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Several hours in Utah, where to ski on the Ikon

  • Alta

    Votes: 15 57.7%
  • Snowbird

    Votes: 5 19.2%
  • Brighton

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Solitude

    Votes: 2 7.7%
  • Deer Valley

    Votes: 4 15.4%

  • Total voters
    26
Thread Starter
TS
Slim

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It's an Alta/Bird Combo ticket. I have the Ikon Base, skied Alta/Bird for five days last week, skiing both two of the five days. Accessed Alta off of Snowbird's Baldy Lift.
That’s great to hear!
Just to be clear, after starting at Snowbird and entering Alta, did you scan your ticket anywhere at Alta, or were you just lapping stuff up high, where they don’t scan tickets?
 

Mountainside

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That’s great to hear!
Just to be clear, after starting at Snowbird and entering Alta, did you scan your ticket anywhere at Alta, or were you just lapping stuff up high, where they don’t scan tickets?
Scanned numerous times, Peruvian and the Tram at Snowbird, Collins and Wildcat at Alta.
 

dbostedo

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That’s great to hear!
Just to be clear, after starting at Snowbird and entering Alta, did you scan your ticket anywhere at Alta, or were you just lapping stuff up high, where they don’t scan tickets?

If I remember correctly, they are RFID, and you go through a gate at most lifts, even up high. And when you cross between Alta and Snowbird near the top of Sugarloaf at Alta, and Baldy at Snowbird, there's a gate you have to go through as well. (I don't know about the other couple of connections between the two, but I'm guessing there are gates? Some of them are hike-to terrain, so maybe not?)

One tip - we were staying at Alta, skiing Snowbird, and had MCP passes... if we had gone through the gate at the top of Baldy, we would have used up an Alta day just to go down. So we stopped at the little shack at the top, and explained that we just wanted to ski down to the lodge, and were allowed to go around the gate.
 

Woodsrider427

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It's an Alta/Bird Combo ticket. I have the Ikon Base, skied Alta/Bird for five days last week, skiing both two of the five days. Accessed Alta off of Snowbird's Baldy Lift.

That is great to hear but definitely contradicts what I was told in my email from Ikon, maybe I got the one guy that doesn't know what he's talking about.
 

dbostedo

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That is great to hear but definitely contradicts what I was told in my email from Ikon, maybe I got the one guy that doesn't know what he's talking about.
Given it's the first year of a new pass, I'm guessing there's more than one. ;)
 

Mountainside

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That is great to hear but definitely contradicts what I was told in my email from Ikon, maybe I got the one guy that doesn't know what he's talking about.
I called IKON and was told the same as you, the rep didn't seem confident of their answer, I then called the ticket offices at Snowbird and Alta and was informed differently, that it was an Alta/Bird combo pass.

When I arrived at Snowbird I asked again, the ticket office worker assured me that it was a Alta/Bird combo pass. Skiing I went, not really sure what type of pass I had. On the fifth day, which would have been the sixth pass if it wasn't a combo pass, I got my answer when the Peruvian RFID gate opened and let me ride the lift.
 

Rostapher

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I called IKON and was told the same as you, the rep didn't seem confident of their answer, I then called the ticket offices at Snowbird and Alta and was informed differently, that it was an Alta/Bird combo pass.

When I arrived at Snowbird I asked again, the ticket office worker assured me that it was a Alta/Bird combo pass. Skiing I went, not really sure what type of pass I had. On the fifth day, which would have been the sixth pass if it wasn't a combo pass, I got my answer when the Peruvian RFID gate opened and let me ride the lift.

I could have provided my question to Alta as well, but perhaps the wording could have been better:
Does the Ikon Base pass function as an "AltaBird" pass where I can ski both areas the SAME day
OR
Is it either Alta OR Snowbird on the same day?

Their reply:
The Ikon Base Pass:
*You can ski both Alta and Snowbird on the SAME DAY.

Based on @Mountainside’s experience, hopefully this is the case, unless they charged your credit card for a 6th day!

Speaking of which, what if you do want a 6th day? Can they put it on your Ikon, or just buy it separately? Has anyone done this?
 

Mountainside

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I could have provided my question to Alta as well, but perhaps the wording could have been better:
Does the Ikon Base pass function as an "AltaBird" pass where I can ski both areas the SAME day
OR
Is it either Alta OR Snowbird on the same day?

Their reply:
The Ikon Base Pass:
*You can ski both Alta and Snowbird on the SAME DAY.

Based on @Mountainside’s experience, hopefully this is the case, unless they charged your credit card for a 6th day!

Speaking of which, what if you do want a 6th day? Can they put it on your Ikon, or just buy it separately? Has anyone done this?
No credit card charge yet, man that would be a pisser.

I skied Snowbird a 6th day, bought the ticket on Liftopia a few months ago. It was around $65, not a Alta/Bird combo.
 

