Evren
New member
Every year it is a complicated mating dance when it comes to patching together a custom season pass in Salt Lake. If you believe LCC is the be-all and end-all, the choices are simple enough; if you like to mix it up and venture out to the Wasatch back, to Ogden, even down Provo-way... it gets complicated -- and expensive -- fast. But aside from the pleasure of choosing a different resort-flavor (and they all have a distinct flavor) every day, you get to catch all three storm tracks: The smack-dab Cottonwoods, the southerly flow that favors Sundance and the Wasatch back, the northern track that hits Snowbasin and Powder Mtn.
My goal is to approximate the SkiUtah Silver Pass, for less than the $2,500 those things go for. As a bonus, instead of looking like an out-of-town plebe with a flimsy day-pass flapping in the wind I get to (often) wear a sturdy season-pass-on-a-lanyard that unmistakably tells all that I am a "local". It almost feels like a gold medal. And if you think that's over-stating it, think of how little time it takes for singles-line lift-mates to work it into the conversation that they're local. Or how it wounds the ego to be assumed a tourist just because you are skiing with last year's high-performance rentals that you picked up on the cheap (speaking from experience here).
Anyway... what I wanted to share were a couple of good deals that help me put together such a pass. And maybe have people add others I am not aware of. Some are locals-only, some would apply to all:
1) The Ski Passport. Also known as the SkullCandy Passport. It comes with certain merchandise purchases and has free tickets to many (mostly second-tier) resorts across the country. Unless you work for an airline, you'll be hard-pressed to use most of them. Here in Utah it's a sweet deal as it comes with tickets to Canyons, Snowbasin and Sundance this year. I got mine with a $60 Geigerrig hydration pack purchase at Costco (an excellent product from a local company, btw). The pack is definitely worth it and it subtly contributes to the "I'm-local!" aura you wish to exude. The tickets are for free.
2) Warren Miller tickets These come with mostly worthless perks, except for one -- a free voucher to Canyons. At $20 a pop, you can't go wrong. And no, you don't have to watch the film multiple times. They have elaborate checks to enforce the one-voucher-per-person policy but if you have multiple IDs with slightly different spellings, this is the place to use them. Also, the underscore is your friend here (John Smith and John_Smith are two distinct people).
3) Sundance midweek pass This I believe is the best deal out there if you mountain bike, as well. For around $250 you not only get what the name suggests but also two summers (before and after) of 7-days-a-week May-to-October lift privileges. Also, a lanyard. Sundance is under-rated because of its slow base lift (which you only have to ride once) and small acreage. But the back mountain has many distinct lines squeezed into that acreage and the mostly vacationing clientele will keep them fresh for you days after a storm. You can also ski-in to a Sundance Festival screening on a whim and feel particularly smug.
4) Deer Valley midweek pass It seems odd to mention Deer Valley and "value" in the same breath but that's what this is. It's not inexpensive at $880 but here's what you get: the best lift-served mtn bike experience for two summers, 7-days-a-week. At $340 for summer passes alone, it's a mere $200 for the skiing. For those who are cheap-to-a-fault you don't even need to buy skis as demos are free! Alternate with a Sundance pass and you get both summers at both places. Also, once I got a flat tire biking at Deer Valley and they sent patrol to meet me on the trail and change my tire. They didn't even charge for the inner tube! That's $5 off of your pass price. The food is tasty and their salad bar even includes sushi. You actually get what you pay up for at Deer Valley.
5) Snowbasin I won't beat a dead horse and mention the myriad ways in which Snowbasin is a good deal all around but their midweek and ten-passes are the cheapest and have no blackouts, making Snowbasin your friend around Christmas and Presidents' Day. They have good food for not much money served on real plates which you can later discharge at one of the top-10 swankiest bathrooms in the nation... that's vertical integration for you MBA-types.
So, what other deals am I not thinking of?
My goal is to approximate the SkiUtah Silver Pass, for less than the $2,500 those things go for. As a bonus, instead of looking like an out-of-town plebe with a flimsy day-pass flapping in the wind I get to (often) wear a sturdy season-pass-on-a-lanyard that unmistakably tells all that I am a "local". It almost feels like a gold medal. And if you think that's over-stating it, think of how little time it takes for singles-line lift-mates to work it into the conversation that they're local. Or how it wounds the ego to be assumed a tourist just because you are skiing with last year's high-performance rentals that you picked up on the cheap (speaking from experience here).
Anyway... what I wanted to share were a couple of good deals that help me put together such a pass. And maybe have people add others I am not aware of. Some are locals-only, some would apply to all:
1) The Ski Passport. Also known as the SkullCandy Passport. It comes with certain merchandise purchases and has free tickets to many (mostly second-tier) resorts across the country. Unless you work for an airline, you'll be hard-pressed to use most of them. Here in Utah it's a sweet deal as it comes with tickets to Canyons, Snowbasin and Sundance this year. I got mine with a $60 Geigerrig hydration pack purchase at Costco (an excellent product from a local company, btw). The pack is definitely worth it and it subtly contributes to the "I'm-local!" aura you wish to exude. The tickets are for free.
2) Warren Miller tickets These come with mostly worthless perks, except for one -- a free voucher to Canyons. At $20 a pop, you can't go wrong. And no, you don't have to watch the film multiple times. They have elaborate checks to enforce the one-voucher-per-person policy but if you have multiple IDs with slightly different spellings, this is the place to use them. Also, the underscore is your friend here (John Smith and John_Smith are two distinct people).
3) Sundance midweek pass This I believe is the best deal out there if you mountain bike, as well. For around $250 you not only get what the name suggests but also two summers (before and after) of 7-days-a-week May-to-October lift privileges. Also, a lanyard. Sundance is under-rated because of its slow base lift (which you only have to ride once) and small acreage. But the back mountain has many distinct lines squeezed into that acreage and the mostly vacationing clientele will keep them fresh for you days after a storm. You can also ski-in to a Sundance Festival screening on a whim and feel particularly smug.
4) Deer Valley midweek pass It seems odd to mention Deer Valley and "value" in the same breath but that's what this is. It's not inexpensive at $880 but here's what you get: the best lift-served mtn bike experience for two summers, 7-days-a-week. At $340 for summer passes alone, it's a mere $200 for the skiing. For those who are cheap-to-a-fault you don't even need to buy skis as demos are free! Alternate with a Sundance pass and you get both summers at both places. Also, once I got a flat tire biking at Deer Valley and they sent patrol to meet me on the trail and change my tire. They didn't even charge for the inner tube! That's $5 off of your pass price. The food is tasty and their salad bar even includes sushi. You actually get what you pay up for at Deer Valley.
5) Snowbasin I won't beat a dead horse and mention the myriad ways in which Snowbasin is a good deal all around but their midweek and ten-passes are the cheapest and have no blackouts, making Snowbasin your friend around Christmas and Presidents' Day. They have good food for not much money served on real plates which you can later discharge at one of the top-10 swankiest bathrooms in the nation... that's vertical integration for you MBA-types.
So, what other deals am I not thinking of?
