Purveyors Of Ikon Roll Out Line-Skipping Add-On At Four West Resorts
For folks willing to pay, Ikon Pass seller Alterra Mountain Co. has unveiled its "Reserve Pass" that lets season passholders bypass standard lift lines at four mountains in the West ... and two in the East ... that they own.
The four resorts in the West are Washington's Crystal Mountain, SoCal's Big Bear complex, Colorado's Winter Park, and Utah's Solitude. The first three have long been known to attract large weekend and holiday crowds -- and reports are that Solitude has recently gotten more crowded.
The cost of the Reserve Pass varies by resort, but all of them limit the line-cutting abilities to a handful of lifts. An Ikon or resort season pass is required to purchase the Reserve Pass.
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Winter Park charges $2,499 for the season and includes covered parking.
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Crystal Mountain puts a $1,500 price tag on its Reserve Pass.
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Big Bear Resorts, which includes Bear Mountain, Snow Summit and Snow Valley, charges $1,299.
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Solitude is the cheapest at $699, and is the only one to include several fixed-grip chairs and excludes Reserve Pass from only the Honeycomb Return lift. Solitude further controls crowding with an all-in reserve parking system.
Issuant of the Ikon Pass, Alterra said the new pass is designed to "upgrade the experience" for folks who show up for a short period of time, giving them more runs per day than with a standard pass. Snowshoe and Sugarbush are also in the program.
The new Reserve Pass resembles the existing Fast Tracks ticket that debuted in 2021. At that time, it was promoted as a short-term option for visitors, such as families on school vacation. It is still not attached at a season pass.
Three resorts owned by Pwdr Corp. in the West still have Fast Tracks: Snowbird, Copper Mountain and Mount Bachelor. The cost and period of access varies by resort, and all require pre-selection and pay online.
At Snowbird, you pay at maximum of $89 a day for a Fast Tracks pass. Copper adds it to the Ikon at $899 a season or $224 for four days. At Bachelor, single, two of three and four-day options vary in cost from weekday and weekends, with single weekend day at $89.
For years, skiers and riders have bypassed lift lines by hiring a ski instructor for the day. But that price comparison has widened -- for instance at Winter Park, a private lesson cost $1,375 a day.
