EPIC SKI PASS

Bluebird Day

Bluebird Day

New member
Vail resorts offers an EPIC SKI PASS for $599 for a season of unlimited and unrestricted skiing at any of their six resorts in CO and CA. The pass pays for itself in 7 ski days. That is a GREAT DEAL for the local skiers. And the resort benefits from the ancillary purchased made while they visit the report.

By comparison, my little local Pocono ski area charges $700 for a Season Pass. The pass does not pay for itself until after 15 days of skiing. Anyone who skis the Poconos will know that 15 days of skiing in is a lot of time spent going uphill and very little time going down... not too much fun.

Why have the Eastern resorts not tried this marketing strategy to get people to their resorts? It makes sense to me that some the Northern Vermont areas, MRG, Smuggs, Bush, Stowe, Bolton, Jay would coop an "Epic Ski Pass" to lure more skier to the northern half of Vermont, instead of stopping at K-Mart, Stratton, Bromley, Okemo, etc.

Of course, this is not the preference of the locals, who could live without the crowds, and I understand that point.
 
We've touched on it before, but local ski markets are handled very differently. As I understand it, an Epic Pass must be purchased IN PERSON during summer/fall the first time. The idea is of course to entice the Denver locals while still extracting max $ from the casual vacationers. Someone just posted here that they are buying one on a business trip to Denver and even going to the trouble of printing business cards with the local Denver branch address to make sure they get the pass. I have heard that once you have an Epic Pass, you can renew it online.

The Utah market is completely the opposite of Front Range Colorado. Day tickets are far cheaper (~1/3 less) but season passes are much more expensive.

Vail Resorts has a similarly attractive season pass deal at Heavenly (which also includes half price tickets at the Colorado resorts). Some of the other Tahoe resorts compete but multiple area deals are rare, except for Northstar/Sierra and Alpine/Homewood which have dual area ownership. Common ownership is the key. I think Boyne combines Sunday River/Sugarloaf season passes, maybe Loon too.
 
Thanks for your very helpful explanation and I imagine that the reason is in market data points that I could never understand anyway. The industry is very complicated these days, as compared to when I started skiing almost 40 years ago.
I once flew from NJ to Springfield VT in a Cessna 172 @ 7,000 ft. and was amazed by all of the scars on the mountains left by the now defunct ski areas.
 
You're confusing the Epic pass with the Colorado pass. The Epic pass is essentially marketed to non-locals who are already making one trip, trying to get them to make additional. It has no blackout dates (appealing to those already planning a holiday trip) and can be purchased online now. The Colorado pass must be purchased IN PERSON the first time, has holiday blackouts and is $150+ cheaper.
 
SKI-3PO":a62qavvt said:
You're confusing the Epic pass with the Colorado pass. The Epic pass is essentially marketed to non-locals who are already making one trip, trying to get them to make additional. It has no blackout dates (appealing to those already planning a holiday trip) and can be purchased online now. The Colorado pass must be purchased IN PERSON the first time, has holiday blackouts and is $150+ cheaper.
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+1


And the prices go up after Labor Day. I was on the phone with them trying to find out how much. They said maybe 30 bucks. I have a Colorado Pass in my future but it's going to be at a slightly increased price in a few weeks.
 
The Epic Pass is a great deal. We usually go out west twice a year, but purchased an Epic pass last year and flew out to Colorado every few weeks. It was a heck of a lot easier than spending 7+ hours in the car ever other weekend enroute to Vermont.
 
Welcome to another new user! If you'd be so kind, TTT, add your location to your profile -- it's proven to be a benefit to everyone to know where folks are.
 
Admin":2s9mbuxn said:
Welcome to another new user! If you'd be so kind, TTT, add your location to your profile -- it's proven to be a benefit to everyone to know where folks are.
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7+ to Vermont would have me looking at airline schedules, too.
 
7+ to Vermont would have me looking at airline schedules, too.
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I've made this point many times on this board and it comes back like a sharp boomarang...

I just book a trip to the Bird in February ($256.00 rt Philly to SLC on Delta). We'll do our annual trip in March to Jackson, Wy for the Town Downhill and I'll do a quick solo trip to Alta in January (?). . I'd spend more than that on gas to VT, not to mention the quality of skiing I'm getting..... a few trips to southern NE to ski will fill in the down time.

Here it comes!!! :sabre fight:
 
rt Philly
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If Philly is the closest airport to home, the strategy described is a no-brainer IMHO. Except for this part:
We'll do our annual trip in March to Jackson, Wy
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You haven't encountered the sun-baked sludge yet? Anytime later than mid-February is really shooting crap at Jackson with the SE exposure. You need fresh snow and quite a bit of it or you won't be happy for long.
 
I agree with the sketchy conditions at Jackson in March. This is more of a visit the family trip and watch the crazy cousins squeeze into their speed suits and fly down Snow King in the Town Race. :popcorn:
 
Bluebird Day":33jbrt8o said:
watch the crazy cousins squeeze into their speed suits
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That must be harder and harder to do every year...both for them, and for you. :lol:
 
It's quite a sight!! The local carpenters (aka former US Ski Team Members) usually clean up... and of course Tom Moe makes a showing...... :ski:
 
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