Ikon Pass

[skifishbum]

Wow, dude,
Utah has the best snow in the world, I've been told, and I have to agree, but then again, you're stuck in SLC apres ski. Duh.

ya know ifin my bro harry says you can ski im gonna take that as you don't suck
but having spent the last 4 days in the company of the bob bakers bums who rip shit up
im a marginal can hanger but excel at apres
and you totally suck at apres and partying
and I doubt its a location dependent thing
ill let you get back to apres aka surfing the webs for something stupid to make a thread about
before core shot beats ya to it

[hutash]

True. But even just being edible would be a step up from most US resorts.

Yeah, but it's not just edible, it is at times fucken amazing. I have never had a bad meal in a Euro ski area, and have had some amazing ones. All way less then the $15 US burger.

[I've seen black diamonds!]

Now that I live near good skiing in the US, I'm not that interested in traveling (beyond a moderate road trip) to other resorts in North America even if they're better than where I usually ski. Would definitely travel for Backcountry skiing, and ride lifts for a couple days along the way.

To me the appeal of traveling to Europe to ski is how different the skiing is. Yeah, the avy mitigation that lets us ski steep, stable powder in the US and Canada is great. But an 8 minute tram ride, then a 10 minute hike that gets me to a 1000m couloir is really fucking good too, and far more different than what I have close to home.

As far as the food goes it's not even close. Europe by a many, many miles.

[Ottime]

Huh? Maybe off the mountain at grossly inflated prices and it still won't be as good as the pasta at Courmayeur. The food in on the mountain cafeterias in Europe is incredible and cheap. Try the lunch of the day at the Requin hut on the Vallee Blanche run. (OTOH the food in the huts on the Tour du Mont Blanc sucks balls, especially in the Swiss huts where we were served potatoes and cheese three nights in a row, or the Flegere hut where we were served a few pieces of ham and some bread.)

That sounds fine, but is there a on mountain Starbucks?

The idea you can find excellent food at any major resort is laughable. And that is not even the point. Yo can find excellent food all over the alps. At like every minor resort. And not even try.

[noper]

i cant wrap my ahead around the fact that if you want to ski at some of these mountains for a few days, as an out of towner, it makes more sense to buy a season pass that then goes on to give you access to a bunch of other places too. on one hand its sounds like a great deal but when you ask your self how it can it be possible that walking up to a resort and getting a 3 or 4 day could possibly cost more, its just completely shocking.

the past 3 seasons ive bought the mountain collective pass because it motivated me to leave the mid atlantic and check out some real places to ski and now that our local hills are increasing their rate to almost the cost of an ikon pass its seems silly not to consider these bigger passes in lieu of staying local.

[::: :::]

i cant wrap my ahead around the fact that if you want to ski at some of these mountains for a few days, as an out of towner, it makes more sense to buy a season pass that then goes on...[blah]

Hotels & dining
Hotels & dining
Hotels & dining

[Benny Profane]

ya know ifin my bro harry says you can ski im gonna take that as you don't suck
but having spent the last 4 days in the company of the bob bakers bums who rip shit up
im a marginal can hanger but excel at apres
and you totally suck at apres and partying
and I doubt its a location dependent thing
ill let you get back to apres aka surfing the webs for something stupid to make a thread about
before core shot beats ya to it

No, I'm saying SLC is just fucking ugly for an appre place.

[sb]

Get you to EuroBBI Benny!

[VTeton]

WTF

They been at this game for years. Here they are at squaw in 2016.



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[TahoeJ]

Oh, and the lifts are new, and quite varied. Does any N.A. resort have a funicular?

The Funi at Squaw is how most people access the upper mountain. Can't recall seeing any others.

And yeah, as far as on mountain eating goes, the Europeans put us to shame. There are some exceptions of course, but on average it's not even comparable.

[Ottime]

i cant wrap my ahead around the fact that if you want to ski at some of these mountains for a few days, as an out of towner, it makes more sense to buy a season pass that then goes on to give you access to a bunch of other places too. on one hand its sounds like a great deal but when you ask your self how it can it be possible that walking up to a resort and getting a 3 or 4 day could possibly cost more, its just completely shocking.

the past 3 seasons ive bought the mountain collective pass because it motivated me to leave the mid atlantic and check out some real places to ski and now that our local hills are increasing their rate to almost the cost of an ikon pass its seems silly not to consider these bigger passes in lieu of staying local.

Just keep in mind that air travel is a huge contributor to climate change. Epic and Ikon leading the way to the end of skiing. Yay!

