It’s been all the buzz around Summit County. A-Basin not on the Epic Pass next season! What are we going to do? Should we stop buying the Epic Pass and buy and A-Basin one instead? Who will they partner with, if anyone? Where am I going to ski early and late season? Will the forest service approve Breck staying open later? Questions, questions, questions.
Multiple Ski Mountains in Summit County
We are spoiled in Summit County. We buy a season pass not just for one mountain, but for multiple mountains. With one pass we have been able to ski 5 of 7 nearby mountains, 3 of 4 that are actually in Summit County. We can buy a four or five pack for Copper Mountain and another for Loveland and ski every single nearby mountain. We aren’t restricted to one ski area and, as much as I like A-Basin, I’m not sure I can buy a pass for just one mountain. I am hoping they will partner with Copper and have a Copper/A-Basin Pass for under $400. I would have to seriously consider dropping the Ikon Pass if they did that.
Breckenridge’s Extended Season
Breckenridge recently announced their plan to stay open until Memorial Day this year and continuing into the future. I’m sure that was good marketing, putting the word out ahead of the shocking announcement of A-Bason not on the Epic Pass. The extended season is still wishful thinking at this point as the forest service needs to evaluate the impacts before approving the extension.
Keystone to Compete for Early Opening
I hear Keystone is ramping up snowmaking in an attempt to compete for the first to open honors. That competition is typically just between A-Basin and Loveland every October. With A-Basin not on the Epic Pass, I guess Vail Resorts decided they need to capture early and late season business.
A-Basin’s Small Resort Feel
I love that A-Basin wants to preserve their small resort feel. They want to keep the parking lots small and the experience great. Even so, they have been making a lot of improvements to the mountain over the last few years. My favorite is the new Beavers Terrain. It’s hard to fault them for leaving the Epic Pass. When we are surrounded by a giant corporation like Vail Resorts, we appreciate the small resorts like A-Basin.
Which Ski Pass is the Best?
What A-Basin decides to do with their season pass is crucial to the decisions made here. Until we know that, both my Ikon and Epic Pass renewals will be up in the air. I hate to not have an Epic Pass and lose Keystone, Vail and Beaver Creek. I rarely ski in Breckenridge anyway. But I’m not sure I want to pay $600 for those mountains. I have to have a Copper Pass. It’s my favorite mountain. I’ll be buying the Ikon unless Copper pairs up with A-Basin on their own pass. Then I’ll have a dilemma. With the Ikon we make it to both Winter Park and Steamboat a few times during the season. We also do an annual ski trip so having options on our passes are a great benefit.
While we are waiting to see how next year’s season pass options play out, we’ll have to go out and get our days in at every mountain we can. This season may be our last chance to ski them for a while. Besides that, the snow this season has been great! It is making for some amazing skiing. Let’s all get out and enjoy it!
Leave a Reply