Castle Joining Powder Alliance, Crested Butte out.

[Itinerant skier]

http://www.skicastle.ca/passes/#1478703763955-c8f266f8-9397

Nice addition to the group. Any member season pass gets you 3 midweek days at each of the 14 other resorts. CB is a great mountain, but having gone Epic and staying in Mt. Collective, made sense for them to leave.

The Castle page says stay tuned for additional resorts. Who could that be????

 

[jmeb]

Loveland is in this year too.

 

[Tricia]

How exactly does the Powder Alliance work?

 

[jmeb]

How exactly does the Powder Alliance work?

A good question because it appears how it worked last year and this year will be a bit difference.

From what I can tell from Lovelands site for next season it is:

- you get a membership to the Powder Alliance with unlimited season pass at a participating resort
- as a member you get a total of 3 days of discount skiing at each resort: either free midweek, or 50% off on weekends. Resorts have varying blackout dates.


On its own it is a nice side benefit. But in the case of Loveland where it shines is that it adds density of the ski network with their other bonus days. For instance, I'm already dreaming of a week long Montana ski trip next year: Red Lodge on Sunday (bonus day), Bridger bowl Mon, Tues, Thurs (free on Powder Alliance), Red Lodge on Saturday, and back home. Or a trip linking up Whitefish, Schweitzer and Whitewater (Nelson BC).

 

[Itinerant skier]

Loveland sure has lots of reciprocal and bonus partners. At their early bird price 0f $419, it's worth it just for those perks. 3 days at 30 different resorts pushes it towards MAX pass level value.

The Powder Alliance also includes lodging and other discounts, that vary by resort. Last years info is still at www.powderalliance.com

 

[jmeb]

Probably already over committed with another ski-trip project I'll be introducing on pugski shortly...but boy does this look like a wonderful way to spend 2 weeks road tripping and skiing some hard to reach places with small crowds all just on the Luv/Powder Alliance pass.

https://goo.gl/maps/LTGJVKac6SA2

 

[Itinerant skier]

Probably already over committed with another ski-trip project I'll be introducing on pugski shortly...but boy does this look like a wonderful way to spend 2 weeks road tripping and skiing some hard to reach places with small crowds all just on the Luv/Powder Alliance pass.

https://goo.gl/maps/LTGJVKac6SA2

yeah, some seriously cool mountains, of the kind discussed in the WSJ Resorts in Jeopardy thread.

 

[Kneale Brownson]

Wish my Loveland senior pass included all that

 

[jmeb]

Wish my Loveland senior pass included all that

From what I can tell on the website it would? The only restriction seems to be "Loveland Ski Area unlimited passholders" -- from what i see at http://skiloveland.com/tickets-passes/season-passes/ it should qualify. There don't seem to be any other restrictions on the Loveland senior pass that would exclude it from being "unlimited".

For those 70+ -- that $99 is as good as deal as any i've ever seen.

Unless you know something we don't?

 

[Kneale Brownson]

Just my understanding from the past.

 

[jmeb]

Just my understanding from the past.

Huh. That sucks.

Loveland should update their website if that is the case because the presentation currently is very misleading. The Senior (70+) $99 pass is listed in the same column with all the benefits as the other unlimited passes.

 

[Jim McDonald]

Certainly looks like the senior pass includes all the benefits.

 

[Kneale Brownson]

Didn't used to be listed with the others, if I remember correctly. Was in a separate section. I didn't get one for 17-18 because we weren't here in October.

 

[David Chaus]

At Stevens, I have a discounted concession pass, which isn’t technically supposed to be eligible for Powder Alliance benefits at other resorts. Nonetheless I know people who have done just that. I think because they all have different ticket sales and tracking systems there isn’t a way for a resort (say Schweitzer) to check on the status of Stevens season pass. Show your home resort everyday season pass and it’ll probably be all good.

FWIW a really good Powder Alliance road trip from the PNW or Spokane is Schweitzer, Whitewater & Silver Star. Throw in Red Mountain (sadly not on Powder Alliance) for good measure. Castle might be out of the way for such a trip.

With Loveland, I could see keeping an eye out for a cheap airfares to Denver.

 

[Fishbowl]

- you get a membership to the Powder Alliance with unlimited season pass at a participating resort
- as a member you get a total of 3 days of discount skiing at each resort: either free midweek, or 50% off on weekends. Resorts have varying blackout dates.
.

I believe that the only day you cannot use one of the three free days is on Saturday. The pass is good 'Sunday through Friday", so I'm not sure where your "either free midweek, or 50% off on weekends" is coming from, unless that is the rule for a specific resort?

 

[New2]

Loveland & Castle are great additions--good for Powder Alliance! On the downside, Arizona Snowbowl's out for 2018-2019 (https://www.snowbowl.ski/season-pass-faqs/), as is Crested Butte (as has already been mentioned).

I believe that the only day you cannot use one of the three free days is on Saturday. The pass is good 'Sunday through Friday", so I'm not sure where your "either free midweek, or 50% off on weekends" is coming from, unless that is the rule for a specific resort?

Free Sunday through Friday is how Powder Alliance has worked up to now. 2018-2019 it looks like it'll have new rules... all the resorts I've seen selling passes with Powder Alliance benefits so far have advertised "either free midweek, or 50% off on weekends."

 

[jmeb]

I believe that the only day you cannot use one of the three free days is on Saturday. The pass is good 'Sunday through Friday", so I'm not sure where your "either free midweek, or 50% off on weekends" is coming from, unless that is the rule for a specific resort?

According to Loveland's folk, the PA website is hasn't been updated for 2018/19 terms. The Loveland / Castle passes on sale have.

 

[Fishbowl]

According to Loveland's folk, the PA website is hasn't been updated for 2018/19 terms. The Loveland / Castle passes on sale have.

That would be a shame, but thank you for the correction.

 

[Itinerant skier]

There's also the Freedom Pass, which is similar in size and scope, but much more focused on small, local, independent hills. Think Whaleback, Mcintyre and such. Both Magic and Plattekill are members though.
www.Freedompass.ski

I'm wondering if a non-IKON/EPIC/MTC pass thread might be worthwhile in the General skiing forum? Lot's of value opportunities folks might not know about.

 

[jmeb]

I'm wondering if a non-IKON/EPIC/MTC pass thread might be worthwhile in the General skiing forum? Lot's of value opportunities folks might not know about.

I think that is a great idea. Many of such passes are localized, but still worth aggregating together.