Superpasses: more crowds?

[BenedictGomez]

it's my sense that there are a great many SLC locals holding limited IKON passes and that's why crowds were low at both Alta and Snowbird on the blackout dates of Feb 15 and 16, 2020.

Makes perfect sense.

If you're a Utah local & can ski LCC 200 days per year, why not pay less money & avoid the "hoards" from Texas & points east of the Mississippi on what you believe will be some of the most crowded days of the entire year.

 

[thetrailboss]

Purely anecdotal, but it's my sense that there are a great many SLC locals holding limited IKON passes and that's why crowds were low at both Alta and Snowbird on the blackout dates of Feb 15 and 16, 2020. I believe there are also SLC locals to a lesser degree that hold Epic Local passes. I skied Park City today 2/17 and it was not too bad, but today the blackout was lifted. Various chairlift riders told me the previous two days were medium busy, not holiday weekend busy.

Exactly


Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone

 

[thetrailboss]

Is that tracked separate from the Alta/Bird combo and is that offered with multiple tiers?

Sent from my Pixel 3 using AlpineZone mobile app

Yes. Alta/Bird is a separate season pass and only offered full season. There is no midweek version of that.

From what I saw won Christmas, more folks skied at Alta than the ‘bird with their IKON passes.


Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone

 

[jimk]

Makes perfect sense.

If you're a Utah local & can ski LCC 200 days per year, why not pay less money & avoid the "hoards" from Texas & points east of the Mississippi on what you believe will be some of the most crowded days of the entire year.

Yes, but the irony is that the most crowded days of the entire year are now becoming days that are good for crowd avoidance:grin:
Again anecdotally, I've heard from friends that ski Tahoe that the Christmas Holidays at places like Squaw and Alpine Meadows were not too crowded due possibly to same pass blackout factor.
I don't think you should see too many signs around SLC saying "IKONers go away", because the IKONers seem to be mostly locals now:grin:

 

[thetrailboss]

Yes, but the irony is that the most crowded days of the entire year are now becoming days that are good for crowd avoidance:grin:
Again anecdotally, I've heard from friends that ski Tahoe that the Christmas Holidays at places like Squaw and Alpine Meadows were not too crowded due possibly to same pass blackout factor.
I don't think you should see too many signs around SLC saying "IKONers go away", because the IKONers seem to be mostly locals now:grin:

Well, in all honesty, it is a lot of local resort passholders who are upset at IKON and essentially other locals. I seem to notice the most friction being at Deer Valley, Alta, and to some extent Solitude (mainly because it went from a sleepy locals place to the hub of IKON).

 

[KustyTheKlown]

my experience in utah this week aligns with this ("most" ikon holders are utahahns). the only day we experienced crowding was the first sunday of our trip (2/9). this was the first full day of snowbird being open after the 50 hour interlodge, it was sunny and warm, and they were set to drop ropes all over the hill. it was madness. and almost every person we encountered was a local. the rest of the week was quiet and the crowd mostly seemed to be the week-long vacation tourists that have always keep these places humming along midweek. the crush is on the weekends when a major metropolitan city all show up to ski the cottonwoods.

 

[thetrailboss]

my experience in utah this week aligns with this ("most" ikon holders are utahahns). the only day we experienced crowding was the first sunday of our trip (2/9). this was the first full day of snowbird being open after the 50 hour interlodge, it was sunny and warm, and they were set to drop ropes all over the hill. it was madness. and almost every person we encountered was a local. the rest of the week was quiet and the crowd mostly seemed to be the week-long vacation tourists that have always keep these places humming along midweek. the crush is on the weekends when a major metropolitan city all show up to ski the cottonwoods.

Correct. Again, the rub is not that folks are coming out to visit from out-of-the-area and causing the crowding, but that locals are either leaving their traditional one-resort season pass for IKON or are buying the base pass when they would not otherwise have a pass. The intent of the program is to encourage people to travel and visit other areas, but when five are right beside a metro area there is a problem.

 

[KustyTheKlown]

was definitely extreme enough that it caused me to swear off ikon utah if i'm looking for a long weekend trip. not worth the shitshow. for the weeklong trip it was perfect, but i'm glad i discovered powmow for the blackout dates and wild weekends. money well spent up there. deer valley was also a solid choice for our first saturday (LCC closed, BCC full, DV was fine - sold out, but fine).

