Sure, skiers may still be enjoying the fruits of the weekend’s storm. But it’s time to look forward to next season, at least according to Vail Resorts.
On Tuesday, the company that owns the most ski resorts in the United States put its 2024-25 Epic Pass on sale, officially kicking off the spring season pass frenzy. Other resorts are expected to follow in short order. By mid-March last year, at least half of Utah’s resorts had announced their pass deals for the following season.
The early offer price for the adult Epic Local Pass, which in Utah grants access to Park City Mountain, is $731. That’s about a $50 price bump from 2023-24. A pass for kids ages 5-12 costs $380 and for 13-18 is $591. The local pass gives unlimited access to 29 resorts, three of which are in Colorado. Four other resorts are available with blackout dates, including Park City Mountain and Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood in Lake Tahoe, California. The Epic Local Pass also included 10 days each at Vail and Beaver Creek in Colorado and Whistler Blackcomb in Canada as well as five days at various resorts in Switzerland and Japan.
The full adult Epic Pass is selling for $982, a $73 increase over last season. It gives unrestricted access to 37 North American and five international ski and snowboard resorts. Seven days at Telluride in Colorado, with reservations, are included as well as access to various resorts around the world.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) The Sundown Ski Lift at Powder Mountain Ski Resort, on Friday, December 8, 2023.
Early purchasers of an Epic Pass will get 10 discounted buddy tickets in addition to the lowest price of the season. Traditionally, ski pass prices rise at undisclosed intervals as the new season nears.
Unlike at Powder Mountain, which also began pass sales to the general public Tuesday, however, the 2024-25 Epic Pass does not grant skiers and snowboarders access to the slopes this spring.
When Powder Mountain unveiled its pass options last week, it also dropped the bombshell that it would no longer cap season-pass sales. The practice had become part of the Eden-area resort’s identity over the past half-decade and was credited for keeping Powder uncrowded. If that changes with open access to season passes — as some loyal skiers and snowboarders fear — it’s possible the impact will be felt as soon as this weekend.
An adult pass with no blackout dates at Powder Mountain currently costs $1,499. That price “will increase with demand,” according to Powder’s website.
In another break from tradition, Powder has announced it will not be on the Indy Pass next year. That pass gets skiers and boarders two days at a minimum of 200 mostly independent ski areas in the U.S., Canada, Japan and Europe. The list of resorts has not been announced for 2024-25. However, Indy Pass holders in Utah have gained access to Beaver Mountain, Cherry Peak, Eagle Point and the White Pine Nordic Center in Park City in recent years.
The Indy Pass starts at $279 for adults or $379 with no blackout dates at partner resorts.
The Mountain Collective pass, another independent option, has also begun sales for the 2024-25 season. In Utah, it provides two tickets each to Alta Ski Area, Snowbird and Snowbasin. Just a short drive away, Jackson Hole and Grand Targhee in Wyoming, Big Sky in Montana and Sun Valley in Idaho are also on the pass. Plus, it includes far-flung destinations such as Canada, Japan, France, New Zealand, Australia and Chile.
Pricing for the Mountain Collective pass begins at $605 for an adult with no blackout dates. Additional tickets are 50% off.
Alterra Mountain Resorts, which owns the second-most ski areas in the U.S. and operates the Ikon Pass, has not yet released its pricing for 2024-25. Neither has Mountain Capital Partners, which owns 11 resorts including Utah’s Nordic Valley and Brian Head.
