Ikon Pass

I’m about to pull the trigger on the base ikon

In the East unless you live in Montreal where it includes full access to Tremblant it is basically the Max pass.  I’ll get 5 days at sugarloaf for Easterns and 5 at Killington plus a few days at Sugarbush and plus maybe a UT trip or Tremblant if my son makes CanAms

No Mt Bachelor like the Max pass which is odd considering other Boyne run resorts are on Ikon.

Z wrote

I’m about to pull the trigger on the base ikon

In the East unless you live in Montreal where it includes full access to Tremblant it is basically the Max pass.  I’ll get 5 days at sugarloaf for Easterns and 5 at Killington plus a few days at Sugarbush and plus maybe a UT trip or Tremblant if my son makes CanAms

No Mt Bachelor like the Max pass which is odd considering other Boyne run resorts are on Ikon.

I'm looking at Ikon Base seriously too.  Headed to Sunday River in Dec to meet up with friends.  With trips planned for Taos, Big Sky, and Alta/Snowbird I'll get decent value from Ikon Base in combination with the MCP.  The trips are long enough that not having to pay 50% for 5 additional days works out.

Bachelor isn't Boyne.  Bachelor is owned by Powdr.  Neither is Crystal after John Kircher bought it outright from Boyne Resorts.

All the Boyne resorts are now owned and operated by Boyne.  Makes a partnership with Ikon very sensible.  Getting Boyne Mountain and Boyne Highlands onto Ikon provides direct competition to the Epic pass for some folks in the midwest, especially those in Chicago, Detroit, and northern Indiana.

I stopped by in July when Michigan for other reasons.  Boyne is putting in some major money for winter upgrades.  Those resorts have been 4-season from early on.  Golf, soccer, and now lacrosse are money makers spring/summer/fall.  Boyne Highlands has a dinner show that's quite good and has been going on for decades.

Probably doesn't make much difference to northeast folks, but Alterra just announced they are going to buy Crystal in WA in the next few months.  Guess John Kircher found that he doesn't quite have enough clout to pull in enough financial backing for the improvements he wants for Crystal.  Presumably he'll stick around to run the place.

Already added to Ikon as unlimited access for 2018-19, with the understanding that the purchase goes through.

https://www.alterramtnco.com/news/2018/09/06/crystal-mountain-acquisition

" . . .
“It has always been my goal to ensure Crystal Mountain Resort be taken the farthest in the shortest amount of time in order to keep Crystal at the top of Northwest skiing,” said John Kircher, Owner of Crystal Mountain Resort. “Alterra Mountain Company is able to offer a depth of experience and resources, as well as inclusion on the Ikon Pass with its outstanding destinations throughout the world. The mountain sports business has changed more in the last year than I have seen it change in my entire 40-year career, and I am excited to see what lays ahead.”

The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2018 . . ."

Nepa cares.

Always wanted to see Seattle.

If you can hit it right the terrain looks incredible. The skiing opportunities in Washington look much more interesting than the average resort stuff in Colorado imo. It’s often a crap shoot tho trying to figure out the rain/snow levels from what I hear. Get to know someone that lives and skis Crystal regularly to get local beta before getting a plane ticket.

Harvey wrote

Nepa cares.

Yup.  Lots of WA state ski areas changed hands this year. With Baker, White, Mission Ridge, and 49DN we've still got a few Indie Mtns left.  It will be interesting to see if any of these guys get picked-off by a player in the growing corporate-industrial-ski-complex.

Mission needs capital.  A large expansion has been planned, and is currently in the permitting process.  

Mission Ridge Ski Area Expansion Scope

Based comments from a meeting held last year with Mtn Mgmt/Owners, and residents from my neighborhood, I'm thinking Larry S (owner of Mission for the past 15yrs) may be looking to unload the area.  The expansion was described as a "sink-or-swim" proposition... as far as I can tell, there isn't too much investment capital on the balance sheet.  Corporate backing may be a matter of survival for a spot I have come to know and love over the past 8 seasons.

raisingarizona wrote

It’s often a crap shoot tho trying to figure out the rain/snow levels from what I hear. Get to know someone that lives and skis Crystal regularly to get local beta before getting a plane ticket.

