SKIING/SNOWBOARDING

Indy Pass Adds Six New Resorts, Including 5th in Japan

Products You May Like

Get full access to Outside Learn, our online education hub featuring in-depth fitness, nutrition, and adventure courses and more than 2,000 instructional videos when you sign up for Outside+
Sign up for Outside+ today.

The multi-pass composed of independent ski areas has added another handful of destinations to its ever-growing ranks. Of the six new alpine resorts on the Indy Pass, three are full partners, meaning pass holders get two days at each; and three are “Allied Resorts,” Indy Pass’s new tier option where skiers get 25 to 50 percent off lift tickets.

The three new full partner resorts are all over the map. With Aomori Spring, Indy Pass nabs its fifth Japanese ski resort, this one on the country’s largest island, Honshu. The small ski area might have only 14 trails and five lifts, but its glades, backcountry powder, and under-the-radar location make it a true adventure destination.

In Maine, Black Mountain is the third Indy Pass resort in the state, joining Saddleback and BigRock Mountain. Black Mountain’s nonprofit status lets it keep skiing affordable and accessible to its surrounding communities. It’s also known for its great tree skiing, with 17 named glades on the map.

Meadow Lark Wyoming
Meadowlark is a hidden gem with technical blacks in addition to intermediate trails, but scant beginner runs. Photo: Courtesy of Meadowlark Ski Resort

The third full partner resort, Wyo.’s Meadowlark Ski Resort, is called “little Jackson Hole” for a reason. It’s small (two lifts serving 320 acres) but mighty, with rollicking blues to steep and technical double-blacks dotting its modest trail map. It also boasts beautiful lake views in the Big Horn mountain range.

The three Allied Resorts are Utah’s Cherry Peak, King Pine in N.H., and Wisc.’s family-oriented Paul Bunyon, which recently reopened after a 25-year hiatus with only surface lifts—a restored 1967 T-bar and four rope tows. Is there anything more soulful than that? Indy Pass holders will get 25 to 50 percent off lift tickets at the Allied Resorts depending on time of the season.

Don’t Miss: SKI’s Complete Guide to Choosing a Multi-Pass for the 2022-’23 Season

These new additions bring the Indy Pass up to 91 alpine resorts. For perspective, around this time last year, the pass offered 68 resorts. That’s some decent growth for a product that debuted only three years ago as a value-oriented alternative to the Epic and Ikon passes, and also as a way to support the smaller, mom-and-pop ski areas that make such an impact in their communities.

The pass is currently on sale for $299 for the base Indy Pass, or $399 for the blackout-free Indy Pass+. Pass holders also get 25 percent off a third day at any of the partner ski areas. These rates are good through Sept.13. Stay tuned for more Indy Pass news dropping next week.

Products You May Like

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *