Crystal Mountain Becomes Alterra

**thefortrees** · 02-18-2021, 08:08 AM

Originally Posted by goCougs

... my girlfriend ...
trying to ski together wherever we can

Big mistake

**XavierD** · 02-18-2021, 08:55 AM

Originally Posted by thefortrees

Big mistake

username indicates this is a pattern... (this is a joke)

GoCougs, I have always been able to get a morning of reservation. Often in the parking lot at 8:15. I think Tuesday was the first day they were actually fully booked out at opening. Keep checking tonight and tomorrow night.
I don't have a sat reservation but do have one for sunday if someone wants it.

Also having lot B and upper C lot blocked off at 8:00am on Tuesday was pretty weird. Not sure if intentional traffic management or just late morning to plowing.

**californiagrown** · 02-18-2021, 10:24 AM

Originally Posted by goCougs

lol. Thanks guys, I think the move will be to try to score a res the day of. Or skin up to forest queen and hope they aren't scanning in the lift line... still pretty butt hurt that I payed $600 for this

Alterra Couged the shit out of this year. Apparently Vail did too.

**cstefanic** · 02-18-2021, 10:28 AM

Originally Posted by goCougs

lol. Thanks guys, I think the move will be to try to score a res the day of. Or skin up to forest queen and hope they aren't scanning in the lift line... still pretty butt hurt that I payed $600 for this

I've only seen them scanning at Rex/FQ once this season, on 1/3. Not that I encourage this situation. But FYI.

**Huskier** · 02-18-2021, 12:34 PM

Originally Posted by californiagrown

Alterra Couged the shit out of this year. Apparently Vail did too.

Haven't heard that one in a while. Although, to truly coug something one must have the deck stacked in their favor with an easy win lined up and then go on to completely shit the bed.

**ASP** · 02-18-2021, 01:08 PM

Haven't seen them scan at anything other than Chinook this whole year...

Usually you can score one day before or morning of if you refresh every few minutes... My girlfriend and I got two crystal reservations for tuesday the day prior..

**timeo** · 02-19-2021, 11:08 AM

I have two reservations for Saturday that I will be canceling, let me know if someone needs them

**diggins1712** · 02-19-2021, 11:53 AM

I’m planning to hit up Crystal for the first time next week. I’m flexible on days during the week based on weather. If anyone is interested in meeting up, shoot me a PM.

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**Dromond** · 02-24-2021, 07:13 PM

If anyone finds a blue DPS Wailer 112 in a 168cm in the area just above and skier's left of the cliff area that runs under the Green Valley chair, let me know. I've got a sad skier in the house!

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**timeo** · 03-02-2021, 02:37 PM

Anyone holding a reservation for Saturday they don't need?

**Toadman** · 03-02-2021, 02:56 PM

On Friday pow day last week, I had never seen so many jong pow skiers looking for their skis. I mean it was like a wack-a-mole the number of people digging and wallowing in the snow. (I'm sure karma is going to now kick my ass for having posted this.)

**PNWbrit** · 03-02-2021, 03:58 PM

Originally Posted by Dromond

If anyone finds a blue DPS Wailer 112 in a 168cm in the area just above and skier's left of the cliff area that runs under the Green Valley chair, let me know. I've got a sad skier in the house!

Can Ryan K get the patrol metal detector?

(I know the used to have one)

**phatty** · 03-04-2021, 10:29 AM

Looks like your prayers have been answered.

Crystal Mountain in Washington now offers 5 days with blackouts on Ikon Base Pass and unlimited access on Ikon Pass only.

https://www.alterramtnco.com/news/20...1-22-ikon-pass

**Bandit Man** · 03-04-2021, 10:53 AM

Now they will just squeeze a few hundred dollars more out of people for the Full-Blown Ikon experience...or sell more “Crystal Local Passes” or whatever that alternative was they sprung at the last minute.

As a side note...how did all the Western WA resorts (minus Baker) get so screwed up so quickly?

(yeah, that was a rhetorical question.)

**PNW_Skier206** · 03-04-2021, 11:41 AM

Prices needed to increase at Crystal unfortunately. The refusal to build a new ski resort has created this problem at all WA ski resorts which Ikon/Vail only made worse. I don’t like spending more money anymore than the next guy but the price was unsustainably low.

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**f=ma** · 03-04-2021, 11:57 AM

Originally Posted by Bandit Man

As a side note...how did all the Western WA resorts (minus Baker) get so screwed up so quickly?

(yeah, that was a rhetorical question.)

My unfounded speculation? I don't think these resort-less ski areas in WA state are all that much profitable, if at all.

**oftpiste** · 03-04-2021, 12:24 PM

Just got the email. It'll be interesting to see if the local passes expand to weekends as they were weekday only this year.... and if the prices remain the same. Won't fix everything but might help.

My IKON + parking came in close to $2k this year so it's pretty easy to do the math and see there're some savings out there. If it was $1k to ski and park unlimitedly I'd still have a thousand left to ski elsewhere which I'll have done very little of this year by the time it's all over.

