Countdown to Ski Season!

Waiting for Winter, Ski Utah

I don't usually write any ski blogs in August - or publish resort press releases - but Ski Utah's mountain motivation video amused me enough to make an exception. I had such a great time there in March that I can literally still feel the rush of hitting those record-breaking snow conditions! Ski Utah's clever carrot campaign has reached around 40K Facebook fans and over 10K on Instagram - and counting. “This project was meant to get people excited that the ski season was only about 100 days out and to get people to start thinking about pre-purchasing their season passes and/or lift tickets while the deals are hot," explains Director of Communications, Paul Marshall. "The ski industry always gets tossed into the category of being ’too expensive’ but that is for those who don’t plan and while this music video can be seen as a little corky and off-the-beaten path, it catches your attention and hopefully helps get the ball moving on planning this winters ski trip…preferably to Utah." 

Over the next couple of months I'll be working on ski article research, for all the magazines and newspapers I work for, for the 2017-18 season as well as creating my upcoming ski blog series which will launch in November and go on until the end of April. If you have any great ideas or tips about people or places, trends or techniques in skiing or wintersports tourism, please drop me a line at: louise.hudson2011@gmail.com. 

First exciting news for the season is that I will be writing for Style Altitude, a ski and style online magazine based in the UK. And I have six articles scheduled in The Dallas Morning News this winter. And I am currently working on a family focus for Calgary's Child magazine.

Also, to tantalize your tastebuds, I'm starting to make up a list of projected Ski Resort Openings, so do let me know when your fave hill is scheduled to launch - here are the first few I have been sent:

Oct 15 - Loveland
Oct 20 - Araphahoe Basin
Oct 27 - Mt Rose Tahoe
Oct 28 - Killington
Nov 2 - Sunshine Village Banff

Nov 3 - Wolf Creek, Monarch
Nov 8 - Mammoth

Nov 10 – Breckenridge, Keystone, Copper Mountain, Arizona Snowbowl 

Nov 11 - Sipapu

Nov 17 - Lake Louise, Vail, Park City, Northstar, Heavenly
Nov 18 - Purgatory Resort 

Nov 20 - Eldora, Sugar Mountain
Nov 22 - Whistler, Marmot Basin, Beaver Creek, Winter Park, Sunday River, Sugarbush, Stowe, Squaw Valley, Okemo, Mt Snow
Nov 23 - Nakiska, Big White, Telluride, Steamboat, Crested Butte, Aspen, Taos, Sun Valley, Sugarloaf, Big Sky
Nov 24 - Pajarito Mountain, Stratton, Smugglers' Notch, Mt Bachelor, Jay Peak

Nov 25 - Sun Peaks, Snowbird, Jackson Hole, Brighton, Brian Head
Nov 28 - Howelsen Hill
Nov 29 - Silver Star
Dec 1 - Fernie, Alta, Banff Mt Norquay, Snowbasin, Powder Mountain, Mt Abram, Grand Targhee
Dec 2 - Revelstoke, Powderhorn, Solitude, Deer Valley
Dec 6 - Sundance
Dec 8 - Kicking Horse, Panorama, Whitewater, Sunlight, Whitefish
Dec 9 - Castle Mountain, Red Resort, Kimberley
Dec 10 - Red Mountain
Dec 14 - Diamond Peak Tahoe
Dec 15 - Hesperus
Dec 16 - Granby Ranch
Dec 28 - Silverton
Dec 30 - Echo Mountain

And here's the press release that caught my attention from Ski Utah:

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH (August 24, 2017) – When your morning commute becomes a little longer because the local school 'slow signs' have been turned back on, we assume you are just like us and automatically think—SKI SEASON IS 100 DAYS AWAY! To offset the next three months of anxiety, driven by powder skiing dreams, we recommend planning your ski vacation. And, once you pick the location (preferably Utah) it is best to pre-purchase a season pass and/or lift tickets while the deals are still available. We know that process can be hard so we thought we could help by supplying you with some information about Utah passes.

Also, since we feel your pain, we went out and produced our own music video to help calm your skiing nerves. Phil Collin’s 1982 hit song You Can’t Hurry Love says: “ . . . no you just have to wait,” which reminds us that we can’t hurry our love — Winter. So enjoy the video and join Utah in #WaitingForWinter.

