Colorado Arapahoe Basin Is NOW a Free Agent (8/2/19 Update: A-Basin has joined IKON)

[Ski&ride]

(I am using the term "you" as a generalization -- as in "one" -- not as a specific person.)

I don’t have a dog in this fight either.

But judging from what I randomly heard from Coloradans, A-basin’s marketing backfired big time.

Sure, there’s the “small print” that are now highlighted in bold. But any business needing to dig out their small print to prove they didn’t lied, is at least guilty of communication failure. At worst, willful miscommunication.

 

[Tricia]

I don’t have a dog in this fight either.

But judging from what I randomly heard from Coloradans, A-basin’s marketing backfired big time.

Sure, there’s the “small print” that are now highlighted in bold. But any business needing to dig out their small print to prove they didn’t lied, is at least guilty of communication failure. At worst, willful miscommunication.

It was never "small print".

Like @SBrown said, it was selective hearing....errrr reading on the part of those who were wishing.

From my post several pages back.
The Arapahoe Basin Season Pass, currently on sale for $399, will be the only unlimited season pass product for A-Basin in the 2019-20 season. If you would like to ski 8 or more days at The Basin, this is the only pass that will offer that option. We are still looking at opportunities to join other resort programs, but none of those programs will include unlimited access at A-Basin.

Taken directly from Al's post

This is the meat of the conversation.
Anyone with even the most limited amount of spidey sense could tell that IKON was likely in the future.
There was no need to read between the lines. No one was duped into buying an A-Basin pass. He said it clearly.
"We are still looking at opportunities to join other resort programs, but none of those programs will include unlimited access at A-Abasin"

Read quoted blog post here:
April 10, 2019 All's blog
"VERY IMPORTANT SEASON PASS MESSAGE
Dear Arapahoe Basin Friends,

We are having a great Spring at The Basin with seven feet of snow in March and a good storm pattern forecast for April. The ski season has at least a couple of strong months to go.

Thanks to all of you that expressed your thoughts to us about leaving Vail. We are continuing to work closely with potential resort partners. Finalizing new partnerships is still going to take a few more months. While there is a lot we do not know, there are some things we do know.

The Arapahoe Basin Season Pass, currently on sale for $399, will be the only unlimited season pass product for A-Basin in the 2019-20 season. If you would like to ski 8 or more days at The Basin, this is the only pass that will offer that option. We are still looking at opportunities to join other resort programs, but none of those programs will include unlimited access at A-Basin.

The Arapahoe Basin Season Pass will be on sale for $399 through April 30, 2019. On May 1, 2019, the price goes up to $449. If you want an unlimited Arapahoe Basin season pass, this is your only option and this is absolutely the lowest price you will see.

Look Closely At Our Website for all the season pass options. There are some especially good products for kids. I hope you will seriously consider buying a pass with us. We have lots of exciting times in store for you at The Basin. Thanks.

Alan"

 

[Ski&ride]

Call it selective hearing, or even wishful thinking. We know many Coloradans bought Ikon last year. So many knew the crowds THAT pass brought to the mountains that are part of the deal.

So, leaving Vail due to crowding... and joining another that were also responsible for significant crowding?

Anyone can see the irony!

 

[KingGrump]

As @nay has pointed out, parking issues aren't the same as on-hill issues. I don't think these people actually get onto the hill. They just mess up traffic and parking, then ... I'm not sure. Buy overpriced meals and drinks and go home, then post on instagram how rad the day was?

Don't recall the BBQ at BML being that good.

I noticed that at Loon in New Hampshire last year. The parking was insane, and it was difficult to find a spot for lunch or, in the evening at a restaurant for dinner. Yet, other than the first run or two out of the base in the morning, there were no crowds on the hill.

Wait. We got a pattern here. This got to be some sort of conspiracy. They can't be at two places (or more) at the same time. Can they? Must be The Aliens. No, not Trump's aliens. The Aliens from another universe. Where is that dude with the wild hair when you needed him.

Found him.

 

[Ken_R]

Call it selective hearing, or even wishful thinking. We know many Coloradans bought Ikon last year. So many knew the crowds THAT pass brought to the mountains that are part of the deal.

So, leaving Vail due to crowding... and joining another that were also responsible for significant crowding?

Anyone can see the irony!

They went from Unlimited Access with the EPIC to 7 Day only with the IKON. Not exactly the same but Ikon has been growing their customer base here in Colorado significantly and judging by the crowds at Copper Mtn this past season ( @SBrown can chime in, she has many years of experience at Copper) it sure had a crowding effect (I suspect at MJ/WP and Eldora as well).

The Unlimited Access has advantages in that yes, people show up more days but (at least in my case) might just ski for a few hours and leave. I did that a lot and quite a few times I showed up at noon and got a great parking spot.

 

[Andy Mink]

They went from Unlimited Access with the EPIC to 7 Day only with the IKON.

And many IKON pass holders will have the 5 day base pass so that's even less to worry about.

