Which Ski Pass is Best for New England?
Do you enjoy skiing as much as I do? Ever wonder if a season pass to a specific mountain is worth it? Is it worth buying the big mountain passes like the Ikon Pass or the Epic Pass? How about that Indy Pass that I’m always talking about? How do you go about choosing which one is best for you? Unless you have a favorite mountain that is practically in your backyard, the choice can be complicated! The right pass depends on how often you ski, your budget, and the locations you plan on skiing that year. Spring and Summer are usually the best time to purchase the following year’s pass, so here is a little info to help you decide which ski pass is best for you as a New Englander.
Black Mountain of Maine - Indy Pass
Before getting started, there are some questions you need to consider. Realistically, how often are you going to ski? It really only makes sense if you plan on utilizing a pass on vacation or plan on going somewhere specific a bunch of times in the season. If you aren’t sure that you can commit to many days on the mountain, buying day passes ahead of time online might be your best option. What is your budget? The key is to look at how expensive it would be to go on that trip if you had to pay out of pocket? For the most part, resorts have a pricing model that incentivizes some sort of pass to keep you loyal to that mountain or family of mountains. Usually getting the price per-ski-day down to under the “window” price takes less than a full week now. Many of the lower tier passes allow you to get your per-ski-day price down even further.
Saddleback Mountain - Indy Pass
Indy Pass (2 days at each resort, 25% off a third day): Berkshire East, Big Moose, Big Rock Mountain, Black Mountain of Maine, Black Mountain (NH), Bolton Valley Resort, Bousquet Mountain, Camden Snow Bowl, Cannon Mountain, Catamount Mountain Resort, Dartmouth Skiway, Jay Peak Resort, Lost Valley, Magic Mountain, Middlebury Snowbowl, Mohawk Mountain, Mt. Abram, Pat’s Peak, Ragged Mountain, Saddleback Mountain, Saskandena Six Ski Area, Waterville Valley Resort, Whaleback Mountain, plus several cross country skiing areas! There are also several “Allied” resorts which offer 50% discount off the window ticket price.
Pros:
The price for this is affordable.
Great for exploring smaller mountains that have a certain local vibe.
Less crowded resorts, but still some decent size resorts in there.
Best for skiers who like variety and want to avoid corporate resorts, the crowds and price tag that goes along with all that.
There are a lot of mountains to chose from for New England.
Cons:
Limited to 2 days at each resort.
No really big name mountains included.
Most of the mountains have some sort of blackout dates, but not all!
Sunday River - Ikon Pass
Ikon Pass: Unlimited Access at Stratton and Sugarbush. 7 days at each at Killington, Loon, Sunday River, & Sugarloaf plus some of the largest resorts around the US.
Pros:
Some of the biggest resorts on the east.
Also good at some of the largest resorts in the West if you are traveling outside of New England.
There are several different level passes available to purchase. The example above is for the most expensive, highest level pass. Passes with less days per resort are available at lower rates.
Over 50 destinations in the US including Aspen, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Snowbird, and Alta.
Cons:
Limited number of days, no unlimited pass available.
Bigger mountains usually means bigger crowds.
Expensive unless you fully utilize it.
Wildcat Mountain - Epic Pass
Epic Pass: Mount Sunapee, Stowe, Okemo, Mount Snow, Attitash, Wildcat, & Crotched Mountain.
Pros:
Different levels of passes available.
20% Discounts off food, lodging, rentals, heli-skiing, summer activities, and group lessons.
Discounted tickets for friends.
Epic Coverage is included - Refunds for job loss, injury & illness.
Over 30 destinations across the US including Vail, Breckenridge, Heavenly, and Park City.
26 European Partner Resorts.
Cons:
Limited number of days, no unlimited pass available.
Biggest mountains usually means biggest crowds.
Crowd management and employee tensions have become a concern at some Vail owned resorts.
Expensive unless you fully utilize it.
Gunstock Mountain - Season Passes
Local Resort-Specific Season Pass: One pass good at one mountain for the whole season. Sometimes the pass is good at another affiliated resort, but it’s usually resort specific. For details on this, visit the website of the resort you want to become a season pass holder.
Pros:
Usually unlimited skiing/riding for that one specific resort.
Season Passholder discounts in the lodge and ski shop.
Great if you have either a favorite mountain, or a mountain that is very close to you.
Cons:
Limited to one resort.
Can be quite expensive.
You need to go a lot to make it worth it.
Black Mountain (NH) - Indy Pass
Personally, I have over an hour drive to any ski mountain regardless, so I enjoy traveling and utilizing the Indy Pass. There are 6 resorts on the pass within a 2 hour drive or so, and I have found some affordable lodging options to make the further resorts like Saddleback and Jay Peak manageable. Both are fantastic independently owned mountains. They are well worth the trip from anywhere in New England. I have skied some of the larger resorts that are on Ikon and Epic out West and they are some of my favorite ski trips ever, but for me, I can’t justify spending the money on either pass based on where I live, my budget, and the type of mountain I like to ski, but that’s just me! When I plan my next trip out West, I might consider either Epic or Ikon depending on where I end up going. There is a pass out there for anyone who plans on skiing a lot in the winter. See you on the slopes!
