the daylight saving time change occurs) based on what I saw when I was looking at their sunrise/sunset times throughout the winter.

I was just looking at their snow report yesterday as well and they list the current lift hours as 11am to 6pm. I'm curious what the hours are earlier in the winter.

 

[LonghornSkier]

I skied at Alyeska in late February of 2019. I would NOT travel all from the way from New England to ski there exclusively. It's a fun place, but the visibility on the upper mountain is often compromised, and the good terrain ranges from almost never open (Sunspots, Headwall) to sometimes open (North Face). Without that, you're limited to 5-6 runs in glacier bowl, or skiing Marine-compromised terrain off of Ted's Express.

Now, with that said, if you combine it with Cat/Heli Skiing at CPG (who operates out of Alyeska), it is certainly worth the trip. That's what we did. Two days of Alyeska, three days with CPG.

 

[thetrailboss]

Bump.

For the third time in three years, Snowbird has changed the season pass program. Instead of the usual options with a set price and standard benefits, they have messed with the price and benefits. Net result is for my Alta Bird Pass they are raising the price 50% in one season.

Of course it is hard to know what really is going on because the benefits/terms are changed. Presumably the price increase is due to their new plan to offer a free youth pass per adult season pass. Historically, that was a $759 price for my daughter, so in some ways it appears to be a wash. I'm still looking into it.

I had heard rumblings that Snowbird and Alta were at serious odds about the price and that the program almost did not happen. I had figured that Snowbird's "new" marketing for this "free" pass was the issue (and paying for it).

Lots of singles with no kids are NOT happy about this increase. Some are saying they will buy two separate passes.

The bigger issue for me is that the value proposition has significantly decreased. You all have had to endure my bitching. I am having a hard time swallowing the increase when lines are now too long and I cannot park there because of the crowds.

Stay tuned. First world problems.

 

[deadheadskier]

Bump.

For the third time in three years, Snowbird has changed the season pass program. Instead of the usual options with a set price and standard benefits, they have messed with the price and benefits. Net result is for my Alta Bird Pass they are raising the price 50% in one season.

Of course it is hard to know what really is going on because the benefits/terms are changed. Presumably the price increase is due to their new plan to offer a free youth pass per adult season pass. Historically, that was a $759 price for my daughter, so in some ways it appears to be a wash. I'm still looking into it.

I had heard rumblings that Snowbird and Alta were at serious odds about the price and that the program almost did not happen. I had figured that Snowbird's "new" marketing for this "free" pass was the issue (and paying for it).

Lots of singles with no kids are NOT happy about this increase. Some are saying they will buy two separate passes.

The bigger issue for me is that the value proposition has significantly decreased. You all have had to endure my bitching. I am having a hard time swallowing the increase when lines are now too long and I cannot park there because of the crowds.

Stay tuned. First world problems.

I figured you would be in favor of the increased price because cheap passes have resulted in overcrowding

 

[thetrailboss]

I figured you would be in favor of the increased price because cheap passes have resulted in overcrowding

Except the regular Snowbird passes are not going up and they are not putting in place reservations for IKON. So they are punishing my group of passholders in my view. Makes no sense.....

 

[thebigo]

Not sure if this was discussed but Powdr sold lee canyon to MCP maybe a month back. Healthy operators are not usually in the business of selling off assets to the competition.

 

[Smellytele]

Knowing when to sell an asset is what makes a company healthy.

 

[AdironRider]

I can't see Lee Canyon being a major driver of Powdr's overall business.

 

[thetrailboss]

I can't see Lee Canyon being a major driver of Powdr's overall business.

They had a buyer, the market is high right now, good time to offload it.

 

[machski]

Except the regular Snowbird passes are not going up and they are not putting in place reservations for IKON. So they are punishing my group of passholders in my view. Makes no sense.....

So since this is a combo pass, is it possible the shift in strategy is being driven more by Alta than Bird? I mean, Alta has taken steps in the past season more so than Bird to limit traffic (moving off the iKon Base, some paid parking IIRC). Seems like that side of the coin may be driving it.

 

[Zermatt]

Lots of singles with no kids are NOT happy about this increase. Some are saying they will buy two separate passes.

Maybe that's the point. Getting rid of their worst customers. In this case, bad customers consume too many ski days and ski disproportionately more than families. It would be like charging fat people more at the all you can eat than a skinny person.

 

[thetrailboss]

Maybe that's the point. Getting rid of their worst customers. In this case, bad customers consume too many ski days and ski disproportionately more than families. It would be like charging fat people more at the all you can eat than a skinny person.

Maybe, but that is pretty fucking weird. A person who skis 100 days vs. 10 days does not cost any more. The lift still has to spin.

 

[thetrailboss]

So since this is a combo pass, is it possible the shift in strategy is being driven more by Alta than Bird? I mean, Alta has taken steps in the past season more so than Bird to limit traffic (moving off the iKon Base, some paid parking IIRC). Seems like that side of the coin may be driving it.

Maybe. The sticking point was the split of the revenue from what I understand.

And I'm pretty happy with Alta.

 

[Tonyr]

Also, Snowbird owns all of the properties around their resort, Alta does not from what I understand. Larger crowds would benefit Snowbird more than Alta as there are more opportunities to make off the mountain revenue at hotels and restaurants if you own everything. That could be part of the reason why you've seen the Alta passes become more restrictive but Snowbird's has stayed the same.

A 50% pass increase while painful should put a dent in the crowding. Separate season passes is probably what Alta prefers anyway but Snowbird also needs to become more restrictive with their Ikon pass as well. I think what I've mentioned above is one of the reasons why they haven't done so but on that note, they really messed up their hotel guest experience this year.

Putting the interlodges aside, which is out of their control, prices for rooms on mountain at Snowbird were sky high this season. You also had random people sleeping all around the lobby and common areas on each floor. The employees at the spa told my wife to make sure to keep our doors locked as people not staying at that hotel have been stealing property from guest rooms and the spa inside of the hotel. A guy I work with had the same experience during his stay, neither of us are in a rush to go back and I'm sure there are many more like us based on this season's hotel experience.

 

[Former Sunday Rivah Rat]

Presumably the price increase is due to their new plan to offer a free youth pass per adult season pass. Historically, that was a $759 price for my daughter, so in some ways it appears to be a wash. I'm still looking into it...

Lots of singles with no kids are NOT happy about this increase. Some are saying they will buy two separate passes.

It seems that singles and couples with no kids are again being forced to subsidize families with kids. The other problem is that the subsidies continue until they hit 30 with all the huge discounts to the 18-29 crowd. Easily the most dangerous age group on the mountain BTW.