I know a guy.  40 years skiing in the PNW.  He and I have partnered many times over the past 3 seasons.    If you can get here, I can probably make arrangements.

That expansion looks like it’s completely for real estate.

raisingarizona wrote

That expansion looks like it’s completely for real estate.

Yup.  In other words destined for failure

Probably huh? It kind of smells of desperation.

raisingarizona wrote

Probably huh? It kind of smells of desperation.

I guess it depends on how you look at it.  I presume the owner is pretty wealthy.  He owns a quarry/excavation business on the West side of the mountains.  He's done a lot with the area, but it's a community facility.  Season pass bought early is $400, full day tickets are $65.  It's solvent, but like all indie-areas, it doesn't make a ton of money.  This could be a good cash-out opportunity for the owner.

The value of the area is heavily rooted in the community which it serves.  The plan it to try to make it more of a "destination" area.  It may not be attractive to a corporate buyer mainly due to the relative thinness of the snow-pack over here.  (Mission gets half the snow that Stevens gets in an average year)  The snow quality is top notch, but big pow days come far less frequently... we often the get crumbs (Stevens get 12 to 18, Mission gets 2 to 4).  If it eventually goes under, it would be a huge loss to the community.

A small part of me wouldn't be too disappointed if the lifts stop spinning.  It stays pretty cold over here in the desert.  With no lifts running, 2000 hike-able acres would get tracked out far slower.  

 No good options on day trips for the Ikon from where I live.  The Maxx gave me 5 days at Catskills resorts  adding up to 10 days with a short drive. Losing  5 days  at Gore and Whiteface  shut the door for me with the Ikon.. Got my son and I a Orda pass  this season.
  .

Gunny J wrote

No good options on day trips for the Ikon from where I live.  The Maxx gave me 5 days at Catskills resorts  adding up to 10 days with a short drive. Losing  5 days  at Gore and Whiteface  shut the door for me with the Ikon.. Got my son and I a Orda pass  this season.
  .

Makes sense. Although there is never any guarantee that multi-resort passes based on a cooperative agreement will continue from year to year.  Didn't the MAX Pass change every year it existed?

https://www.aspentimes.com/news/local/aspen-skiing-co-to-adjust-for-ikon-crowds-in-19-20-season/

Harvey wrote

https://www.aspentimes.com/news/local/aspen-skiing-co-to-adjust-for-ikon-crowds-in-19-20-season/

Was interesting to read that the thinking was Highlands had the biggest parking problem because many of the Ikon users were first-timer young adults who showed up on weekends.  Locals are used to Highlands parking being relatively empty until after 10am.  New Ikon folks weren't the classic destination resort tourists who stick with Snowmass, and perhaps a day at Ajax to ride the gondola for the view.

The interesting addition (so far) to Ikon and MCP for 2019-20 is A-Basin.  Apparently the thinking is that limited days on Ikon/MCP is better than unlimited on Epic.  Meaning perhaps won't have so many days where the parking situation gets totally unreasonable, which apparently happened pretty often last season as the snow kept falling.

I went with Full Ikon this season.  No MCP for the first time in a while.  Going back for another Taos Ski Week.  Got a Midweek Alta pass to cover two trips to SLC.  Might even add a third in March if the snow warrants flying again.  Will ski at Deer Valley a day or two with friends for sure.  We had a good time checking out DV last April.  Perhaps Solitude if Honeycomb Canyon is worth the drive.

Gunny J wrote

Got my son and I a Orda pass  this season.

See you on the hill Gunny J.

marznc wrote

  Going back for another Taos Ski Week.  Got a Midweek Alta pass to cover two trips to SLC.  Might even add a third in March if the snow warrants flying again.  Will ski at Deer Valley a day or two with friends for sure..

Pretty nice life.

Colo/AZ/NM/Tahoe had close to record snow falls last season.. Snowfall has become feast or famine..
I would wait til mid January before committing to any  trips..