I get it though. If I lived in the mid Atlantic (or almost anywhere in the east south of Concord, NH) I’d be enticed to fly to ski.

I’d still likely prefer flying out of DC and heading east. As has been noted, the Alps are alright and the food is way better. Except for no ski through Starbucks.

[Shred Baron]

The Funi at Squaw is how most people access the upper mountain. Can't recall seeing any others.

Funiculars and Funitels are two totally different t things.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funicular

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funitel.

I don’t know of a funicular at a resort in N.A. You’re also right that Squaw has the only Funi in N.A., and Whistler has the only 3S. There a quite a few of each over in Europe though.


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[Jong Lafitte]

Not since they closed the back bowls of Dog Patch, USA.

[Ski220]

Wow, dude, as far as the food, man, you don't know. I've only been to a few mountains on this trip, but, jeez, it's pretty amazing, the quality of food and service coming out of the restaraunts high on the side of an Alpine mountain. Furgetabout the scenery from some. Ridiculous.


.

Well, I do know. And I get it. It's your first trip to the Alps and you are blown away. OK. Still for quality of snow, on piste or back country, I believe N.A. has the better snow quality and safer snowpack in general. (Ottime - name me one major N.A. resort where you can not find quality food)

And back to the theme of this thread .... I take back what I said in my original post about Europe being cheaper. I skied 21 days using my Mountain Collective card for an average cost of $51.43 per day. Yes, if you go out and buy single day tickets. But there are options now with the Epic, Ikon and Mountain Collective to reduce your costs. How about the Powder Highway Alliance? And places like Powder Mountain @ $88. Add in my back country days and the cost goes down even more. Off off piste in Europe? I want to ski with a guide; major $$$ !

[TahoeJ]

Funiculars and Funitels are two totally different t things.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funicular

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funitel.

I don’t know of a funicular at a resort in N.A. You’re also right that Squaw has the only Funi in N.A., and Whistler has the only 3S. There a quite a few of each over in Europe though.

Ah, okay, thanks for the clarification. Yeah, I doubt there are any Funiculars in N.A.

[rip]

Deer Valley's got one for one of their hotels.. A few houses in Mtn Village have their own private funiculars for ski access.

Song of the winter!

[dcpnz]

Thar's good to hear, first timer here.
Your mountain(s) rock.
Serious sustained pitch.
May have ruined other mountains for me.

Riding back from Highlands to the Buttermilk lot, suffused with endorphins from the 10" day and way more in the bowl, I start a conversation with the local guy sitting next to me about how good of a day it was.
I mention what a good traveling ski year it has been for me:

"5 days @ Jackson Hole, 7 @ Aspen ..."
He looks at me "IKON pass?"
"Yeah, sorry about that."
"You know, we hate you."
"Yeah, I know"

In addition to that, I found out:

Aspen is no longer as exclusive.
Lines are three times as long on the weekends. (this was disputed by a different local sitting in the row in front of us)
Aspen season pass holders get nothing in return for their IKONISATION. (Also disputed by the noted local in front of us: Premier Aspen season pass holders get 1/2 off day passes elsewhere).
To which local guy says: " Yeah, but why would we want to go anywhere else when we have the Highlands?!?" (valid point as the Highlands rock).

But, most importantly of all "Now our secret parking spot is always taken!"

I'm stoked that IKON is bringing folks here that have not visited before and are having a great time and in some cases smashing preconceived notions about exclusivity and snobbiness (last part not referring to you).

To clarify:
Yes , subjectively lines are longer this year but they're not anywhere close to 3x longer - couple of days have been the longest I've seen in the 13 (?) years Deep Temerity has been open. Is it worse than we are used to yes, is it bad comparative to other places I've been to and seen, no. Believe big pow days on weekends are a major contributor but we've had those before and no denying IKON visitation is having an impact as well.

No we do not get any Ikon benefits with our season pass.
We do get some Mountain Collective benefits (no "free" days, 50% off the highest 1-day walk up ticket window rate).
Different benefits, slightly different but overlapping set of resorts.

People are clueless. Literally over 90% of the increased traffic this season is due to a massive increase in season pass use by locals because the conditions are the best they have been in over a decade.

Back this up with data if possible please - stats being thrown around publicly about 8% ikon visitation and local pass use up 40% do not tell the whole story.
Our mountains remain unbelievably empty on weekdays. If a bunch of locals with season passes show up for a lunch run on a Tuesday when theres virtually no-one on the mountain it has a very different impact than a bunch of ikoners showing up on the most crowded Saturday.