**ptavv** · 03-04-2021, 12:43 PM

I think the Ikon base limitation is a gesture at acknowledging the problem that will have little practical impact. I'm sure Crystal/Alterra know the numbers on how many Crystal users are out of-area people using the Ikon Base pass to ski there, but my sense is that most of the crowds at Crystal are people who live locally in the Puget Sound and this move is just going to extract a few hundred more dollars from the same people or shunt them to Crystal mountain passes without appreciably changing the number of people on the mountain.

I just don't believe that the problems with crowds at Crystal are a) driven by people from outside the Puget Sound metro area and/or b) people who are buying $729 passes can't/won't also buy $999 passes.

Not sure there's a better solution that exists, really, but at least they're trying I guess.

**nickwm21** · 03-04-2021, 12:45 PM

I’d buy a non-Ikon Crystal pass with weekends and blackouts for $700. But it sounds like they will trying to squeeze $1000 out of me.

Maybe it’s time to go back to an Alpy Pass...

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**phatty** · 03-04-2021, 12:55 PM

Originally Posted by nickwm21

I’d buy a non-Ikon Crystal pass with weekends and blackouts for $700. But it sounds like they will trying to squeeze $1000 out of me.

Maybe it’s time to go back to an Alpy Pass...

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I think this will be the result. I know a number of people who switched from Alpental to Crystal because of the extra perks for a couple hundred extra. Now that it's $400 more, I expect some will come back. Last season (pre Covid), Saturdays at Alpental were noticeably less busy due to the Ikon shift.

**PNW_Skier206** · 03-04-2021, 01:04 PM

Originally Posted by ptavv

I just don't believe that the problems with crowds at Crystal are a) driven by people from outside the Puget Sound metro area and/or b) people who are buying $729 passes can't/won't also buy $999 passes.

Not sure there's a better solution that exists, really, but at least they're trying I guess.

You might be right on this but as you said I guess at least they’re trying. The only other option I can think of is to go to a full time reservation system which would be wildly unpopular.

Just FYI for those who think ski resorts are ripping you off, I work in finance and have see the financials of many ski resorts including some of the local ones. They don’t make much money at all. That being said I’ve never seen the financials of the mega corps so their situation may be different but I doubt it is substantially. As the saying goes... the best way to become a millionaire in the ski industry is to start as a billionaire.

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**oftpiste** · 03-04-2021, 01:47 PM

^^^ yet the megas continue to buy and operate them. There must be something in it for them or you'd think they'd bail out.

**ptavv** · 03-04-2021, 02:33 PM

The giant resort corporations are mostly publicly traded companies whose SEC filings show you their financials. Vail Resorts are all here: http://investors.vailresorts.com/qua...annual-results

The pandemic has been terrible for their bottom line, but they're still making money and not just because they sell real estate or also own hotels and resorts, their mountains turn a profit (say what you will about how they manage their mountains).

I'm sure there are scale effects and no one thinks that any Vail resorts properties currently embody or demonstrate the "soul of skiing" that we all remember with nostalgia, but with their expensive amenities, high cost lift tickets, lessons, etc etc. they do turn a profit.

Since mountain expenses are largely fixed, the push towards mega passes is a way for the large corporations that are diversified into hospitality to generate more revenue from travelers. The mega passes also help distribute the "cost" of servicing each one across more mountains and lock in a fixed return for the company from a lot of people who buy the passes and only use them for 1-2 trips per year.

Worth remembering that most of the skiing in the US is done at resorts with substantial lodging / condo / housing footprints at, or much more near, the ski area than what we have in Washington state which drives a totally different model for the companies.

**Ottime** · 03-04-2021, 03:39 PM

Originally Posted by nickwm21

I’d buy a non-Ikon Crystal pass with weekends and blackouts for $700. But it sounds like they will trying to squeeze $1000 out of me.

Maybe it’s time to go back to an Alpy Pass...

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Would seem smart to offer a Crystal Only Pass for $729 with blackout dates. Can’t see how that would hurt Aterra, and it would help keep the cost low for those who do not plan to ski during the holidays.

On another note, I’m working on setting up an ikon Group Buy again this year. Will save a little off that $999 price, but don’t yet know the details. Will post up once I do.

**PNW_Skier206** · 03-04-2021, 03:57 PM

Originally Posted by Stairmaster

Prices needed to increase? Please explain this logic. Seattle folks will gladly shell out more money to ski and the price bump won't decrease demand. It's a dog and pony show. Guess you're stoked to see the suits in corpo land make more money.

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It cost me I think $550 to renew on Ikon base this year. I could be off slightly but it wasn’t any more than $600. That allowed me unlimited skiing without blackouts at Crystal plus a shit ton of days at a bunch of other resorts including 5 at Apental. I used to in the pre Ikon days pay more than that for just Crystal alone.

I just checked and it looks like it’s $109 for a weekend day pass in April which if I’m not mistaken is actually way less than it was last year when you could buy jan/feb weekend passes. Even at the reduced price it takes only 5 days to breakeven. That is basically nothing even for many casual skiers.

People ski less if they have shell out money for each day. If they have a pass then they might as well go cause it’s “free.” The mega corps figured this out which is why the jacked up day tickets and dropped seasons pass prices.

I’m not saying this will solve things but we *might* have less seasons passes next year at the higher cost. Not everyone will drop but some probably will. If we’re lucky crowds might shrink 10-20%. Or maybe they won’t and we can finally get some more chairlifts in this state that we desperately need.

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