If you’re all set for ski season with passes bought and gear ready to ride, congratulations. Now all you need is snow.
If you aren’t ready, though, here is some helpful information as the season approaches.
Passes and lift tickets
Epic, Ikon and other season pass products make it tough on skiers and snowboarders who don’t buy them in spring or summer. The best prices, for the most part, are long gone. Fortunately, you’re not completely out of luck if you don’t have a season pass or pre-purchased daily lift tickets already locked in.
The Loveland ski area, for example, will be selling fully transferable 4-packs through most of November for $289. By comparison, Winter Park will sell multi-day “Flex” tickets — available for two to four days — through Dec. 28. The Winter Park passes are priced starting at $128 a day, though, while Loveland’s 4-pack price works out to less than $73 per day.
Ikon’s Session Pass — like Winter Park, available in two- to four-day increments — remains on sale through November. The current four-day price is $569 ($142.25 per day).
Epic is still selling Epic Day Passes in increments of one to seven days. Per-day prices vary widely, depending on when and where you want to ski, and the number of days.
Copper Mountain will offer discounted lift tickets on select Thursdays for $99, beginning Jan 8, with a portion of the proceeds going to Summit County non-profit partners. Since 2019, that program has raised $850,000 for those charities. Tickets must be purchased in advance.
Ski Cooper will be selling Monday through Friday daily lift tickets throughout the season for $49. Saturday and Sunday lift tickets will cost $99. Those prices will be available online and at the ticket window.
There is another option. Dan Sherman, chief marketing officer at Ski.com, says if you miss Epic and Ikon deadlines, don’t panic. When you book travel and lodging through a service like his, you can get discounted lift tickets, too.
“Aspen-based Ski.com, for example, works with most major resorts worldwide and can secure discounted tickets when you book accommodations through them,” Sherman said. “We have contract lift ticket rates that are much less expensive than the window rate. For example, if somebody from Denver wanted to go to Aspen in February, and they are booking in January, our lift tickets are still significantly less than that $350 (at the ticket window).”
Equipment rentals
The exterior of LarsonsÕs Ski & Sport shop on November 10, 2021, in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)
Christy Sports: Season rental bundles (skis or snowboard, boots and poles) start at $99 for kids 6 and under, $169 for juniors and $239 for adults. Christy Sports has a great package for kids that bundles season equipment rentals with season passes at two ski areas. Equipment rental with a Loveland season pass for kids ages 6-14 starts at $289; for a Monarch season pass, the price is $343 (ages 7-12). College students can save 20% on rentals with code COLLEGE20 at checkout. Christy Sports has multiple locations on the Front Range. Reservations are made online and gear can be picked up at any Christy Sports location.
Epic Mountain Gear: Season ski and snowboard packages (including boots and poles) are available for reservation, ranging from $149 to $249 and can be picked up by appointment at the Aurora and Littleton locations. Epic’s website says seasonal rentals are limited, so customers are advised to act soon.
Breeze Ski Rentals: Same prices as Epic Mountain Gear, as both are owned by Vail Resorts. Seasonal rentals are available at Breeze locations in Lakewood and Frisco.
Larson’s Ski & Sport: Ski or snowboard packages with boots start at $95 for kids and increase with the age of the child, up to $160. Adult packages start at $175 and increase depending on the performance level of the skis or snowboard. Larson’s will have a used gear swap, including skis, snowboards, boots, cross-country equipment and clothing in the parking lot of the store in Wheat Ridge on the weekend of Nov. 22-23.
The best places for early-season skiing and snowboarding
In case you’re new to Colorado, the first areas to open usually are Arapahoe Basin, Keystone, Wolf Creek, Loveland and Winter Park. Breckenridge and Copper Mountain are always early to open, followed by Eldora and Vail. Most areas should be open by Thanksgiving, if the weather cooperates. Keep in mind that most of those openings will come with limited terrain offerings.
What else should you be doing to get ready for the season?
Make sure you have adequate tires for winter travel in the mountains — rated “All Weather,” “All Season” or “Mud and Snow” — and that the tread depth is sufficient for traction in snow-packed and icy conditions. From Sept. 1 to May 31, tires must have a tread depth of at least 3/16-inch to be legal on the Interstate 70 mountain corridor, according to the Colorado State Patrol. Failure to comply is punishable by a $50 fine with a $17 surcharge. The state patrol also recommends drivers pack an emergency bag with warm clothes, extra blankets, non-perishable food items and extra water. You could get stuck on the interstate for hours if there is an accident up ahead.
Are there other ways to get to the ski resorts besides my vehicle?
Yes, CDOT once again will provide weekend “Snowstang” bus service from Denver to Loveland, Arapahoe Basin, Breckenridge and Copper Mountain beginning Dec. 13. Trips originate at Denver Union Station with intermediate stops at RTD’s Federal Center Station in Lakewood and the Wooly Mammoth Park-n-Ride, which is located at the Interstate 70 Morrison exit. The cost is $25 roundtrip.
Amtrak’s Winter Park Express train service from Union Station will begin with special holiday service trains running Friday through Sunday from Dec. 19 through Jan. 4. After that, regular Thursday through Sunday service will commence Jan. 8 and run through March 29. One-way tickets start at $19 for adults, $9.50 for children 12 and under.