Ski season is nearing. It’s less than 100 days away, which means skiers and snowboarders looking for a good deal on season passes should begin the search in earnest.
The Vail Resorts in the Lake Tahoe region – Heavenly Mountain Resort, Northstar California Resort and Kirkwood Mountain Resort – are offering the guaranteed lowest price on season passes until September 7.
New this season is the Tahoe Local Pass now includes five days of non-holiday skiing and riding at Colorado’s Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, and Arapahoe Basin, plus Utah’s Park City, the largest ski resort in the U.S. The pass provides access to 10,270 skiable acres in Tahoe.
“With the added days in Colorado and Utah on the Tahoe Local Pass, skiers and riders have the option to go wherever the snow is the best,” said Pete Sonntag, Tahoe region vice president and chief operating officer. “If the entire buzz around El Niño proves true, guests will have the advantage of exceptional snow conditions here in Tahoe. Either way, we’ll be giving our season pass holders the most value this coming season.”
The National Weather Service and NOAA both cite that nearly all model runs are predicting an El Niño winter for the upcoming 2015-16 season and about an 80-percent chance it will last into early spring 2016.
Vail Resorts encourages guests to purchase pass insurance. All of the company’s season pass products are non-refundable and non-transferrable. However, pass insurance covers pass holders in the event of unexpected circumstances including sickness, injury and job loss.
Pass insurance starts at $10 for adults and $5 for children (ages 5-12) and varies by pass type. Coverage applies to all season passes valid for the 2015-16 ski season.
Vail Resorts 2015-2016 Season Pass Options for Lake Tahoe skiers and snowboarders includes:
Tahoe Local Pass is the best way to access Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood seven days a week. It includes Saturday access at all three Tahoe resorts with limited holiday restrictions – all for $479.
Pass holder tickets are available for purchase for 50-percent off during blackout dates at Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood. The Tahoe Local Pass pays for itself in fewer than four days.
New for the 2015-16 season, the Tahoe Local Pass now includes five days of non-holiday skiing and riding to Utah’s Park City, soon to be the largest ski resort in the U.S., and Colorado’s Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, and Arapahoe Basin
Tahoe Value Pass is best for people who can handle a few restrictions. Ski or ride seven days a week at Heavenly and six days a week at Northstar and Kirkwood. It is available for $429, and pays for itself in just over three days.
The Tahoe Value Pass has holiday restrictions at Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood with Saturdays excluded at Northstar and Kirkwood. Pass holders can purchase lift tickets valid at Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood Resorts on restricted days for 50 percent off per day.
Epic Pass allows pass holders to ski as much as they want, whenever they want for $769. The Epic Pass pays for itself in less than five days of skiing or riding and offers more than 32,000 acres of skiing and snowboarding terrain.
The pass offers unlimited, unrestricted access to Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin in Colorado, Park City in Utah, Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood at Lake Tahoe, Perisher* in Australia for the 2016 season, Afton Alps in Minnesota, Mt. Brighton in Michigan, and up to five free consecutive days when staying at in-resort accommodations at Verbier, Switzerland. No blackout dates. A child pass is $399.
Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood are all slated to open for the 2015-16 season in November. For the best prices of the season on all Tahoe passes and for more information on pass holder benefits, visit www.bestoftahoe.com before September 7.
