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Have you heard of the Indy Pass?

ski diva

Administrator
Staff member
This is a pass that's going to include a group of small- to mid-sized independent ski areas in the US and Canada. It's in the process of evolving and won't even go on sale til September 1, but right now it looks like consumers will pay $199. and get the following:

• Two-day access to 50+ resorts in US and Canada
• Discounted kids’ tickets
• Discounted rentals and lessons
• Inexpensive ski vacations

So far, the following resorts have committed, though there may be others coming on board, too:

IDAHO
Brundage Mountain
Silver Mountain

WASHINGTON
White Pass
Mission Ridge
49 Degrees North

OREGON
Hoodoo

CALIFORNIA
Mt. Shasta

MONTANA
Red Lodge Mountain
Lost Trail Powder Mountain

UTAH
Beaver Mountain

BRITISH COLUMBIA
Apex Mountain Resort

WISCONSIN
Little Switzerland
Nordic Mountain
Trollhaugen
Tyrol Basin

MICHIGAN
Big Powderhorn Resort
Pine Mountain Resort

VERMONT
Bolton Valley

MASSACHUSETTS
Catamount Mountain Resort
Berkshire East Mountain Resort

VIRGINIA
Massanutten Resort
Bryce Resort

NORTH CAROLINA
Cataloochee Ski Area

MINNESOTA
Giants Ridge

There may be season pass add-ons at individual resorts.
 
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Tvan

Angel Diva
This seems like a positive development. I’ve been worried about the smaller, independent places since Ikon and Epic set out to conquer the ski world.
 

Christy

Angel Diva
Interesting, and it certainly seems like a good idea for those ski areas.

That leaves Mt Baker as the one major ski area, and one near many millions of people at that, in Washington that is not affiliated with any pass. Mt Baker does not care if you ski there. They didn't care before these passes started and they don't care now.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
The Indy Pass list for the east is continuing to grow. The most interesting additions are Magic and Blue Knob. For $199 to get two days at each location, starting to look easier to go justify exploring a few new ski areas.

NORTHEAST
Greek Peak, NY - added early June
Bolton Valley, VT
Magic Mountain, VT - added early June
Pats Peak - added early June
Catamount, MA
Berkshire East, MA

SOUTHEAST/MID-ATLANTIC
Blue Knob, PA - added early June
Massanutten, VA
Bryce, VA
Cataloochee, NC
 

SallyCat

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
It's a good idea and I hope it helps smaller areas remain viable.

I'd like to see more affordable passes with regionally-clustered options, including big and small mountains. Two days each at mountains that are within an hour or two drive of each other, for example. The reason is that I usually can't afford to travel to ski, but I would love to explore more of the mountains close to me.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
What would really make the Indy Pass worthwhile for folks living in the northeast would be if the three ORDA mountains (Whiteface, Gore, Belleayre) were included. Would make a difference to people in NJ/NYC/eastern PA and even DC too. I know there were people who used the last version of the MAX Pass to check out one or more of the ORDA locations for the first time. I know the staff at Belleayre appreciated the MAX Pass guests.
 

Tvan

Angel Diva
+1 to both @SallyCat and @marzNC comments. It would be great to add the ORDAs, and some of the other small places... Butternut, Mohawk, for example.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
The Indy Pass competes with, or perhaps compliments, the Freedom Pass. Different business models. Buying the Indy Pass doesn't require investing in a season pass, just pay $199. The Freedom Pass provides three days at other ski areas for season pass holders. In the northeast, that covers:

Plattekill, NY
Bolton, VT
Magic, VT
Black Mountain, NH
Dartmouth Skiway, NH
McIntyre, NH
Whaleback, NH
Yawgoo Valley, RI
Lost Valley, ME

Note that Magic is on both Indy and Freedom. That's the approach that James Colman has taken with AZ Snowbowl, Purgatory and his other locations. Even though they are the core of the Power Pass, they are also part of the Freedom Pass.
 

SallyCat

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
@marzNC Exactly, the Freedom Pass looks great and I'm excited to try it out this coming season.

I'm thinking that it would also be fun if say (just to take one region as an example) Sugarbush, MRG, Smuggs, and Bolton got together an offered a pass that allowed you one day at each place, so four days total. Basically, the way resorts sell three-and-four-packs of tickets at a slight discount. It wouldn't necessarily be super-cheap, but would be a fun option and an incentive to explore regionally.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
I'm thinking that it would also be fun if say (just to take one region as an example) Sugarbush, MRG, Smuggs, and Bolton got together an offered a pass that allowed you one day at each place, so four days total. Basically, the way resorts sell three-and-four-packs of tickets at a slight discount. It wouldn't necessarily be super-cheap, but would be a fun option and an incentive to explore regionally.
As another example, sampling is the idea behind the Utah Yeti Pass. There are 13 ski areas/resorts in Utah, ranging from destination resorts such as Snowbird or Park City to local areas such as Nordic Valley or Beaver Mountain. Can do one day at each place for $649, which is $50 a day for someone who gets to all of them. Given the high day ticket prices at the destination resorts, doesn't take too many days or that much driving for a local to make good use of a Yeti Pass. Of course, the distances and driving times involved out west are very different than in New England.

I'll probably discuss regional passes more in the 2019-20 multi-resort thread when it's closer to pre-season.
 

ski diva

Administrator
Staff member
@marzNC

I'm thinking that it would also be fun if say (just to take one region as an example) Sugarbush, MRG, Smuggs, and Bolton got together an offered a pass that allowed you one day at each place, so four days total. Basically, the way resorts sell three-and-four-packs of tickets at a slight discount. It wouldn't necessarily be super-cheap, but would be a fun option and an incentive to explore regionally.