Woodsrider427

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I called IKON and was told the same as you, the rep didn't seem confident of their answer, I then called the ticket offices at Snowbird and Alta and was informed differently, that it was an Alta/Bird combo pass.

When I arrived at Snowbird I asked again, the ticket office worker assured me that it was a Alta/Bird combo pass. Skiing I went, not really sure what type of pass I had. On the fifth day, which would have been the sixth pass if it wasn't a combo pass, I got my answer when the Peruvian RFID gate opened and let me ride the lift.

I guess being the first year, like someone said above, we can give the Ikon reps some slack. Good to hear it worked on the sixth pass. Makes planning for my coming up week there easier. Thanks for the info.
 
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Slim

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So in SLC alone, Ikon base is 5 days at DV, 5 at Brighton , 5 Alta-Bird days and unlimited Solitude?
I need more ski time!
 
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Slim

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Well, in the end we figured it would be worth it to get a taste of Little Cottonwood, so that is what we did. I am sure it would have been great skiing anywhere on Monday.

We headed up the Canyon around 7:00 and had zero traffic despite some snow on th road.

We parked at Snowbird and took the bus to Alta, grabbed breakfast and got into line for the Collins lift around 8:30.
So, not first chair, but not that far behind too, our first run was one of the better ones I’ve ever done, I think we hit Spruces, untracked, about a foot of heavy soft snow on a soft base, woohoo!

1F081F8A-B308-4288-A8B4-7FD7A13DEAC0.jpeg
After that we lapped Collins a bunch of times, as well as Sugarloaf, fun skiing all around, and easy to find your way. Of course we didn’t know where the best stashes were, but with the steady falling snow and not super busy hill, it stayed soft all day long.

She we left Alta we missed the Kyehole gate(a sign would be nice, Alta!) and had to hike back up, but it was all worth it as we traversed out to what I’m guessing is Keyhole in Snowbird:
Untracked, 35 degrees slope with over a foot of creamy soft snow on top and no tracks! At 12:30 on a Powder day! Followed by a “baby-chute” just our level, with perfect snow and just the right width and pitch to make it interesting, but not scary for us.:yahoo::daffy:
2CEA6B62-9115-4AD1-8367-17FEB7D6E2B8.jpeg

447A2A5D-45C2-46AC-AB9F-60A6568DE9A7.jpeg

Rode Supreme for a lap through that valley then Ended the day with a tram lap down to our car at Snowbird, hitting our car at 2:00pm, not sure how much longer the legs would have held up even if we didn't have to catch a plane.
 
Last edited:

tch

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NICE!!! After all the discussion, I'm glad it worked out.
 

Ogg

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@Slim one of the things I love about Snowbird is all of the little chutes of varying pitch and width that allow you to build your skills/cajones without severe consequences especially in the powder. By the end of the day Monday I found myself taking fairly straight lines through steep narrow chutes that I had to pick my way down a few days earlier.
 
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Slim

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@Ogg , I liked that same thing about Brighton.

BTW Miineral basin (and several other areas) was closed, so we didn't get to go there.
This is at the top of the tram, enjoying the view:
879F663C-0600-4CDF-A632-14FA991BC90B.jpeg
 

Rostapher

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Well, in the end we figured it would be worth it to get a taste of Little Cottonwood, so that is what we did. I am sure it would have been great skiing anywhere on Monday.

We headed up the Canyon around 7:00 and had zero traffic despite some snow on th road.

We parked at Snowbird and took the bus to Alta, grabbed breakfast and got into line for the Collins lift around 8:30.
So, not first chair, but not that far behind too, our first run was one of the better ones I’ve ever done, I think we hit Spruces, untracked, about a foot of heavy soft snow on a soft base, woohoo!

View attachment 64902
After that we lapped Collins a bunch of times, as well as Sugarloaf, fun skiing all around, and easy to find your way. Of course we didn’t know where the best stashes were, but with the steady falling snow and not super busy hill, it stayed soft all day long.

She we left Alta we missed the Kyehole gate(a sign would be nice, Alta!) and had to hike back up, but it was all worth it as we traversed out to what I’m guessing is Keyhole in Snowbird:
Untracked, 35 degrees slope with over a foot of creamy soft snow on top and no tracks! At 12:30 on a Powder day! Followed by a “baby-chute” just our level, with perfect snow and just the right width and pitch to make it interesting, but not scary for us.:yahoo::daffy:
View attachment 64883

View attachment 64884

Rode Supreme for a lap through that valley then Ended the day with a tram lap down to our car at Snowbird, hitting our car at 2:00pm, not sure how much longer the legs would have held up even if we didn't have to catch a plane.

Great report & pics @Slim! Looks lovely and sounds like you had heck of time skiing some primo pow! Skiing LCC vicariously via you!
 

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