Epic Pass

[Ken_R]

I skied mostly weekdays! But with any decent snowfall there were just heavy crowds. Not so at Loveland and other places. Epic = Epic Crowds. Best days were where little snow was in the forecast and the morning report was 1" but 6"+ fell after 5am .

 

[TahoeCharlie]

Well, yeah, if you can go during off-peak times it doesn't much matter where you ski from a crowd standpoint. For weekend warriors, though, the Epic has truly been a double-edged sword. Keeping down season pass prices is welcome, but on a fair weather weekend it looks more like this:
View attachment 26088

There is a way to beat the weekend crowds at the Tahoe Epic Resorts and that is to get there REALLY early in the morning. Nstar gondo opens at 8am, lifts at 8:30; so get there before 7:15, park in Village Lots A, B, or C (shortest walk, no bus needed), get your boots on or gear together and be in the gondo line before 8. You can ski virtually uncrowded slopes till about 10:30. go in for an early lunch and then ski 12 to 1 when everyone else is eating. Depending on the snow conditions you can get great powder tree runs or untracked corduroy for almost 2 hours. Of course this doesn't work all the time but dose most of the time.

Of course most of you probably know this; but a lot of people just don't get there early enough. If you get to the Nstar turnoff after 8/8:30 on a weekend it can take well over an hour to get parked and get to the gondo.

Disclaimer: This works best if you live near Tahoe or 10 miles from Nstar at the Lake as I do.

For Heavenly, park at the Stagecoach lot before 8, much shorter walk then parking at the casino's and taking the gondo.

 

[luliski]

the Nstar turnoff after 8/8:30 on a weekend it can take well over an hour to get parked and get to the gondo

One powder weekend we got there about 9, cars were sliding all over the remote lot. We turned around and went back to the house.

 

[Started at 53]

EPIC Pass site says that the prices listed are for a "Limited Time", so my question is, when do the current prices go up?

I am seeing the Epic Pass at $859 and the 7 day at $639

We are at Vail for 7 skiing days in February, but not sure if we will do another Epic Pass resort visit as March is still to be discussed.

I so wish that Deer Valley was included, but that is never going to happen.

So, any insight how long these prices will be good?

 

[Yo Momma]

I'm weighing skiing at Park City w/ crowds or paying the cash and skiing Powder Mtn and Snowbasin............ @5 days for two that's some cash to ski........... but no crowds........... might be worth it........... The Epic Pass gives me Park City........... So which is worth it, Park City w/ my pass or Powder and SnowB for $ but no crowds?........... tough call.............

 

[Doug Briggs]

I skied mostly weekdays! But with any decent snowfall there were just heavy crowds. Not so at Loveland and other places. Epic = Epic Crowds. Best days were where little snow was in the forecast and the morning report was 1" but 6"+ fell after 5am .

Even on big midweek powder days it is possible to get great skiing with short lines. Creativity and counter-group thinking is required. You know where everyone is going to flock, so you go elsewhere. For instance, Chair 6 and T-bar can be stacked while E-Chair and Kensho are ski on. Now I have to kill you. JK

EPIC Pass site says that the prices listed are for a "Limited Time", so my question is, when do the current prices go up?

I am seeing the Epic Pass at $859 and the 7 day at $639

We are at Vail for 7 skiing days in February, but not sure if we will do another Epic Pass resort visit as March is still to be discussed.

I so wish that Deer Valley was included, but that is never going to happen.

So, any insight how long these prices will be good?

Prices usually don't change until fall. I pre-pay a deposit in the spring, so I don't track it closely, though.

 

[David Chaus]

I'm weighing skiing at Park City w/ crowds or paying the cash and skiing Powder Mtn and Snowbasin............ @5 days for two that's some cash to ski........... but no crowds........... might be worth it........... The Epic Pass gives me Park City........... So which is worth it, Park City w/ my pass or Powder and SnowB for $ but no crowds?........... tough call.............

BOTH. Take 10 days, do it both ways and see which experience brings you more joy. Maybe the crowds aren't so bad while you're in Park City. Or maybe you just totally fall in love with skiing lines with no one else in sight at Powder Mt.

Whatever the ski pass (Epic/Max/MCP) the pass is only a small part of the cost of the trip, for those who travel to resorts. F'r instance, if I lived in Park City or Breckenridge, probably an Epic Pass would be pretty well used. However, I have to travel if I want to spend time at "destination resorts." Even to Whistler (which is 3 1/2 to 4 hours from my front door) the Epic Passes aren't as cost effective for me as the Whistler Edge Card, which is still being sold these days to Canadian and WA state residents. If I were to spend 10+ days skiing Whistler to make the Epic Pass worthwhile, then I have to pay for 10+ days of accommodations. And that's without traveling to other Epic Pass resorts. Since I would travel even more if I want to ski these other Epic-like destination resorts, the costs of driving (or airfare plus car rental) and/or shuttles is on top of accommodations (whether budget or ski in/out). All of that tends to cost more than the passes, yet to make the passes worthwhile I need to pay for all of those other things enough days to justify getting the pass.

Everyone has their own complex calculus for determining the equation: benefit/cost = value. Honestly, the only way to get the most out of it is enjoy yourself, regardless of how much you did or didn't spend.

 

[Bigtinnie]

Mountain Collective works well for those doing multiple resorts particularly if you base the trip around SLC with the cheap accomodation costs there. We even got accom for our family of four in Jackson for $160 Aus a night - about $120US. You can still get Snowmass accom at $200 per night and Mammoth accom can be reasonable too.
The Epic Pass locks one into locations that have higher accomodation costs - generally speaking of course.

 

[raytseng]

So, any insight how long these prices will be good?

Agree, the prices will go up in fall, but the increases will be minimal, like just $20 for maybe 1 or two bumps; which is a fair price for flexibility.

However, what you do need to worry about is end of sales, which has a final date around Thanksgiving to early December when resorts begin opening and they will begin communicating that Last Chance. I would assume they run some projections depending how their books and the season is looking, as they bluff / "extend" the deadline a few times too.

Once they stop epicpass sales your only pass option is a Full "Vail Pass" for around ~$3000. You can consider this the Stick instead of the Carrot to convince you to pull the trigger for next season.

 

[colospgmike]

I'm weighing skiing at Park City w/ crowds or paying the cash and skiing Powder Mtn and Snowbasin............ @5 days for two that's some cash to ski........... but no crowds........... might be worth it........... The Epic Pass gives me Park City........... So which is worth it, Park City w/ my pass or Powder and SnowB for $ but no crowds?........... tough call.............

Skied SLC the previous 2 years. Did single days at Alta, the Bird, Solitude, Brighton, Snowbasin and Park City both trips. Was glad to save the $$ using my Epic pass at Park City but was my least favorite day skiing on both trips. Might be worth it if you can catch the Canyons side of PC on a powder day as I hear that rips.

 

[Ken_R]

Even on big midweek powder days it is possible to get great skiing with short lines. Creativity and counter-group thinking is required. You know where everyone is going to flock, so you go elsewhere. For instance, Chair 6 and T-bar can be stacked while E-Chair and Kensho are ski on. Now I have to kill you. JK.

True, point is Crowds are a huge factor and must be dealt with, not gonna go into specific tactics though jejeje

 

[at_nyc]

Might be worth it if you can catch the Canyons side of PC on a powder day as I hear that rips.

Yep, that rocks.

But I can't compare with the PC side. I only did it a few times. Condition wasn't ideal on the days I visited.