The Ikon and Epic Passes Are Great for Ski Buffs. Until They’re Not

After years of Vail Resorts Inc. buying up ski areas all over North America, seemingly on its way to monopolizing the industry, a new competitor emerged last year. In April 2017, Henry Crown & Co. (owner of Aspen Skiing) and KSL Capital Partners, a private equity firm in Denver, purchased six resorts, including Colorado’s Steamboat Springs and Winter Park and Vermont’s Stratton Mountain Resort, for $1.5 billion. Since then, the conglomerate, which formed a designation group called Alterra Mountain Co., has purchased eight more, including Mammoth Mountain in California and Deer Valley Resort in Utah.

Skiers and snowboarders will reap several benefits from Alterra’s shared resources, including improved infrastructure as a result of increased investment. But perhaps the biggest boon to snow lovers is the creation of the Ikon, a $999 season pass that works at any of Alterra’s 14 resorts, as well as 23 independent ski areas, including Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in Wyoming and Taos Ski Valley in New Mexico, that have chosen to collaborate on the product.