It is no secret that Utah’s 2018-19 ski season will be remembered for great snow, but mostly for mind-boggling traffic jams, no parking and no seating at any of the resort restaurants. This problem is caused by the Epic and Ikon passes that have given people all over the nation special deals at multiple Utah resorts.
I’d like to offer a solution that doesn’t require massive new road construction. For the Cottonwood Canyon resorts (Alta, Snowbird, Brighton and Solitude) I ask that you follow the lead of Arapahoe Basin Ski Resort in Colorado.
For next season, Arapahoe will stop accepting the Ikon and Epic pass. Their management determined that the resort simply doesn’t have the infrastructure to support the huge crowds these passes bring. Neither does Alta and Snowbird.
Our canyons, particularly the Cottonwoods, are not conducive to massive crowds. Even The New York Times commented that their outdoor reporter was caught in a two-hour traffic jam in Little Cottonwood and decided to go to Colorado instead.
So, Alta and Snowbird, are you more interested in counting bills at the end of the day, or providing a great ski experience for your loyal customers who have spent lifetimes at your resort?
If you quit the Epic and Ikon passes, your parking lots will still be full, but we won’t see the lunacy we have seen this season.
Give your loyal customers a break. Drop the Ikon and Epic passes. The solution is simple. They have ruined Park City and they threaten to ruin your resorts.
J. Kevin Bischoff, Salt Lake City