We noticed a number of questions from recent posts asking what the heck the Squawlpine merger will mean for passes purchased before September 27th. So, we thought we would try to break things down a bit. Turns out it’s sorta confusing… Who woulda guessed!?
Let’s just get this one out of the way first. If you bought an Alpine/Homewood/Kirkwood pass from Alpine Meadows before the Sept. 27th merger… you win. Hands down. You have unfettered access to Alpine, Homewood, Kirkwood, and yes… Squaw Valley as a result of what might be the biggest season pass loophole that Tahoe (and maybe the world) has ever witnessed, congratulations you lucky bastard. If you bought this pass before Sept. 27th for $799, nobody should have to buy you any Christmas or birthday presents this year. You probably ought to make several charitable donations to compensate for this unnatural and unfair imbalance in the universe. Everyone hates you. If you bought that pass you probably don’t need to read the rest of this article.
However, if you bought the same three resort pass through Kirkwood… See item 30 (the very last line) of the FAQ’s listed on the Squaw/Alpine pass office website, which states that “No, the Kirkwood Premium Pass is not valid at Squaw Valley.” Yikes! they’re gonna get a lotta questions about that one…
As for the rest of us, here goes:
For passes purchased through Squaw Valley Ski Resort prior to Sept 27th:
If you bought a…
- GOLD, SILVER, or BRONZE pass from Squaw before Sept. 27th your pass is good at both Squaw and Alpine on all of the dates specified by the original pass agreement. Any blackout dates also apply to access at Alpine Meadows.
- MIDWEEK passes will not work at Alpine Meadows.
- No passes purchased through Squaw are valid at either Homewood or Kirkwood.
For passes purchased through Alpine Meadows Ski Resort prior to Sept. 27th:
If you bought a…
- FILTERED, SLIGHTLY FILTERED, or UNFILTERED pass from Alpine Meadows before sept. 27th your pass is good at both Alpine and Squaw on all of the dates specified by the original pass agreement. Any blackout dates also apply to access at Squaw Valley.
- ALPINE/HOMEWOOD/KIRKWOOD…/SQUAW pass from Alpine Meadows you are obligated to pick up the bar tab at a bar of your choosing at any of the four resorts on all powderdays (holidays excluded).
- The TRIPLE THREAT COLLEGE PASS will not work at Squaw, but all pass privileges still apply at Alpine Meadows, Homewood, and Kirkwood Ski Resorts.
For passes purchased through Kirkwood Mountain Resort:
- THE KIRKWOOD/ALPINE PREMIUM + pass is valid per the original pass agreement at Kirkwood, Alpine, and Homewood. IT IS NOT GOOD AT SQUAW… You kinda got screwed.
For passes purchased through Homewood Mountain Resort:
If you bought a “Homewood-only” season pass, your pass is only good at Homewood. They didn’t add on any Squaw, Alpine, or Kirkwood privileges.
For Seniors:
Squaw and Alpine have different age brackets for senior pass categories. Squaw offers a senior pass for the age group 65-69 while Alpine offers a senior pass for age groups 62-69. This year all passes purchased as senior passes will be valid at both Squaw and Alpine on the dates specified by the original pass agreement. If you are 62-64 and bought a senior pass from Alpine, you got pretty lucky. If you are 62-64 and you bought an adult pass at Squaw you are less lucky, but still pretty lucky. You get access to Alpine… but you probably shoulda bought a senior pass from Alpine. The age brackets will be adjusted and made consistent between the two resorts for the following season. Senior passes will be available for skiers/riders (I actually do know of a few snowboarders in this group) ages 65-69
For Super Seniors:
All super senior passes purchased from Squaw or Alpine will be valid at both resorts. Squaw’s super senior rates start at age 76+ while Alpine starts their super senior rates at age 70+. If you are between the ages of 70-75 and bought your pass at Alpine, you are pretty lucky. If you are between 70-75 and bought your pass from Squaw you are less lucky, but still pretty lucky. You get access to Alpine… but you probably shoulda bought a super senior pass from Alpine.
For Teens & Youn Adults:
Squaw and Alpine have different age brackets for teen and young adult pass categories. Squaw offers a young adult pass for the age group 13-22 while Alpine offers a teen pass for ages 13-18. Good news. Nobody gets screwed. If you bought an adult pass from Alpine and are between the ages of 19-22 you should be able to get a refund for the difference between an adult and young adult pass. Call the Squaw/Alpine ticket office at (530) 452-4331.
Ski pass titles and benefits are really starting to resemble credit cards and insurance contracts aren’t they? Premium, Gold, Unfiltered?… Core Diamond Cut Epic Super Duper Quadrupler Platinum Infinity Pass?… Come on, it’s a ski pass. If you want to be further befuddled check out the full FAQ’s available here or on the Squaw or Alpine websites.