Ski Vermont offers a pass every year that's very much like that. You get a booklet with either three or five passes in it, good for one day each at either three or five different Vermont resorts, midweek or weekend except during specified holiday periods. You don't need to select the resorts when you buy the pass. I can't remember what it costs, but it's a substantial discount from the walk-up window rate. It generally goes on sale at the Ski Vermont website in October.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
The Indy Pass list is still growing. As of mid-July the new ski areas are:

Eaglecrest, AK
Hurricane Ridge, WA
Spirit Mountain, MN
Suicide Six, VT
Canaan Valley, WV

With the addition of CV, that means folks in the DC area could use the Indy Pass at Blue Knob, CV, Bryce, and Massanutten for 2 days each if they felt like exploring some place new. For $199, might be worth a try.

My winter plans are pretty full already. Otherwise I'd consider a ski safari in the midwest based on visiting my niece in St. Paul and relatives in Chicago and Detroit.

MIDWEST
Giants Ridge, MN
Spirit Mountain, MN - added by July
Little Switzerland, WI
Nordic Mountain, WI
Trollhaugen, WI
Tyrol Basin, WI
Big Powderhorn, MI
Pine Mountain, MI

SOUTHEAST/MID-ATLANTIC
Blue Knob, PA - added early June
Canaan Valley, WV - added by July
Massanutten, VA
Bryce, VA
Cataloochee, NC
 

mountainwest

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I'd like to see more affordable passes with regionally-clustered options, including big and small mountains. Two days each at mountains that are within an hour or two drive of each other, for example. The reason is that I usually can't afford to travel to ski, but I would love to explore more of the mountains close to me.

Me too, this is a great idea!
 

newboots

Angel Diva
Ski Vermont offers a pass every year that's very much like that. You get a booklet with either three or five passes in it, good for one day each at either three or five different Vermont resorts, midweek or weekend except during specified holiday periods. You don't need to select the resorts when you buy the pass. I can't remember what it costs, but it's a substantial discount from the walk-up window rate. It generally goes on sale at the Ski Vermont website in October.

And sells out quickly, if I remember? I might have it mixed up with another pass.
 

ski diva

Administrator
Staff member
Here's some good news about the Indy Pass: If you buy it before September 16th at IndySkiPass.com, you can make four payments of just $49.75 and pay no interest.

Here's the final list of resorts:

WESTERN REGION - 14
ALASKA - Eaglecrest Ski Area
ALBERTA - Castle Mountain Resort
BRITISH COLUMBIA - Apex Mountain Resort
CALIFORNIA - Mt. Shasta Ski Park
IDAHO - Brundage Mountain, Silver Mountain
OREGON - Hoodoo
MONTANA - Lost Trail Powder Mountain, Red Lodge Mountain
UTAH - Beaver Mountain
WASHINGTON - 49 Degrees North, Hurricane Ridge, Mission Ridge, White Pass

MIDWEST REGION - 8
MICHIGAN - Big Powderhorn Resort, Pine Mountain Resort
MINNESOTA - Giants Ridge, Spirit Mountain
WISCONSIN - Little Switzerland, Nordic Mountain, Trollhaugen, Tyrol Basin

EASTERN REGION - 12
MASSACHUSETTS - Berkshire East Mountain Resort, Catamount Mountain Resort*
NEW HAMPSHIRE - Pats Peak
NEW YORK - Catamount Mountain Resort*, Greek Peak Mountain Resort
NORTH CAROLINA - Cataloochee Ski Area
PENNSYLVANIA - Blue Knob Resort
VERMONT - Bolton Valley Resort, Magic Mountain, Suicide Six
VIRGINIA - Bryce Resort, Massanutten Resort
WEST VIRGINIA - Canaan Valley Ski Resort
*Catamount straddles NY/MA border

28 of 34 participating resorts offer unrestricted, season-long access. Four have holiday blackouts and two allow midweek-only access.
 
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sibhusky

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
For the West, I'm actually mystified as to who their target skier is. Aside from those living in the Spokane area, which looks doable, they are not looking for the fly-in skier, the pass only gives you two days. And most of the resorts are pretty spread out. It's certainly not for locals, like I said the resort's are spread out, you're not going to have a base area between Red Lodge and Lost Trail and drive to each. So I'm left with road trippers or someone who did overnights a difference place each weekend -- like you might in New England.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
For the West, I'm actually mystified as to who their target skier is. Aside from those living in the Spokane area, which looks doable, they are not looking for the fly-in skier, the pass only gives you two days. And most of the resorts are pretty spread out. It's certainly not for locals, like I said the resort's are spread out, you're not going to have a base area between Red Lodge and Lost Trail and drive to each. So I'm left with road trippers or someone who did overnights a difference place each weekend -- like you might in New England.
Assuming the Indy Pass sticks around for at least a few seasons, I can think of some folks in New England and the Mid-Atlantic who would get the Indy Pass primarily for use when driving who would also plan a trip that would include exploring one of the locations out west. I would guess there are folks in the midwest who might think the same way.

On the smaller regional ski forums in the east, there is usually a bit of discussion by folks who fly out west who don't want to go to places covered by Epic or Ikon. Partially due to the cost, but also because they much prefer the vibe at independent mountains. Could be a small group, but the Indy Pass might influence a few people who haven't heard of most of the Indy partners.

The number of people who starting doing ski safaris using the MCP for only two days at each resort was surprising. That was not the intent of the original group, which were deliberately in different regions. Took a few years before I started hearing about trips like that. Even included a few folks flying all the way from Australia. When the MCP added Snowbasin, Solitude, and separated Alta and Snowbird, that was a sign of a change in thinking by the MCP partners.
 

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