Ikon Pass

https://liftblog.com/2018/01/25/game-changing-ikon-pass-to-launch-with-23-mountain-resorts/

This is the new pass that the Aspen/KSL/Intrawest group now known as Alterra (although Aspen stayed separate) will be offering and it will replace the Max Pass.  They will still participate in Mountain Collective.  Thoughts?

The Cali4nia and Rocky Mountain passes go away too.  Will be interesting to see what type of "local" options are offered.

Among the MCP locations not on Ikon are Taos, Telluride, and Snowbasin.

The FAQ is pretty good, but plenty of TBD answers at the moment.

https://www.ikonpass.com/en/faq/

The big questions to me are how many days at each resort you get for the Maxx replacement. If you had one of these areas as you home mt that would make the season pass a compelling thing thought - Killington pass holders will be pretty happy I think.  Great selection of resorts with the LCC resorts though its odd that Deer Valley owns Solitude and didn't include it in this pass.  I've always wanted to go to Mammoth.  

My next thought is what happened to the Maxx pass resorts that didn't sign up for this?  Orda after one season drops out - that doesn't make much sense to me.  They finally hooked up on a way to get more business and also reward their pass holders with a way to buy the Maxx upgrade and its now over?

Boyne and Powdr resorts also hooking up on this lay the ground work for another buy out or link up.  

The noticeable other area to drop from the Maxx is Okemo which I have long thought makes perfect sense to be bought by Vail / Epic - look for an announcement on that happening soon I think before they start selling passes for next year.

Its also Decidedly lacking in Canada so something else might be a brewing for those resorts

I also think that their names are seriously lacking - Allterra previously was a the name of a pest control company and Altria spelled differently but pronounced the same is the name of one of the largest tabbacco companies in the world.  Ikon is also pretty week but from a marketing stand point "EPIC" is so fricking good they felt like it needed to be 4 letters and catchy.  I think they kind of wiffed.  Pow Pass would have been much better.

Oh man this news stinks. RIP Warren Miller and RIP Maxx Pass in the same day? We opted not to do the Maxx Pass this year but we were planning on it for next year. Serious bummer. Glad we did it last year and got good use out of it.

Z wrote

The big questions to me are how many days at each resort you get for the Maxx replacement. If you had one of these areas as you home mt that would make the season pass a compelling thing thought - Killington pass holders will be pretty happy I think.  Great selection of resorts with the LCC resorts though its odd that Deer Valley owns Solitude and didn't include it in this pass.

From the start, it was pretty clear that Solitude would be kept out of Alterra.  Caters to quite a different market than the Alterra resorts and the Ikon partners.  I also noticed that Snowbasin will not be in Ikon, although may well stay in the MCP.

Since I want to go to Big Sky next season, the Ikon is sounding pretty good to me.  More useful than the MAX Pass given that I don't live in the northeast.

So MAX Pass included 5 days at each location.  Maybe only 4 at partner resorts for Ikon Pass holders?  Or one tier that includes 3 days and a higher price for 5 days?

Z wrote

Pow Pass would have been much better.

Except there are plenty of intermediates, and even some northeast advanced skiers, who are scared of more than a few inches of fresh powder. Need them to pay for resort lodging and then stay on the groomers during a powder storm.

Would Peak ever consider hooking up with ORDA?

Ikon brings less value for me personally than the MAX Pass. Bummer...

+1

ORDA + Max Pass was the killer deal for me.  Rocky Mountain Super Pass is gone too, so my son and I are both hosed.

mm

I'm hoping that the unlimited version of this won't break the bank.  I bought a max pass add on for Killington and Tremblant when I'm at school and Stratton and Windham when I'm at home.  Windham goes but Stratton stays.  I'd be willing to give up the other mountains for a pass unlimited at K and Tremblant.  It certainly won't be significantly different than the Epic Pass as it has to compete with that.

I think they're doing NY Metro residents a huge disservice by dropping Mountain Creek, Windham, and Belleayre.  Nowhere near as many of those people will buy this as bought the Max Pass.

I agree Okemo is getting bought by Vail and Windham probably will also.

I think we'll also see some of the Max Pass mountains go to Mountain Collective and that should include the orda mountains.

Let's see pricing.

