With lift tickets around the country now creeping past the $100 a day mark, anyone looking to spend a day at a ski resort without emptying their bank account has got to get creative. As of Tuesday, a new collaboration between four major ski areas in the U.S. will make that process a little easier.
Called the Mountain Collective Pass, the new deal is a $349 pass that offers two single day lift tickets to Aspen/Snowmass, Colo., Jackson Hole, Wyo., Alta, Utah, and Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows, Calif. Once the two tickets are used up, passholders can redeem 50 percent off discounts on an unlimited number of lift tickets. Passholders will also receive lodging discounts at all four destinations.
The pass is being sold through an exclusive partnership with Liftopia at Themountaincollective.com.
Alta ski area in Utah is one of only three resorts in the country that doesn't allow snowboarders. According to Alta spokesperson Connie Marshall, if a purchaser of the Mountain Collective Pass is a snowboarder, he or she won't receive any compensation for not being able to use the Alta tickets that come with the pass. "Alta Ski Area is excited to be a part of the Mountain Collective for a multitude of reasons," Marshall told ESPN.com. "Our most satisfying outcome will be the introduction of our unique skiers-only mountain to skiers who understand the attributes of the collective passions our four destinations share."
The four independent resorts teamed up this month based on research of where skiers most wanted to visit.
"This pass is an unprecedented collaboration," said Alpine Meadows spokesperson Jenny Kendrick. "It's the first time these four resort destinations, which arguably offer the best skiing and riding in the world, have partnered to offer this sort of product. Anyone who is passionate about skiing and riding has these resorts on their bucket list -- and what an amazing offer this is for anyone who aspires to visit these winter destinations."
All four resorts said it was an easy decision to take part in the collaboration. "From a business point of view, we feel it will help us to extend our reach beyond the normal channels an independent resort can initiate," Jackson Hole's Brand Director Anna Olson told ESPN.com. "We also feel this will stimulate trial by providing an easy option for skiers and riders who have not previously experienced Jackson Hole in the winter."
Kids aged 12 and under can get the Mountain Collective pass for $229. Current pricing is available only until Nov. 19.
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