It’s never too early to start thinking about skiing when you live in a ski town – or near one, as many Colorado Mountain College students, faculty and staff do. CMC student Becky Aurora summed up the steals and deals of Colorado ski areas in a recent post in her blog about life in Leadville, Life at 10,200 feet.
With residential campuses in Leadville, Glenwood Springs, and Steamboat Springs and commuter campuses in Aspen, Breckenridge, Dillon, Carbondale, Buena Vista, Edwards, Glenwood Springs, and Rifle, Colorado Mountain College’s service area includes multiple ski areas and terrain to service skiers and riders from never-evers to experts. Additionally, CMC’s online classes allow you to work towards a degree from wherever you are.
I’ll start by mentioning the Front Range Ski Bus, which is great for those living in Denver. The ski bus services Loveland Ski Area, Copper Mountain, Keystone, and Arapahoe Basin and offers single day tickets as well as season passes. Additionally, for those who do not have a resort season pass, users of the ski bus can buy discounted lift tickets at Loveland, Copper, and A-Basin. A season pass for the ski bus is $149 for mid-week access and $299 for 7 day a week access.
Another great deal is with Shell gas stations. Purchase 10 gallons of fuel at a participating Shell station, get your receipt stamped along with a stamped voucher, and lift tickets at participating ski areas are buy one, get one free. Last year’s participating resorts in Colorado were Copper Mountain, Crested Butte, Loveland, Monarch, Sunlight, and Winter Park.
While the Colorado Gems card is not really a season pass, it is a great deal for those who want to visit a variety of ski areas this season without having to pay ticket window passes each day. Gems cards for the 2012/13 season become available in August. In the past the Gems card has been $10 and offered 1 free ticket each to Ski Cooper and Monarch, that must be used within a specific month. The card also offers discounts and 2-for-1 deals at other ski areas.
Arapahoe Basin
Along with having A-Basin only passes, you can also have access to A-Basin with Vail Resorts passes. Currently an A-Basin only pass for an adult (ages 19+) is $299. If you buy 3 or more passes, you receive a $10 gift card with each pass. Users of the Front Range Ski Bus or Gems Card, both mentioned above, are able to buy discounted lift tickets. Passes for Vail Resorts including A-Basin cost between $419 and $659 for an adult depending on the resorts included. These passes are discussed later on in this post, under the title of Vail Resorts.
Aspen Resorts
2012-13 season passes are not yet on sale.
Copper Mountain
Copper Mountain offers discounted day tickets to users of the Front Range Ski Bus and to those who have Shell gas station vouchers.
Wells Fargo offers a deal for college students, faculty, and staff in Colorado and Wyoming where they can get a “Buy one, get one” voucher for a Rocky Mountain Super Pass (costing $469, allowing unlimited access to Copper Mountain and Winter Park/Mary Jane) when they open a checking account.
Copper’s cheapest pass is the 4-Pack which allows you to ski at Copper Mountain for any 4 days during the season. 4-Packs cost $139.
Any full-time college student with an ID is eligible to buy a Rocky Mountain Super Pass + College Pass for $359 which allows them unlimited access to Copper Mountain, Winter Park/Mary Jane, and 6 days at Steamboat. If you are not a full-time student and/or have a college ID, then Copper passes range from $369 to $469, depending on what resorts you wish to have access to.
Crested Butte
Crested Butte is included in the Shell program that I mentioned earlier in this article. A Crested Butte College Pass, which offers unlimited winter access, costs $469 if purchased before September 23rd. Mountain Cards are for sale until September 23rd and have options for one-time use, 5 days throughout the season, 1 day a week, and 12 days during the season.
An adult (non-college) pass is $1,049 if purchased by September 28th.
Echo Mountain
Echo Mountain is a part of the Gems program, mentioned at the beginning of this post. An Echo pass costs $159 and includes 3 days each at Ski Cooper and Sunlight.
Eldora
Eldora is part of the Gems program, mentioned at the beginning of this post. 2012-13 season passes are not yet on sale.
Howelsen
2012-13 season passes are not yet on sale.
Loveland
Part of the Front Range Ski Bus discounted lift ticket program, Shell gas program, and Gems card programs, all described earlier in this post. 2012-13 season passes are not yet on sale.
Monarch
Part of the Gems Card and Shell gas station programs which are explained at the beginning of this post. If you are renewing your season pass, it is $319 for students (high school and college) and adults. New passes are $329 for students and adults if purchased before July 31st and $359 if purchased between August 1st and November 4th.
Powderhorn
Part of the Gems card program, explained earlier in this post. Season passes go on sale September 1st.
Purgatory
2012-13 passes are not yet on sale.
Silverton
Season passes are on half-price sale until the end of July for $400. Price increases to $499 on August 1st.
Ski Cooper
Part of the Gems card program which I explained earlier in this post. Adult season passes are $219. Increases to $309 on October 1st.
SolVista/Ski Granby Ranch
Part of the Gems Card program, explained earlier in this post. Early season rate is $329 for an adult.
Steamboat
Boat Launch passes are $129 and are valid for any 3 days between 11/22 and 12/14. Pure Passes, valid for either 6 or 15 days, are $529 and $819 until August 15th. Starting August 16th, 6 day Pure Passes are unavailable and the 15 day pass increases to $919. For college students, Steamboat passes are $749 until August 15th and $1069 after that. Adult passes are $1069 if purchased by August 15th and $1279 if purchased after that.
Sunlight
Part of the Shell gas and Gems card programs, explained earlier in this post. $310 for college students between the ages of 18 and 22, with ID, if purchased by September 15th. $405 for adults, if purchased by September 15th. They also offer bus, powder, 5-day, 10-day, and mid-week passes.
Telluride
2012-13 passes not yet on sale.
Vail Resorts
A total of 7 unrestricted tickets valid at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, and Arapahoe Basin costs $509.
Summit Value Pass (unlimited access to A-Basin and Keystone with restrictions on Breckenridge): $419
Epic Local Pass (Unlimited access to A-Basin, Keystone, and Breckenridge with 10 restricted days to use between Vail and Beaver Creek): $509. Epic Pass (Unlimited access to Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, and Arapahoe Basin): $659
Winter Park
Part of the Shell gas station program, explained at the beginning of this post.
$149 for a Winter Park 4-Pass.
$369 for an adult Winter Park/Mary Jane pass.
$419 for an adult with unlimited access to Winter Park/Mary Jane and Copper Mountain.
$359 for a college pass with unlimited access to Winter Park/Mary Jane and Copper Mountain, with 6 days at Steamboat.
$469 for non-students for unlimited access to Winter Park/Mary Jane and Copper Mountain, with 6 days at Steamboat.
Wolf Creek
$33 lift tickets on Locals Appreciation and College days throughout the season. Weekday passes are $403 and 7-days-a-week passes are $574 if purchased by October 9th.
Colorado Mountain College also offers classes in Avalanche Safety, which is a wise investment for all skiers and riders, but especially those planning on skiing or riding in the backcountry.
Check the tab at the top left side of the screen for updated information about ski passes.