Currently there are three passes that will grant you access to all the Summit County ski areas and a few just outside the county border; the Epic Pass, Copper Pass & Loveland Pass. The Epic Pass offers access to all the Vail Resorts properties. It includes Breck, Keystone, Vail, Beaver Creek and A-Basin. The Copper Mountain Pass is either a single mountain pass or can be combined with Winter Park & a few days at Steamboat. The Loveland Pass is just Loveland. Next year there will be a new pass available, the Ikon Pass and it could give Vail Resorts a run for their money.
The Ikon Pass
The Ikon Pass includes Copper Mountain and 24 or 25 other resorts across the country. There are 2 options to buy, $599 or $899. For $599 you will get unlimited access with no blackout dates to three Colorado resorts; Copper Mountain, Winter Park and Eldora, Big Bear in California, Blue Mountain & Tremblant in Canada, and Snowshoe in West Virginia. You also get unlimited access with a few blackout dates to three more California resorts plus 5 days at Steamboat and Aspen Snowmass in Colorado plus Jackson Hole, Deer Valley and several other mountains in the East & in Canada. The higher price point gives you unlimited access to 12 resorts and 7 days at the remaining 13 resorts. Passes for kids under 12 are less than $200 and they offer military, college & teen discounts.
Not Replacing the Epic Pass
It doesn’t replace Epic Pass in Summit County. There’s still only one mountain in the county included but if you plan to take some ski vacations you have a whole lot more options. I have already heard some people say they will buy this pass instead of the Epic and maybe get a cheaper pass, like the A-Basin/Keystone pass to add some additional Summit County resorts.
We try and take a ski trip a few hours away every year. We did Jackson Hole this year, Wolf Creek the year before and Steamboat before that. Destination trips like that will certainly factor into the pass decision for many people.
More information about the new Ikon Pass is available on their website. Passes go on sale March 6th. Like most passes, these may go up in price the longer you wait to buy.
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