![]() ![]() These passes each come in various flavors, unlocking skiing at destinations across the country. But whoever gets swallowed this offseason – and someone will – expect them to show up holding hands with their new buddies about this time next year.Once again this year, there are two heavyweights in the ring: the Epic Pass and the Ikon Pass. Just about any collection of resorts has either already introduced a joint pass (Aspen-Snowmass, Silver/49, Wisconsin Resorts, Berkshire East/Catamount, Labrador/Song, Whiteface/Gore/Belleayre), or has determined that such a product makes no sense given the distance between them (Red Lodge/Homewood, Jiminy Peak/Cranmore/Bromley). I don’t expect to see many more new combo passes for 2023-24 – at least not drawn from the existing partitions of our many resorts. Suddenly and collectively, those reservations have evaporated. In most cases, these operators had hedged on creating a single pass for their portfolios, preferring to offer reciprocity that was often inconvenient for customers but gave the owners more control. The rapid introduction of four regional multi-mountain passes by independent operators underscores how rapidly skiers’ expectations have shifted from the one-mountain, one-pass model to season-pass-as-a-snowy-island-hopping passport. There’s nothing revolutionary in any of these products, but there was nothing inevitable about them, either. The whole of BBMR will, I’m certain, still be unlimited on all sorts of Ikon Passes, but this is a great option for Local Brahs who gotta stay local, Brah. I was somewhat surprised – and pleased – to see that Snow Valley will retain its own single-mountain pass for $329 – the same price it debuted at last year. It’s a pretty good deal: $569 for unlimited access to all three ski areas. ![]() Alterra purchased nearby Snow Valley last month and added it to Big Bear, making this pass pre-ordained. While Alterra’s Bear Mountain and Snow Summit have always been unlimited on the Ikon Base Pass, the two ski areas – collectively known as “Big Bear Mountain Resort” – have retained their own season pass. All Legendary Pass ski areas are on Indy Pass, making passholders eligible for the Indy add-on, with its stacked Upper Midwest lineup. Passes go on sale March 4 and prices increase May 15. Bronze is just $375, and is good midweek at all three mountains, with three Christmas week blackouts. Silver runs $475 and is unlimited at Snowriver, but blacked out over 12 holidays at Granite and Lutsen. Gold is $675 and is unlimited at all three mountains (MFSR is no longer offering distinct passes for each mountain). The new Legendary Pass fixes that with a three-tiered offering. MFSR did add Snowriver to Granite and Lutsen’s shared pass, but it was expensive and not a great value, particularly for the Michigan mountains, which had long offered bargain season passes. Legendary Passīy the time Midwest Family Ski Resorts (MFSR) closed on Snowriver, a pair of side-by-side ski areas in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, last September, passes for its other two resorts – Granite Peak, Wisconsin and Lutsen Mountains, Minnesota - had been on sale for months. All three ski areas are Indy Pass members, which will make CALI passholders eligible for a discounted Indy Pass. All 2023-24 passes will go on sale March 11 and prices increase, um “April 31,” according to Mountain High’s website – let’s call it May 1 and adjust as necessary. China Peak and Dodge Ridge debuted 2022-23 passes at $379 and $499, respectively, with discounts for returning passholders. Mountain High’s season pass is set at $499 for renewing passholders and $549 for everyone else, both slight increases from last year. It looks as though all three ski areas will continue to offer individual-mountain passes, but prices are not yet live for China Peak or Dodge Ridge, and only the CALI Pass will include Powder Alliance membership. ![]() The CALI Pass will debut at $599 for renewing passholders from any of the three mountains, and $649 for new buyers. When Invision Capital and Karl Kapuscinski, long-time owners of Mountain High and short-time owners of Dodge Ridge, purchased China Peak late last year, they promised a pass that would be good at all three ski areas. ![]()
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