 

[machski]

Makes perfect sense.

If you're a Utah local & can ski LCC 200 days per year, why not pay less money & avoid the "hoards" from Texas & points east of the Mississippi on what you believe will be some of the most crowded days of the entire year.

But BG, with an Ikon Base you cannot ski LCC 200 days per year, you can ski it only 5.

Sent from my SM-T830 using AlpineZone mobile app

 

[thetrailboss]

But BG, with an Ikon Base you cannot ski LCC 200 days per year, you can ski it only 5.

Sent from my SM-T830 using AlpineZone mobile app

Snowbird’s President and GM spoke about canyon transportation issues Wednesday night in SLC. Last year, 16% of their total skier days were IKON passes. He confirmed that Snowbird Season Pass sales are down this year. He also said that this season on average 20-30% of their daily visitors are IKON passholders.


Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone

 

[Scruffy]

Snowbird’s President and GM spoke about canyon transportation issues Wednesday night in SLC. Last year, 16% of their total skier days were IKON passes. He confirmed that Snowbird Season Pass sales are down this year. He also said that this season on average 20-30% of their daily visitors are IKON passholders.


Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone

I'd be interesting to see if they stick with IKON.

 

[Zermatt]

I wonder at what point the Cottonwood Canyons could support European style mass transit to the ski areas (light rail from the valley, aerial trams, etc). My guess is they aren't even close.

 

[kingslug]

Not even close...would take years..and a ton of money..

 

[machski]

Snowbird’s President and GM spoke about canyon transportation issues Wednesday night in SLC. Last year, 16% of their total skier days were IKON passes. He confirmed that Snowbird Season Pass sales are down this year. He also said that this season on average 20-30% of their daily visitors are IKON passholders.


Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone

If this is true, then the entire SLC valley must be switching to Ikon passes. It's the only explanation that fits given LCC has 7 days MAX access on the Ikon. I will say this, if I lived in SLC, I'd have a full Bird-Alta pass because 7 days would not be enough for me.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using AlpineZone mobile app

 

[deadheadskier]

If this is true, then the entire SLC valley must be switching to Ikon passes. It's the only explanation that fits given LCC has 7 days MAX access on the Ikon. I will say this, if I lived in SLC, I'd have a full Bird-Alta pass because 7 days would not be enough for me.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using AlpineZone mobile app

I probably would too, but can't you get both and Epic local and an Ikon pass for near the same money as a full Alta / Bird? Maybe a lot of people are doing that.

Sent from my XT1635-01 using AlpineZone mobile app

 

[thetrailboss]

If this is true, then the entire SLC valley must be switching to Ikon passes. It's the only explanation that fits given LCC has 7 days MAX access on the Ikon. I will say this, if I lived in SLC, I'd have a full Bird-Alta pass because 7 days would not be enough for me.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using AlpineZone mobile app

That’s exactly what is going on.

And if nothing changes, I’m seriously considering dumping my Alta/Bird Pass. The traffic is just too crazy now.


Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone

 

[thetrailboss]

If this is true, then the entire SLC valley must be switching to Ikon passes. It's the only explanation that fits given LCC has 7 days MAX access on the Ikon. I will say this, if I lived in SLC, I'd have a full Bird-Alta pass because 7 days would not be enough for me.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using AlpineZone mobile app

And for the average person, 7 days is plenty.


Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone

 

[asnowmobiler]

 

[thetrailboss]

View attachment 26373

It hasn’t snowed in six days. No big events up here. Skiing is ok but not great. But the place is overwhelmed. And coincidentally this is the FIRST weekend after a blackout for IKON. Seems pretty clear to me what is at least part of the problem.....


Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone

 

[ScottySkis]

It hasn’t snowed in six days. No big events up here. Skiing is ok but not great. But the place is overwhelmed. And coincidentally this is the FIRST weekend after a blackout for IKON. Seems pretty clear to me what is at least part of the problem.....


Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone

Sad
I guess SlC that I visited a few times last decade is not the same now