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For its first couple of seasons, it seemed that Indy Pass skiers could travel pretty much everywhere in ski country but Colorado—arguably the skiing capital of the West. Then, last February, Sunlight Mountain, outside of Glenwood Springs, became the first ski area in the state to join the now-103-resort collective of independent ski areas available on the Indy Pass. Then, in September, Bluebird Backcountry, a lift-free ski area comprising skin tracks and catering to skiers seeking a safe, patrolled backcountry experience, came online. Today, the Indy Pass nabs two more Centennial State ski areas with the additions of Echo Mountain, outside of Idaho Springs, and Granby Ranch, which is under new ownership.
Granby Ranch is a family-friendly resort with two distinct mountains, East and West, where all trails funnel back to the same base area. The East slopes are geared toward beginners while the West is home to intermediate and advanced terrain. The 406-acre ski area is known for its community vibe and accessible facilities, making it a great place for beginners to get their ski legs under them. The resort changed hands in spring of 2021 when GR Terra purchased the property and invested $4 million into the resort. Future plans are ongoing.
Echo Mountain offers the closest slopes to the Denver metro area, just 36 miles from downtown. It’s a small facility, with just 60 skiable acres, but it also offers a different take on ski school, placing “ambassadors” on the bunny slopes to help never-evers and beginners get the hang of things. Echo also has a six-lane tubing hill served by a magic carpet for non-skiers or après-ski fun.
Get Educated: SKI’s Complete Guide to Multipasses
“Colorado is the epicenter of skiing in North America, and we are proud to now have four partner resorts there,” said Doug Fish, who debuted the Indy Pass in 2019 and has watched it grow from its original 36 resort partners to over 100. “There are so many great pass options for Coloradans that we don’t expect pass sales in the state to be huge. However, our pass holders from around the country will be stoked to have these great additions for their Rocky Mountain vacations.”
Indy Pass holders get two free days at each resort, plus 25 percent off a third day, for $329 with blackouts dates, or opt for the Indy+ Pass for $429 to ski with no blackouts at any of the resorts. If your home hill is an Indy Pass resort, you can buy an Indy AddOn pass to get the two free days at each of the other partner resorts for only $219 (or $319 with no blackouts). You must have a season pass to your home Indy Pass resort to qualify for an AddOn.
Indy Pass has partner resorts all over North America, with its strongest presence in the Midwest with 28 resorts, followed by the Rockies with 22 ski areas (including Canada’s B.C. and Alberta), making it a very viable alternative to the big multipasses this season. Find out more about Indy Pass benefits, including discounted lodging and access to Allied Resorts (additional ski areas that offer Indy Pass discounts) here.