Sun Valley and Snowbasin join Epic

[Christy]

Especially in light of all of our recent threads about crowds and crashes, this is terrible news for those of us that love Sun Valley and go there because there are no crowds and bad skiers are not an issue. I am really so, so disappointed to hear this.

https://www.sunvalley.com/epicpass?...4580&utm_content=Wednesday, February 06, 2019

 

[Sheena]

Ugh! I have heard rumblings Snowbasin joining the Epic Pass. I am not sure if I understand Snowbasin's thinking on this one. Though it looks like just 7 days of skiing at SB and SV are included for Epic Pass Holders? So maybe this will just be the same impact, at least to SB, as the Mountain Collective. Not sure I am so excited about it still.............

 

[Christy]

I'm more afraid of the Epic than the MC, which did have a noticeable impact on SV in terms of attracting a younger crowd, because of all the people in Seattle who bought it now that Whistler and Stevens Pass are Vail Resorts. So that's a lot of people here that now can ski at SV for free (7 days is really all most people would need on vacation) and it's us in Seattle that can get there easily.

My only hope with all these passes is that there are so many choices of where to go that it disperses the crowds more than it used to when fewer resorts were on Epic, or Ikon, or the MCP...

 

[contesstant]

NOOOOOO!!!! F F F F F!

 

[Christy]

NOOOOOO!!!! F F F F F!

Yeah I thought you'd like this.

 

[nopoleskier]

I saw this today and am SOOOOOOO BUMMMED OUT!!!!!

 

[Christy]

They are both off the MCP now though. So at least they won't be on TWO pass programs.

Comments on SV social media are skewing paranoid that this is setting SV up for joining Vail Corp.

 

[contesstant]

So, they just advertised that they were selling next year's MCP passes (Snowbasin did.) I mean, that can't hurt, because we get a lot of Alta and Snowbird skiers who can't get up LCC on days like today (road was closed) and those people will be weeded out, but yikes, having the PC crowd here? Oh joy.

 

[Christy]

@contesstant this is what the website says in the FAQ about the Epic Pass:

Will Sun Valley and Snowbasin continue to be part of the Mountain Collective™ Pass?
Mountain Collective™ pass holders will continue to have access to Sun Valley and Snowbasin during the remainder of the 2018-2019 ski season. Beginning with the 2019-2020 season, neither Sun Valley nor Snowbasin will be part of the Mountain Collective™.

https://www.sunvalley.com/epicpass?...DQg9vVR1z3_w-c315A53ls0oVQPM-vdLd6YiihR5uCJMY

 

[contesstant]

Crapola, that means if I want to ski Big Sky, I need to do it this season!

I guess one positive is Epic offers a military pass for $99, and my brother was going to get one this season but forgot. I'll make sure he remembers. He would ski Stevens regularly if he had it. And then he can come ski with me for nothing but gas.

Oh, never mind. The military pass won't be valid at SB or SV. That's too bad!

 

[GaSkier]

Say it isn't so. Yet another mountain with Vail's hooks into it. Sigh!

 

[marzNC]

I guess one positive is Epic offers a military pass for $99,

The Epic Military pass was marketed as a celebration of 10 years. So not a given that it will be offered again next season.

 

[marzNC]

Sounds like the business model that Telluride set up for 2018-19. A partner for the Epic pass but supposedly will remain an independent ski resort. Seems as if Vail Resorts is copying Alterra.

From the Snowbasin website:


https://www.epicpass.com/info/sv-sb-press-release.aspx

"SUN VALLEY & SNOWBASIN JOIN THE EPIC PASS

Sun Valley Resort and Snowbasin Resort join the Epic Pass, Epic Local, Epic 7-Day and Epic 4-Day passes beginning with the 2019-20 winter season in a multi-year alliance.

• Epic Pass holders will receive seven days of skiing or snowboarding with no restrictions at both Sun Valley and Snowbasin.
• Epic Local Pass holders receive two days at each resort with minimal restrictions.
• Epic 7-Day pass holders can use any or all of their seven days and Epic 4-Day pass holders can use any or all of their four days with no restrictions at both resorts.
• Epic, Epic Local, Epic 7-Day and Epic 4-Day pass holders will receive 50 percent off one-day window lift ticket prices after their respective days have been redeemed.

