EPIC 2021-2022 Announcement =Pass cost cut 20%

[cdskier]

I just wish Vail had bought Sugarbush lol, its the 1 place I'll pay for tix and hotel to ski, but we love it so I can deal with that.

You would be alone on wishing that! That type of talk could get you banned from the Mad River Valley!

 

[ericfromMA/NH/VT]

You would be alone on wishing that! That type of talk could get you banned from the Mad River Valley!

Oh, don't get me wrong, I wish it was still its own place, I freakin love it there. But man i wish the IKON pass had a couple mid NH mountains on it. then it would be a no brainer for us with access there too. Plus that sweet kid discount would make it a cheaper option.

How was SB this year? I haven't heard anyone raging against alterra but I haven't heard any saying wow they are great either. I didn't make it this year, couldn't quarantine. I'm assuming you've been as I know you are there alot from talking with you before.

 

[cdskier]

Oh, don't get me wrong, I wish it was still its own place, I freakin love it there. But man i wish the IKON pass had a couple mid NH mountains on it. then it would be a no brainer for us with access there too. Plus that sweet kid discount would make it a cheaper option.

How was SB this year? I haven't heard anyone raging against alterra but I haven't heard any saying wow they are great either. I didn't make it this year, couldn't quarantine. I'm assuming you've been as I know you are there alot from talking with you before.

From a mountain ops perspective, I think SB did a pretty good (and normal) job. All lifts operated on their standard schedules. Snowmaking seemed close to normal (hard to tell exactly if the same amount was made on every trail or not, but they were making snow when they could). Grooming seems pretty normal. Looking purely at mountain ops this season, I think you'd be hard pressed to know they had new ownership. Nothing at all like the glaring issues we've heard about at some of the Vail resorts.

From a COVID perspective I think they did a good job spacing and managing the lift lines. I didn't go in the lodges so can't comment on that part.

 

[JimG.]

I am pretty sure I'll get the Epic pass this year. here's why:

Its me and my 2 kids, both under 13. I live in southern NH.

We've had passes at Ragged for 5 years. Great place, CHEAP passes, 80 minutes from my house, but we are getting bored with it. we had been doing 3-4 trips per year to other places, primarily sugarbush (2 trips 2 days each) and a few other places.

The epic pass lets us use Sunapee as our home mountain (60 mins from my place, i like it) or go to crotched (45 minutes away) for easy day trip for close to home variety. Then, we can go to Okemo, Mt snow, and Stowe- places we've been meaning to go to anyways- and it just costs me gas and the hotel room.

AND I can do solo day trips during the week to attitash, wildcat and Okemo for the cost of gas.

will there be crowds? I'm sure there will be. But we'd be at sunapee/cranmore most weekends, and at the other bigger places on the weekdays 70% of the time. I pull my kids from school to ski. They are both doing well in school and its not a problem.

Yeah, I'm almost doubling what my pass costs will be, but I will have 2 options w/o black out dates real close to home, and free access to a bunch of other places that we will hit, and only stowe has black out dates. I can work around that.

About 3-5 trips to any place other than sunapee and crotched and it will pay for itself.

I just wish Vail had bought Sugarbush instead of Alterra lol, its the 1 place I'll pay for tix and hotel to ski, but we love it so I can deal with that.

IKON just doesn't have a place close enough to me to justify getting it. Loon is the closest, but I'm not going there every weekend.

I'll try this for a year, see how it works. For me, it's a no brainer.

anyone want to tell me why I shouldn't do this?

You will need to spend some time but I suggest you read the "VAIL SUCKS" thread before deciding

 

[Mum skier]

OBut man i wish the IKON pass had a couple mid NH mountains on it. then it would be a no brainer for us with access there too. Plus that sweet kid discount would make it a cheaper option.

This is where I think Epic does edge it over Ikon for me as well. If you ski a lot at weekends or want to have kids in a season program you need unlimited. The only unlimited with Ikon as the two in Vermont and that’s a longer drive for people from the Boston metro area than some of Epic’s NH areas. And a lot of people are coming from those areas.
And on an Ikon base pass you can’t ski anywhere in the East at holiday periods, even Stratton or SB. Whereas the Epic local only knocks out Stowe for holidays and even the North East version still allows you the non-destination type resorts.