I am undecided how I feel about the impact of epic/ikon on the industry. Walk up window rates of $200 are unsustainable - which means epic/ikon passes make so much sense. I understand but do not like the efforts to get cash and lock people in now in the spring for next year.
But I think there is some rationalization that needs to happen between the owned resorts and the affiliated resorts.

[old goat]

They been at this game for years. Here they are at squaw in 2016.



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I've seen those idiots, they seem to prefer Shirley Lake for some reason--the rad terrain and lack of lift lines I suppose. Contrast them with the old team tie-dye that Squaw saw fit to evict from the bottom of Granite. They weren't bothering anyone for the years and years they were there.

(Ottime - name me one major N.A. resort where you can not find quality food)

And back to the theme of this thread .... I take back what I said in my original post about Europe being cheaper. I want to ski with a guide; major $$$ !

I'm not Ottime but--Alpine Meadows, especially midweek. If that's not major enough for you--Squaw Valley.
Last time I was in Chamonix you could join a guided group for 85 euros, or if you had 3 friends hire your own guide for the same price each. That plus an all access lift pass (includes the Aiguille du Midi) and Carre Niege and it's still cheaper than a day pass at any major US resort. (Obviously not cheaper than an IKON pass). I'm sure it's more now but still a good deal--the only practical way to lap Grand Montets cable car (is it fixed?) since guided groups get priority.

Ah, okay, thanks for the clarification. Yeah, I doubt there are any Funiculars in N.A.

There is a cog railway on Mt Washington, FWIW. Like the one from Chamonix to Montenvers.

[EWG]

Personally, I think it's ridiculous that Aspen/JHMR/AltaBird passholders get no benefits from Ikon. They should obviously get at least the free days elsewhere that the Ikoniums are getting - hell, they are paying more for their pass.

My home mountains are unlimited so Ikon is the local pass. If I had the other situation, where I was paying way more, getting no benefits, and having visitors come to my mountain for free, I'd be pissed too.

[Danno]

Personally, I think it's ridiculous that Aspen/JHMR/AltaBird passholders get no benefits from Ikon. They should obviously get at least the free days elsewhere that the Ikoniums are getting - hell, they are paying more for their pass.

My home mountains are unlimited so Ikon is the local pass. If I had the other situation, where I was paying way more, getting no benefits, and having visitors come to my mountain for free, I'd be pissed too.

Agreed 100%.

Another annoying one is employees of Ikon unlimited mountains don't get an Ikon pass or Ikon pass benes.

[BobMc]

They were attempting sales at BBIU...

[Kinnikinnick]

Personally, I think it's ridiculous that Aspen/JHMR/AltaBird passholders get no benefits from Ikon. They should obviously get at least the free days elsewhere that the Ikoniums are getting - hell, they are paying more for their pass.

My home mountains are unlimited so Ikon is the local pass. If I had the other situation, where I was paying way more, getting no benefits, and having visitors come to my mountain for free, I'd be pissed too.

Just a note that the days at the additional areas are NOT free. Ikon is paying those resorts a negotiated fee, so it’s not free but at no additional cost to the user.

It is an interesting question re:local mtn unlimited pass prices vs IKON. You could just buy the Ikon, but then you’d only have 5-7 days, so the local Mtn unlimited passes are that, unlimited. $2000/100 days = $20/per. You wouldn’t buy an Ikon if you skied a lot at Jackson.

Ikon had become the locals scapegoat for increased traffic/lines. It’s an easy and highly visible target.







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[noper]

Just a note that the days at the additional areas are NOT free. Ikon is paying those resorts a negotiated fee, so it’s not free but at no additional cost to the user.

It is an interesting question re:local mtn unlimited pass prices vs IKON. You could just buy the Ikon, but then you’d only have 5-7 days, so the local Mtn unlimited passes are that, unlimited. $2000/100 days = $20/per. You wouldn’t buy an Ikon if you skied a lot at Jackson.

Ikon had become the locals scapegoat for increased traffic/lines. It’s an easy and highly visible target.







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they are free for the user of the ikon pass though. especially if the ikon holder is already using their pass as a season pass for their home resort.

[Kinnikinnick]

they are free for the user of the ikon pass though. especially if the ikon holder is already using their pass as a season pass for their home resort.

The marginal cost is $0, but it ain’t free


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[Danno]

The marginal cost is $0, but it ain’t free

Thanks for the economic lesson. Nothing is free, got it. Next are you going to tell us that the free samples at Costco aren't really free? Or are you going to assume that we can figure that one out on our own?