Skiers have been complaining about the cost of season passes for years, and this year’s no different.
An Epic Pass, which gives you unlimited access to more than 40 ski resorts across North America, Europe and Australia jumped from $909 last season to $1,107 this season. A season pass at Grand Targhee Resort in Alta, Wyoming, will run you $1,774. Aspen-Snowmass in Colorado, one of the nation’s most expensive resorts, offers a season “premier” pass for $3,599.
And then there’s Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, which this week offered an exclusive luxury season pass for $10,000, according to the online ski magazine SnowBrains.
“The first time I saw it I said, ‘You’re kidding. Someone made this up. It’s almost like an Onion article,” said Scott Williams, a former Jackson firefighter. “But it isn’t.”
A dozen years ago, Williams said, a season pass at the resort cost less than $1,000. But prices for everything in Teton County have skyrocketed.
“I definitely don’t want anything to do with the resort because it has gone over the top,” Williams said. “It’s just been unfortunate.”
How Does It Compare
In comparison to the new ski pass, the Denver Broncos offer a field level “prime” season pass for $2,540. An executive suite, meanwhile, ranges between $18,000 to $30,000 per game, according to the Suite Experience Group at the stadium.
Royal Caribbean offers a four-night eastern Caribbean luxury cruise, in which a suite for the entire voyage with food is priced at $1,484.
What could you possibly get for $10,000 at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort?
Called the Solitude Station Access Pass, the special privilege pass provides skiers with early access to the mountain to get your runs in first, private ski storage, a continental breakfast, lounge access and “preferential lunch reservations” at Trapper’s, the resort's restaurant.
The resort doesn’t advertise the season pass on its website, but it does list the cost of the same privileges for a day or week. Compared to those prices, a $10,000 season pass would seem like a relative bargain.
A daily Solitude Station Access Pass costs $750 on “peak” or popular ski days and $500 for other days, according to the resort’s website. Weekly access passes cost $4,500 during peak weeks and $3,000 during the other weeks.
A message left with the resort’s spokesman was not returned.
‘Seems Pricey To Me’
Wyoming ski shop owners said they’re surprised a season pass could cost that much even for Jackson, the seat for Teton County, the wealthiest county in America.
“Seems pricey to me. This is the first I’ve heard of it. Again, it’s not that much of a surprise considering our business,” said Scott O’Brien, co-owner of Skinny Skis in Jackson. “For some people, $10K may not seem like a lot. To me that seems like an excessive amount of money for skiing.”
Patrick Coffey, manager of Fast Haus Ski and Bike in Laramie, said if the Solitude Station Access season pass was going “to work anywhere, it’s going to work there.”
“I don’t see our local hill offering any deal like that,” Coffey said. “We are so far removed from that geographically and, I feel, socioeconomically. Our local hill is still affordable. It’s small. It’s cute. It’s family oriented.”
The season pass cost for this “local hill,” otherwise known as the Snowy Range Ski Area?
It’s $449 for adults or less than 5% for the Jackson Hole pass.
But again, the Snowy Range pass doesn’t come with a continental breakfast.
Contact Justin George at justin@cowboystatedaily.com
Justin George can be reached at justin@cowboystatedaily.com.