I think the Ikon resorts are better, especially the Western offerings, but somehow the lack of unlimited at resorts that are under two hours drive doesn’t work. Maybe they could buy Ragged, that’s about the only independent NH one I can think of.
White Mountain Super pass seems expensive and no western option.
New England pass - gave this a lot of thought, but you have to go up to gold to get any western resort discounts and only loon is really a day trip.

And so by default Epic still will get our money despite all the bad press......

 

[snoseek]

This is where I think Epic does edge it over Ikon for me as well. If you ski a lot at weekends or want to have kids in a season program you need unlimited. The only unlimited with Ikon as the two in Vermont and that’s a longer drive for people from the Boston metro area than some of Epic’s NH areas. And a lot of people are coming from those areas.
And on an Ikon base pass you can’t ski anywhere in the East at holiday periods, even Stratton or SB. Whereas the Epic local only knocks out Stowe for holidays and even the North East version still allows you the non-destination type resorts.

I think the Ikon resorts are better, especially the Western offerings, but somehow the lack of unlimited at resorts that are under two hours drive doesn’t work. Maybe they could buy Ragged, that’s about the only independent NH one I can think of.
White Mountain Super pass seems expensive and no western option.
New England pass - gave this a lot of thought, but you have to go up to gold to get any western resort discounts and only loon is really a day trip.

And so by default Epic still will get our money despite all the bad press......

Ragged is actually owned by a group that has several small to midsized areas around the country. That pass gets you access to them all but none are really worth getting on a plane from. I don't see that selling anytime soon. They do a pretty good job running it IMO

 

[deadheadskier]

Waterville would be a good target for Ikon in NH to have as an unlimited day trip area for the Boston market. I'm not a huge fan of the place, but I haven't been since they added Green Peak.

I'll have an Indy Pass next year, so I look forward to checking in out

 

[Smellytele]

Waterville would be a good target for Ikon in NH to have as an unlimited day trip area for the Boston market. I'm not a huge fan of the place, but I haven't been since they added Green Peak.

I'll have an Indy Pass next year, so I look forward to checking in out

Green peak is mostly just flat blue/green cruisers. Although they have a very short but very steep pitch called Wayne wong's Way where they push snow over a cliff and some how groom it.

 

[Mum skier]

Waterville would be a good target for Ikon in NH to have as an unlimited day trip area for the Boston market. I'm not a huge fan of the place, but I haven't been since they added Green Peak.

I'll have an Indy Pass next year, so I look forward to checking in out

Yes something like that would fill in the Ikon gap for the eastern MA folks. Even if it’s not great.

 

[RichT]

I've been to Stowe twice this year first time late February Thursday thru Sunday , second early March Thursday thru Sunday. The place was packed on the weekends. Question is where do all these people come from to ski on a weekend day?

 

[hovercraft]

They come from everywhere, even the weekdays were busy this year.

 

[ss20]

I've been to Stowe twice this year first time late February Thursday thru Sunday , second early March Thursday thru Sunday. The place was packed on the weekends. Question is where do all these people come from to ski on a weekend day?

Go on Interstates 87, 91, 93, or 95 northbound on a Friday in January at 8pm you'll see where they come from....

 

[gittist]

And don't forget a lot of kids were 'home-schooling' this year, people were unemployed, or skipping out on telework so that added to the weekdays. Hopefully next year the weekdays will be back to normal.

 

[Zermatt]

Ikon ski areas are total crap. I encourage everyone to get Epic Passes so you can ski at much better mountains for less money.

 

[dblskifanatic]

Ikon ski areas are total crap. I encourage everyone to get Epic Passes so you can ski at much better mountains for less money.

Is this a "there is nothing to see here!" If so, Ikon has that built in with the limited number of days unless you like Stratton - although I can see the desire to steer people away from Sugarbush.

 

[Cat in January]

Thanks guys, two places I want to ski. I have skied Jay, but just preseason touring

 

[ericfromMA/NH/VT]

Green peak is mostly just flat blue/green cruisers. Although they have a very short but very steep pitch called Wayne wong's Way where they push snow over a cliff and some how groom it.

Thats is the best description of that run I've ever heard!

 

[puckoach]

Ikon ski areas are total crap. I encourage everyone to get Epic Passes so you can ski at much better mountains for less money.

You might want to re think that....

 

[thetrailboss]

You might want to re think that....

I think he is using reverse psychology.

 

[jaytrem]

I think he is using reverse psychology.

And it would have worked until you had to open your big mouth!