Oh, no! You didn’t buy your ski-resort season pass! You missed the best early-bird discounts!
But don’t panic. You can still get the next best discounts. Most Wasatch Front resorts have a staggered series of season-pass price hikes, with some not hitting the top until November.
We’re only in the second stage right now. So, yes, you may have to pay an extra $100 or so, but there are still current pass-rate bargains.
But should you purchase a pass, or just buy single lift tickets? Here’s the equation: If you’ll be hitting the slopes fewer than 10 times this season, buy the discount package of lift tickets available at most resorts. If you’ll go more than 10 times, buy a season pass—except at Deer Valley, where the top-priced season pass costs more than $2,000. You’d have to go 20 times for that season pass to pay for itself.
There are also many other pass options available from each resort, including midweek-only passes, night-skiing-only and so on. Check with each resort to find out what it offers. Don’t rely only on resort Websites; some options aren’t listed, and other resorts don’t update their Website prices and options immediately, so you may miss out on an available bargain.
Here’s the list of current season-pass prices, upcoming price hikes and daily lift-ticket costs:
ALTA: Season pass: $999, goes up to $1,099 on Sept. 29. Lift ticket: $72.
BRIGHTON: Season pass: $949, which includes the most night-skiing terrain in Utah. No additional price hikes. Lift ticket: $62. More snowmaking has been installed on Millicent, which will allow the “other mountain” to open earlier.
CANYONS: Season pass: $1,149, goes up to $1,449 after Oct. 15. Lift-ticket price not yet fixed, but a spokesperson said they will be about $93.
DEER VALLEY: Season pass: $1,725, goes up to $2,025 after Oct. 31. Lift ticket: $93.
PARK CITY MOUNTAIN RESORT: Season pass: $825, no additional price hikes. This is a basic pass and doesn’t include options such as night skiing, Fast Tracks or underground parking. Lift-ticket price not yet set; it will be “around” $92, according to a spokesperson.
POWDER MOUNTAIN: Season pass: $765, goes up to $840 on Oct. 1, then to $890 on Nov. 1. Lift ticket: $60.
SNOWBASIN: Season pass: $995. Goes up to $1,150 after Oct. 2. Lift ticket: $72.
SNOWBIRD: Season pass: $1,149 (with unlimited tram and chair rides), with no further price hikes. Lift ticket: $78.
SOLITUDE: Season pass: $999. On Nov. 1, the pass option changes to “Custom Pass,” which allows you to pick any combo of days to build the ultimate pass. Days are purchased separately, with weekdays being the cheapest at $89 and Saturday, at $379, the most expensive. An “all days” pass will cost $1,293. Lift ticket: $68.
WOLF MOUNTAIN: Individual season pass: $270. Season pass for a family of four: $655. On Oct. 1, the price of an individual pass goes up to $325; family pass to $715.
