A coming Iconic and Epic clash

The new Alterra group of ski resorts seems quite serious about offering a common season pass to the public next winter, not just limited to its 12 properties, but now extended to another 11 partner mountains, for a total of 23 resorts.

According to a company's spokesperson, we shouldn't assume which resorts — partners or Alterra destinations — will offer limited or unlimited skiing. The details of that new pass, offered for sale this spring, should be explained to the public in the coming weeks.

In summary, Alterra's resorts are Colorado's Steamboat, Winter Park, California’s Squaw Valley-Alpine Meadows, Mammoth Mountain, June Mountain and Big Bear Mountain Resort, Vermont’s Stratton, West Virginia’s Snowshoe, Canada’s Tremblant and Blue Mountain, Utah’s Deer Valley Resort and CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer.

As for the Ikon Pass partners, those are Colorado's Aspen Snowmass, Copper Mountain, Eldora, Jackson Hole, Montana’s Big Sky, Vermont’s Killington, Maine’s Sunday River and Sugarloaf, New Hampshire’s Loon Mountain and Utah’s famed Alta and Snowbird. 

What's interesting is that Utah's Solitude that once was part of Deer Valley didn't make the cut among the list of partners.

What is this program going to means to Park City? Probably more traffic into town with the addition of the Salt Lake Valley's Alta and Snowbird pass-holders, certainly more destination visitors from the East out with passes from Blue Mountain, Killington, Loon Mountain, Tremblant, Snowshoe, Statton, Sugarloaf and Sunday River, as well as Californian skiers like we've already seen with the Epic pass.

All this depends, of course, what's inside that new Icon pass. Once more, the devil will be in the detail and it's hard not to imagine how fiercely Vail Resorts will have to react to this unforeseen behemoth!