Alta Ski Area's "Ski Free After 3" program has been so successful the Little Cottonwood Canyon resort is now launching a reduced-cost late-afternoon pass.

The $30 pass will allow skiers to venture anywhere on the mountain from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., said resort spokeswoman Connie Marshall. Holders of an "Alta Card," which allows lift tickets to be purchased online, can get the afternoon pass for $25.

Marshall said the new pass was inspired by public support for Ski Free After 3, now in its 12th year of letting people — often beginners — ride the Sunnyside lift for free after 3 p.m.

"Once skiers feel comfortable on the easier runs off Sunnyside lift," she said, "they now have an option to move to more challenging terrain and to become real Alta skiers."