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With Labor Day gear sales starting this weekend, we’re just going to go there: September is the unofficial start of winter. SKI’s 2023 Winter Guide just dropped, pre-season workouts are on your mind, and you’re relieved that you at least already have your pass in hand. Oh, wait…
Need Some Guidance? Check Out SKI Complete Multipass Buyer’s Guide
If you’ve put that purchase off until now, you should know this weekend marks the beginning of price hikes on many of the multipass products for this winter. In other words, if you’re planning to purchase a season pass, it’s time to git ‘er done. Prices on the Epic Pass, Ikon Pass, Indy Pass, and the Mountain Collective will rise over the next month. Here’s what you need to know.
Epic Pass Info and Sale Deadline
Sept. 4 is the last day to purchase any type of Epic Pass at its current lowest rate, which is $859, and Epic Local for $639. These prices are slightly higher than last season’s rates, which brought the Epic Passes down to their 2015-’16 prices, when the company portfolio featured only 11 U.S. resorts compared to the current 70 across the globe. Info on all Epic Passes and their rates can be found here.
It’s also worth noting that Vail Resorts recently announced that it would be capping daily lift tickets at all of its ski areas all winter long, and once tickets are sold out for the day, guests will be out of luck. The cap will not affect Epic Pass or Epic Day Pass holders.
Ikon Pass Info and Sale Deadline
The Ikon Pass had its first price hike in early May and has remained at $1,179 since then. The renewal discount also expired in May, so returning pass holders no longer get that break. The price does get you unrestricted access to 50 worldwide destinations with unlimited, no-blackout skiing at 14 resorts and up to seven days at 35 more. The pass just added B.C.’s Panorama Mountain Resort, with its nearly 3,000 feet of terrain, and Japan’s Lotte Arai, known for its unique-in-Japan above-treeline powder bowls.
The Ikon Base Pass is currently $869 for unlimited skiing at 14 resorts with blackout dates and up to five days at 30 more. The Base Pass, which already did not include Aspen Snowmass or Jackson Hole last season, added Sun Valley and Snowbasin (which migrated from the Epic Pass at the end of last winter), Deer Valley, and Alta this season, so plan to cough up another $200 for five days apiece at each of those resorts. (But at that price, you might as well buy the full Ikon Pass for another $110.)
The Ikon Pass rates will go up again in mid-October, so buy soon. Current rates and what they get you can be found here.
Indy Pass Info and Sale Deadline
The Indy Pass, the collective of 107 independently owned resort—up from 76 at this time last year—across the U.S., Canada, and now Japan, will raise its prices on Sept. 14. Purchase by then to get two days at each resort with certain blackout dates for $299, or the same access with no blackouts for $399 with the Indy+ Pass.
The Indy Pass added Mt. Hood Meadows, Ore., and Calif.’s Mountain High and Dodge Ridge for the 2022-’23 season. You can see all the pass options and prices here.
Here’s Everything You Need to Know About the Indy Pass
Mountain Collective Pass Info and Sale Deadline
The Mountain Collective, a pass partnership that gets you two days at 24 resorts, is also currently on sale for its lowest price of $579, up from $539 last season. The pass conglomerate has added Alberta’s Marmot Basin for the coming season, as well as Sun Valley and Snowbasin. The price will increase on Sept. 19.
The Mountain Collective includes big names such as Chamonix, Palisades Tahoe, Niseko, Aspen Snowmass, Jackson Hole, Revelstoke, and Big Sky on its roster. In addition to two days at each ski area, pass holders get 50 percent off additional days at each resort, plus lodging deals and no blackout dates. All the relevant info and rates are here.
Us skier types tend to be highly motivated by a good deal, so let this serve as motivation. Need more? Read 100-plus in-depth reviews of the best skis of 2022-’23, do your pass research, and start planning for your best season yet.