The era of the Ikon Pass is upon us. Photo: Alterra Mountain Company
In the battle of giant conglomerates gobbling up big ski resorts across the U.S. like Sour Skittles, the announcement of a brand new season pass for the 2018-2019 season is making things interesting.
At the biannual Outdoor Retailer show (which relocated to Denver this year) Alterra Mountain Company – formerly KSL, which owns numerous resorts including Deer Valley, Mammoth, Jackson Hole, Steamboat and more – unveiled a multi-resort season pass to rival Vail Resorts’ Epic Pass.
“The Ikon Pass is a collaboration of like-minded mountain destinations across North America where incredible terrain, unique character and local traditions are celebrated,” said Erik Forsell, Chief Marketing Officer for Alterra Mountain Company in a press release. “We’ve curated a community of iconic destinations. We believe this new pass offers tremendous opportunity and appeal to mountain enthusiasts who have a passion for outdoor adventure.”
The Ikon Pass allows access to 12 resorts owned and operated by Alterra, as well as access to “11 partner resorts” for a grand total of 23 resorts in North America.
A map shows the resorts covered in Alterra Mountain Company’s newly unveiled Ikon Pass. Photo: Alterra Mountain Company
Compare that to Vail’s Epic Pass that, while nominally, will give you access to 45 resorts, only includes 15 resorts in North America. The remaining 30 are European resorts, and access to them isn’t unlimited.
While Alterra hasn’t announced how much the 2017-18 Ikon Pass will cost, it’s safe to say it’ll be in the same price range as the Epic Pass which for the 2016-2017 season retailed last spring for $859 for adults, and $449 for kids ages 5-12. Given price hikes over the last few seasons, expect that to increase.
Here are the resorts covered by the Ikon Pass by region:
California: Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, Mammoth Mountain, June Mountain, Big Bear Mountain Resort
Colorado: Aspen Snowmass, Steamboat, Winter Park Resort, Copper Mountain, Eldora Mountain Resort
Maine: Sugarloaf, Sunday River
Montana: Big Sky Resort
New Hampshire: Loon Mountain Resort
Utah: Deer Valley Resort, Alta Ski Area, Snowbird
Vermont: Stratton, Killington Resort
West Virginia: Snowshoe
Wyoming: Jackson Hole Mountain Resort
Ontario, Canada: Blue Mountain
Quebec, Canada: Tremblant
British Columbia: CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer Adventures – Access to special benefits to be announced soon