The industry-leading Epic Pass features access to world-class mountain resorts throughout eight countries for the 2019-20 season, more than any other season pass in the world.

BROOMFIELD, Colo. – Feb. 6, 2019 - Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: MTN), Sun Valley Resort and Snowbasin Resort jointly announced today that both resorts will join the industry-leading Epic Pass in a multi-year alliance beginning with 2019-20 winter season, adding two new destinations to the world-class access found on the Epic Pass. Epic Pass holders will receive seven days of skiing or snowboarding with no restrictions at both resorts. Epic Local Pass holders will receive two days at each resort with minimal restrictions. Epic 7-Day pass holders can use any or all seven of their total days, with no blackouts, while Epic 4-Day pass holders can use any or all four of their total days of skiing and snowboarding with no restrictions at both resorts. Sun Valley is consistently ranked one of the top ski resorts in North America and Snowbasin is known as a great family-friendly destination, conveniently located near Salt Lake City.
. . ."

 

[NewEnglandSkier]

yes, these multi passes definitely seem to bring more crowds places. They are a double edged sword--on one hand great for those of us who want to use them to travel to multiple destinations but on the other hand, other people are also traveling to more destinations so it ends up ruining places that used to be less crowded.
My ski instructor at Steamboat said they have seemed busier this year--he wasn't yet sure whether it was due to being on Ikon or just because they have been having a good snow year, but he said they have seen more crowds. I talked to 2 separate people on the lift today up from the front range--because of the Ikon pass.
I can't really complain, since I have an Ikon too. Basically, what it boils down to is everyone (myself included) likes to complain about everyone else---locals complaining about tourists, tourists complaining about other tourists, skiers vs snowboarders, "I was here first" syndrome.

 

[mustski]

Truthfully, living in a resort town is a double edged sword. I have lived in beach resorts since 1978 and now I live in a mountain resort town. The tourists are what keep everyone employed and bring TOT dollars to the town, but they also create seasonal and weekend traffic and congestion at popular attractions. For sure both Epic and Ikon have increased ski congestion, but they also bring tourism dollars to the areas and that benefits everyone who lives there.

 

[santacruz skier]

TOT dollars goes to the General Fund. It's a good thing ! Pays for Public Safety (police and fire) to name a few.

 

[Christy]

There are winners and losers. Sun Valley Co. is a winner. So are the owners of airBnB's. But like so many mountain towns, there's a serious housing shortage. Most tourism jobs are low-wage service industry jobs, and the creation of more of these kind of jobs is not necessary a positive thing. Many local businesses already can't fill staff vacancies because people can't find anywhere affordable to live. (The animal shelter where I got my dog is down valley in what used to be an affordable town, and attracting employees has been such a problem for them they are trying to buy a small apartment building to house staff.) The area is desperately trying to attract tech and other types of higher income jobs rather than additional tourism dependent jobs. I think you'd get a lot of argument from people that live there if you said the additional tourism benefits everyone.

 

[contesstant]

TOT dollars goes to the General Fund. It's a good thing ! Pays for Public Safety (police and fire) to name a few.

Except where I live, the county that benefits is Weber, since the resort itself is in Weber, even though most drive through my county (Morgan) to get there. We see no tax benefit, but a lot of road use and abuse.

 

[mustski]

The services you appreciate and use on a regular basis - grocery stores, gas stations, cafes, and restaurants, etc. all exist because of the tourist dollars. Regular customers pay the overhead; tourist dollars are the profit that keep the businesses alive. You may not operate an AirBnB but the tourist industry in ski communities (and beach communities) keep those property values up. Is there a downside to high property costs? Of course. Is there a bigger downside to plummeting property costs and businesses closing due to lack of tourism. Yes. Anyone who lived in a tourism dependant community during the recent economic downturn can speak to the unemployment rate and loss of properties and shuttered businesses. Like I said above, it's a double edged sword.

 

[marzNC]

Apparently starting in 2019-20 Snowbasin or Sun Valley season pass holders will get 50% off day tickets at all Vail Resorts locations. Wonder how many will be driving to Park City? Or Tahoe or Colorado?