I'm tired of this crap. Every year it changes. The financial and marketing departments are controlling skiing, an industry caught up in the great income inequality inflation of our early century. It's impossible to plan for the future in any meaningful way, and real estate near any decent western mountain us just gone, out of the means of a middle to most upper middle class Americans. I really want to spend a lot of my late life on the slopes, but, they're discarding me, along with many others.

I'm seriously thinking of Europe next year, for at least a month. It's a different culture over there. A room is affordable, and AirB&B is making it much easier. The only place I've found AirB&B n quantity in America is SLC, for obvious reasons, it's a city. I'm pretty sure I can find a bed that's walkable to lifts and food, too. No car needed. I just want to ski, enjoy myself, not play this game anymore. Pretty soon only the 1% can even think of this sport.

All I know is the music has not stopped playing and there's some open chairs remaining.

If ORDA joins Sugarbush, I'm in.

How much is it?

The Harv Pass would be...

Plattekill, Gore, Whiteface, McCauley, Snow Ridge, Magic, Killington, Mad River, Sugarbush, Smuggs, Jay, Alta, Pow Mow, Mt Hood, Cannon, Tuckermans and all of Quebec.

 I  only got the the maxx pass this year because of the Catskills resorts added on it  Love Gore and Killington  but cant stay over every weekend. With out maxx pass ,will just get a ORDA pass  . Belleayre   is equal or better than our old home mountain Elk  but still,this news really sucks!!!

Isn't it possible more hills will jump on?

I don't see a price anywhere... did I miss it? If there is no price yet, maybe it is because they are hoping to get more hills on board.

Harvey wrote

Isn't it possible more hills will jump on?

I don't see a price anywhere... did I miss it? If there is no price yet, maybe it is because the are hoping to get more hills on board.

Prices for multi-resort passes won't come out until sales start in early March.  At least that's been the way it's been for the last few years that I've been paying close attention because I'm a traveler.  Been using the MCP for a few years but have considered other options as well.  The initial price for the MCP has changed every year.  There were several years where new resorts were announced in August.

Additions for the MAX Pass that weren't connected to Intrawest, Boyne, or Powdr happened at various times in the last few years.

If you look at the Epic Pass website, there are no prices for the current season or next season.  The Epic Pass has to be bought by the fall.

This is probably the final week for sales of the 2017-18 MCP.  Price is up to $519.

In short, nothing is set yet for mountains not included in Ikon.  Wouldn't be surprised if the pricing for the Ikon and Epic Passes are still under discussion behind closed doors.

YES! Sign me up for the Harvey Pass.

Harvey wrote

How much is it?

The Harv Pass would be...

Plattekill, Gore, Whiteface, McCauley, Snow Ridge, Magic, Killington, Mad River, Sugarbush, Smuggs, Jay, Alta, Pow Mow, Mt Hood, Cannon, Tuckermans and all of Quebec.

Harvey wrote

How much is it?

The Harv Pass would be...

Plattekill, Gore, Whiteface, McCauley, Snow Ridge, Magic, Killington, Mad River, Sugarbush, Smuggs, Jay, Alta, Pow Mow, Mt Hood, Cannon, Tuckermans and all of Quebec.

As a ski media tycoon, don't they just throw season passes at you, Harvey?  

Albany (where I live) was the eastern sweet spot for Max Pass, and Denver (where my son lives) was the Colorado sweet spot.  An ORDA pass with a Max Pass add on was the the best pass ever for me.  This year was the cheapest year in a long time because I had a couple of Gore comps so I'm waiting until Spring for my 2018-19 ORDA pass.

Ikon might work for me if they have a reasonable Front Range locals' deal, but it won't be as good as Max Pass. OTOH I really like Aspen and Jackson Hole, and Ikon at least kept Killington.  It's all going to come down their different products and how they price them.

I'm going to ignore this until they publish prices.

mm

Milo Maltbie wrote

Albany (where I live) was the eastern sweet spot for Max Pass

I know. Ugh.

I haven't been to Gore or Whiteface yet this year, and I haven't missed them. I have about 20 days in at a bunch of other places (Killington, Okemo, Platty, backcountry), and I'll use my Gore/Whiteface days when base depths improve, but I was just thinking the other day how much I liked the MAX pass over the ORDA pass. It gives me options every weekend. Plus, I get to go to Crested Butte and Steamboat next week and I don't have to worry about lift tickets.

I'm going to miss the MAX pass when it's gone.