 

[dbostedo]

judging by the crowds at Copper Mtn this past season

I'm still hanging my hat on the good snow year being a significant contributor to crowding at many places. But I don't really have any history to go on.

 

[Tricia]

I'm still hanging my hat on the good snow year being a significant contributor to crowding at many places. But I don't really have any history to go on.

And Copper is full IKON not 5 or 7 days

 

[tball]

As @nay has pointed out, parking issues aren't the same as on-hill issues. I don't think these people actually get onto the hill. They just mess up traffic and parking, then ... I'm not sure. Buy overpriced meals and drinks and go home, then post on instagram how rad the day was?

I'm, um, afraid we'll miss the BMX/BML gang after they're supplanted by wandering C-Lift and S-Lift gangs.

 

[Monique]

The Unlimited Access has advantages in that yes, people show up more days but (at least in my case) might just ski for a few hours and leave. I did that a lot and quite a few times I showed up at noon and got a great parking spot.

This is a great point. Also, a lot of people (by which I mean me) tend to hoard limited days, waiting for some perfect day that somehow never quite arrives. The fact that A Basin is open earlier and later and the season than any other local IKON option must play a role, but I have this feeling that it wouldn't account for more than a single day for each person early season, and unfortunately possibly late season powder days. In between, I think the fact that there are other unlimited options nearby will encourage people in other directions.

MCP might be more of a problem, because people who travel to ski will certainly take advantage of the opportunity while they're there - but I think that's a much smaller demographic. You'd have to have MCP + choose to travel to A Basin. While MCP is great, I doubt (do we have data?) that a ton of Colorado residents plan to travel that much. Present company obviously excepted.

Or of course I could be completely wrong on all counts.

 

[Ski&ride]

MCP might be more of a problem, because people who travel to ski will certainly take advantage of the opportunity while they're there

The same would also apply to Ikon holders who travel to ski. They could potentially use all 5 of the days at basin, especially when condition at the basin is good (better than Copper or WP)

And that’s a much larger demographic.

Or of course I could be completely wrong on all counts.

I’m speculating just like everyone else without supporting data. Maybe there’re very few Ikon holders traveling to Colorado so the impact is negligible.

 

[tball]

You'd have to have MCP + choose to travel to A Basin.

A-basin makes a ton of sense for an MCP pass holder to add on each end of an Aspen/Snowmass trip in and out of DIA. Aspen ticket discounts are hard to come by, so the extra days at half price make the MCP an attractive option. Adding A-basin makes it even more so.

 

[UGASkiDawg]

Last season wasn't much more "crowded" at Copper than any other big snow year. It certainly seemed that way for a significant portion of the year due to the lift lines that were created by their disaster with eagle and flyer (and others). Assuming the lifts work consistently this year then I'll be perfectly happy skiing at "crowded" copper. They could do something to help at timberline....that would be nice.

 

[dbostedo]

Last season wasn't much more "crowded" at Copper than any other big snow year. It certainly seemed that way for a significant portion of the year due to the lift lines that were created by their disaster with eagle and flyer (and others). Assuming the lifts work consistently this year then I'll be perfectly happy skiing at "crowded" copper. They could do something to help at timberline....that would be nice.

Ah yes... I forgot about all the lift issues too. They were gone by the time I got there in late season.

 

[UGASkiDawg]

Ah yes... I forgot about all the lift issues too. They were gone by the time I got there in late season.

Not really.....flyer never ran consistently all season. I can't remember a day (out of 36 days on the hill) when that lift wasn't stopped for at least part of the day. That has impacts all over the rest of the mountain. Hopefully the two new lift towers being installed resolve the problems.

 

[dbostedo]

Not really.....flyer never ran consistently all season. I can't remember a day (out of 36 days on the hill) when that lift wasn't stopped for at least part of the day. That has impacts all over the rest of the mountain. Hopefully the two new lift towers being installed resolve the problems.

I had a couple of 2-3 minute stops on AF, but it ran all day the one day I skied there (as far as I know - I guess it could have been down when I was off in another area). Hopefully everything is fixed for this season! Though I don't know if I'll make it back there if I'm in CO again...

With A-Basin now on Ikon, I'll probably spend my days at A-Basin instead!

 

[SBrown]

Last season wasn't much more "crowded" at Copper than any other big snow year. It certainly seemed that way for a significant portion of the year due to the lift lines that were created by their disaster with eagle and flyer (and others)....

Not only that, but most of the big storms last season came in on weekends.

 

[tball]

All these people tired of waiting in line for Mountain Chief at Copper will overcrowd Pali.

 

[James]

All these people tired of waiting in line for Mountain Chief at Copper will overcrowd Pali.

View attachment 78452

Yep. Tell them to move to Truckee, Salt Lake, Jackson.

 

[Blue Streak]

I’ll still bet you that on any given weekend the lines will be longer at ABasin than Loveland.

It’s nice to have both.