Season Pass Information:

Much of what makes Utah's skiing so fantastic is the close proximity of its 14 resorts and the unique qualities that can be experienced at each. Skiers and snowboarders who truly appreciate the variety each resort has to offer should take advantage of the below passes.

Ski Utah Silver Pass ($3,150) – With purchase of the Ski Utah Silver Pass you receive 30 days at EACH Utah resort except Park City, where the pass is valid for 60 days of skiing. Limited quantity available.

Ski Utah Yeti Pass ($649) - This pass is valid for one day of skiing at each of Utah’s 14 ski resorts. That’s just $46 per day. A perfect pass for parents with kids rocking the Ski Utah Passport.

Ski Utah Passport ($35) - This is the pass of all passes for any 5th or 6th Grader in the world. The Passport offers 5th Graders three days of skiing and 6th graders one day of skiing to shred all 14 Utah resorts. 

Ski City Super Pass (amount varies) - Looking for flexibility? The Ski City Super Pass allows unrestricted skiing at Alta, Snowbird, Brighton or Solitude. The pass can be purchased anywhere for a range of three to 10 days of skiing. Also, with purchase of this pass the UTA ski bus is free to and from the resort. Price varies depending upon number of days purchased.

Ski3 Pass ($157) - This new, fully loaded pass includes a full day of skiing at Snowbasin, Powder Mountain plus a full day and night skiing at Nordic Valley with the purchase of two or more nights at participating hotels in Ogden.

Wasatch Benefit Pass - Qualified Alta, Deer Valley, Snowbird and Solitude pass holders enjoy two free days of skiing at each of the other three resorts. 

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There are more ski pass options than ever before. Welcome to the new age of flexible, perk-filled passes. This collection of season passes not only grants you skiing and riding access to Utah's resorts but skiing privileges across the country as well.

Epic Pass ($859) - Vail Resorts owns and operates 15 ski resorts throughout the world and this pass offers unrestricted access to all of them—including Utah’s Park City. For even more affordable rates with a few restrictions, there are the Epic Local Pass, Epic 7-Day Pass and Epic 4-Day Pass, Park City Youth Pass, and Park City 4-Pack. 

Mountain Collective Pass ($469) - This pass offers you two days at each of The Collective destinations for a total of 16 unrestricted days at some of the best resorts in the world, including Utah’s Alta, Snowbird, and new this year, Snowbasin. It also includes up to 35 percent off lodging and 50 percent off additional tickets. 

M.A.X. Pass ($679) - With 44 mountains across North America offering five days each, the M.A.X. Pass has max appeal. If you have this pass, you’re in luck, as local favorite Brighton Resort and Solitude are participating Utah resorts.

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To highlight a few other noteworthy season pass/daily deals please see below:

Brighton Resort continues to offer kids 10 and under ski or ride FREE with a paying adult and has expanded their age-base pricing breakout to include a ‘Millennial’ pass at $650 (before Sept. 27) for adults between the age of 26-30.

Deer Valley offers unbelievable benefits. Eligible pass holders can receive up to six buddy passes, four day passes at Solitude, two day passes at Alta, Snowbird and Brighton Resort, on-mountain discounts, summer mountain biking and three complimentary day tickets to Steamboat Ski Resort.

Eagle Point Resort can be 100% rented out Tuesday through Thursday through the ‘As You Wish’ program. 

Powder Mountain is capping their season pass to 3,000 and day passes to 1,500 this season to keep the ratio of 1 skier per 3 acres of skiable terrain.  

Snowbasin Resort has a season long Learn & Earn program that supplies any first-timer three lift tickets, three lessons and rentals for $499. Upon completion you receive a seasons pass.

Snowbird offers a ‘Ten-2 Share Card,’ which you can ski or ride Snowbird for about $55 a day. Receive 10 days of unlimited access to that is transferable between friends and family with no blackout dates.  

Solitude offers the ‘Ultimate Family Pass’ which includes two Adult and two Junior passes (age 7-17) for $1,999 (price increases after September 4, 2017).

For all of Utah’s 14-resort season pass pricing, benefits and links to purchase please revert to  http://bit.ly/YouCantHurryWinter.