“Because we know you’ll be chasing powder all season…” The Mountain Collective, a deal put together by Aspen/Snowmass, Jackson Hole, Alta and Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows, seems…not worth it? Maybe I’m just skeptical. For $349, if you buy before November 19th, you get two free days at each, and then unlimited 50% lift tickets at each from there on out and some lodging deals that are up to 25% off. There doesn’t seem to be too much to get excited about, even with the promotion boasting 16,005 acres, 104 lifts, 8 mountains, 4 states. Although it’s a cool idea, what you’d save on pass prices, you probably spend double on travel expenses. Here’s a driving map, assuming you start your trip at Squaw and ended back at Alpine Meadows.
I’d just pick a mountain and stick with it, (if you can get a free seasons pass, by all means go for it). This looks like a good deal if you’ve got a nice place to crash at one of the four areas and maybe a nice big posse to travel with and split gas money, or maybe a ton of flier miles…
Here’s what the Mountain Collective reps have to say:
“Four dream destinations. Two free days at each. Unlimited 50% discount on lift tickets. Lodging up to 25% off.
The Mountain Collective™ is an unprecedented collaboration between the world’s four best independent resorts: Alta, Aspen/Snowmass, Jackson Hole and Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows. With free days and huge discounts, The Mountain Collective™ members can claim limitless vertical feet and chase ideal conditions across Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and California. The Mountain Collective™ is available for just $349 for adults and $229 for children when purchased before November 19, 2012.”
Thoughts? Approve? Disapprove? Do you care?
$349 is a long way from free – decent opp if you’re planning an epic road trip on two planks, I guess.
If you are planning any trips to or near those areas it’s a no brainer! Naturally, if you want to only ski Squaw/Alpine then buy a pass at Squaw. For the skier that does and can move around here and out of state, this is an excellent deal!
There are many that fit that profile. Local Squaw loyalists will not care too much.
‘an extrodinary alliance of the world’s best independent resorts’…..
Last time I checked, being owned by KSL Capital Partners doesn’t exactly make you an independent resort.
Alta – yes
Aspen/Snowmass – yes
Jackson Hole – yes
Squaw – not so much
Let the hate begin…
being funded by tank and missile sales of a multinational military-industrial conglomerate might also muddy the waters of calling yourself an independent resort
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Dynamics
drop cliffs not bombs
As a destination skier @ squaw for a month a year, I can visit my friends at Aspen and JH …and they can visit me @ Sqalpine. It’s a win/win for us …and the local economies. I mst check our Southwest’s air sales too. I think it’s awesome!
It’s for East coast weekend warriors to encourage them to take a couple of extra trips. That and a bit of poke at Vail Resorts I guess.
An East Coaster here, I’m definitely nibbling here, I usually do a trip to Reno/Tahoe each year (longer than a weekend!) and a 2nd trip to SLC or JH so this should work.
Friend hits Aspen but I can get his deals. The big monkey in the room is the
airlines. Winter airfares have stunk horribly the past 2 years. If bad fares continue I’ll give up on the west for New England or even better may move to NorCal or Oregon.
btw so far I’ve not paid over $50 for a lift tix. (thx Tahoe 6 packs etc)
Looks like you have to hit 2 regions -or even better 3 to make this work.
Corbets, it put the chimney to shame. It’s a real mans run.
be cooler if there was a season pass deal with south american resorts.
Or, if you have an Aspen Premier Pass, you get dis included. Zing!
50% off still makes it 50 bucks each day. make it 30 bucks per day and its
I sure as hell don’t give a shi*
this thing is an absolute ATM handed down from some anti-vail coalition to the people of utah. since we have alta, regularly road trip to jackson and occasionally head out to squaw for a big trip, this thing will pay for itself before thanksgiving. easily.
yes, for most people, this is just a money pit that will cost 10x its value in travel expenses. but if you live in the right spot, this is over $500 of lift tickets for $350, plus 50% off at 3 of the best resorts in the country for the whole season
sorry aspen, youre just awful
All of these resorts do cheaper promotions with lodging during the season without buying a pass. This is just leveraging pass holders in a different way that benefits resorts.
It doesn’t sound like you are saving too much. If you can afford to get to all these places in a season, you can for sure afford to buy lift tickets. What a scam!
as long as you planned on going to these places anyway, youre saving basically 50%. so for some (rich people or people that live in the middle) this is a very good deal
A sign of things to come I think. With skiier visits down across the industry we’re going to see more mergers and a ton of strategic partnerships like these, designed to encourage more visits. I think that will be a good thing in the long run, but I also dont mind an occasional crowd if it means more people sharing a love for this sport and dollars for new lifts.
Ill just take my free pass from Snowbird and my 300 dollar employee upgrade to an Alta Pass. AltaBird pass for 300 bucks and a bit of my soul to Snowbird.
For a second I thought this was going to be a pass that would shit on vail than I was extremely disappointed.
What a shallow article – there’s people out there that do just drive around and ski everyone – trust me I did it for two years and would have jumped on this deal. Instead I had to fork up $99 tickets to get in my days on days of shreddn’.
SOD.
wasn’t a slight, wasn’t trying to be shallow. Just a bit skeptical is all, in fact I’m a bit jealous of your travels sklordle
Squaw GOLD passholders will get the 50% discount to the other resorts (but not the free days). If you are going to go to just one of the other resorts and spend more than 5 days skiing, it is worth upgrading.
Here’s the math, and I assume you have already purchased a SILVER pass:
Cost of upgrade: $230
Cost of one day ticket: $100 (makes the math easy, and is close enough)
Savings per day: $50
= After five days, you’ve saved $250 by spending $230 upfront.
If you will go use TWO of the other resorts, you are better off buying the COLLECTIVE pass instead of upgrading to the GOLD pass. (4 free days = $400 savings, vs cost of $350)
These passes are designed for people like me who don’t live in resort areas and have the money to travel. I’ve never been to Aspen or Jackson Hole and I’ve always wanted to go. A pass like this only encourages me where I should take ski trips this winter.
oh my god…a Squaw promotion with no sign of Andy W getting extraordinary!
Narrater chick sounds sooooo hot.
can anyone clarify…
Unofficial Networks says that you get 2 free passes at EACH of the resorts… but alta’s website and the video says you only get 2 free passes and THEN 50% off after that… clarification?
Both are true.
2 FREE passes in Tahoe
2 FREE passes at Alta
2 free passes at Jackson Hole
2 FREE passes in Aspen (you can use 1.2.3 … or all 8)
After the 2 FREE passes get used at any area remaining passes at that area are 50 % off. (Squaw & Alpine count as one area)
As someone who lives half an hour away from Alta and will make at least 1 trip out to Jackson for a few days this pass is definitely a win. Price of the pass equals 2 tickets at Jackson and 2 tickets at Alta, so just going one more day at one of them makes it worth it.. and who knows, maybe we’ll make it out to CA or CO.
hmmm… feels as if your in somebodies pocket….
What a road trip, let’s go… see your buddies, your family, your bartenders…
Just don’t bring your snowboard to Alta…. this is a no brainer for that alone
We have completed Aspen Highlands, SnowMass, an added 2 days at crested butte, and 3 days at JH. Arrived in Park City today for 3 days at Alta, before we head to Squaw alpine for our last 3 days. This is a blast! Only recommendation is to issue one pass in order to avoid going into the ticket office at each resort.