Snowbasin Resort has switched allegiances.
The ski area near Ogden will team up with Ikon Pass for the 2022-23 season, it announced Thursday. That news comes after the independently owned resort spent the past two seasons partnered with Vail Resorts’ Epic Pass.
Snowbasin’s sister resort in Idaho, Sun Valley, will also make the switch. The length of the contract and other terms of the agreement are private, according to a Snowbasin spokesperson.
“We are excited to start a new partnership program for the 2022-23 season,” Bruce Fery, the CEO of Grand America Hotels & Resorts, the parent company of both resorts, said in a press release. “As we continue our legacy as two premier independently owned and operated U.S. ski resorts, we look forward to welcoming Ikon Pass and Mountain Collective Pass Holders and providing the legendary experience for which Sun Valley and Snowbasin are known.”
Both resorts ranked in the top 10 of Ski Magazine’s annual reader survey. Snowbasin came in at No. 8, while Sun Valley was No. 1 for the second straight year. Snowbasin was the only Utah ski area featured on the Epic Pass this season aside from Park City Mountain Resort, which is owned by Vail Resorts.
The maximum unrestricted days included at either Snowbasin or Sun Valley is seven for full Ikon Pass holders. The Ikon Base Pass Plus includes five days of holiday-restricted access. No automatic access is given to regular Ikon Base Pass holders.
Anyone who buys a Snowbasin Premier Platinum pass — a new offering this season — will also receive an Ikon Base Pass. That pass allows restricted access to more than 40 resorts around the world, including Utah’s Solitude and Snowbird.
Alta Ski Lifts, which previously combined with Snowbird to allow limited days to Ikon Base Pass holders, will now be accessible only to Base Pass Plus and full Ikon Pass holders. Though owned by Alterra Mountain Company, Deer Valley Resort also is excluded from the entry-level Ikon Base Pass, as are Aspen Snowmass in Colorado, Jackson Hole in Wyoming, and Sun Valley.
Snowbasin’s Premier Platinum pass now costs $1,499 for an adult (ages 27-64), compared to $1,049 without the Ikon Base Pass add-on. For a young adult, the prices are $1,149 and $749. Platinum Pass holders also can access Snowbasin for the remainder of the 2021-22 season once their pass is paid for in full.
Snowbasin and Sun Valley also will join the Mountain Collective pass program, which provides two days at each resort in the collective with no blackout dates. Last season, Alta and Snowbird were among its 23 resorts.
The early season pricing for an adult Ikon Pass is $1,079 ($979 for renewals). An adult Base Pass costs $769 and the upgrade to the Base Pass Plus costs $200 more. Pass sales begin Thursday, March 10.
Solitude, which is owned by Alterra, also will begin selling its resort-specific passes March 10, it announced Thursday. Among those are its Solitude-only midweek pass ($399), which allows access Monday to Thursday with some holiday blackouts, as well as its young adult (ages 13-22, $459) and child passes (ages 5-12, $239).
“Utah-based skiers and riders are the core community and the beating heart of Solitude,” resort president and COO Amber Broadaway said in a news release. “Our youth teams show us the future of skiing and snowboarding, and for locals with the flexibility to visit on off-peak days, we are excited to offer a very affordable option. We are glad to welcome our community to rediscover the classic Solitude experience with our revamped Midweek pass.
“As a proud inaugural destination on Ikon Pass, we look forward to 22/23 and welcoming skiers and riders from across Utah and beyond, however they choose to access Solitude,” Broadaway said.
Alta’s passes are expected to go on sale in May. Utah’s other resorts have not yet announced their 2022-23 season pass pricing or details.
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