The reservation system opened Tuesday morning, allowing guests to secure spots at resorts for the upcoming season where they are required.
People with the Ikon Pass and Ikon Base Plus Pass have access to a handful of days at Deer Valley, but for the first time this winter, reservations will be required. Reservations are also needed at other Ikon resorts, including Brighton, Jackson Hole, Aspen Snowmass, and Big Sky.
The reservation policy applies to all Ikon products.
Deer Valley spokesperson Christine Spinkston recommended skiers make reservations in advance, especially for holidays and weekends. Cancellations must be made by 11 a.m. MT on the day of the reservation to avoid a penalty, which could result in reservation restrictions.
Reservations can be made, modified, or canceled through the Ikon Pass website.
Ikon passholders with access to Deer Valley will be able to participate in a number of first tracks sessions, where skiers are allowed on the mountain early at 8:30 a.m.
According to Peak Rankings, reservations for top resorts begin to fill up in the fall.
Jared Smith is the president and CEO of Alterra Mountain Company, which owns Deer Valley and distributes the Ikon Pass. He recently talked with the Storm Skiing podcast about the industry’s pricing model of season passes and high priced single day lift tickets.
“The people who come the most, we’re going to charge them the least, and the people who we’re trying to get to join for the first time, we’re going to charge them the most - that to me, it’s not a sustainable model,” Smith said. “We’re gonna have to find a way to reconcile that. We definitely want to continue to make it cheaper overall and give people incentive to buy passes, and that’s worked incredibly well for the industry. I think it’s been nothing short of industry changing, and thanks to products like Epic and Ikon for doing that. But we have to find a way to balance that against the cost of entry into the sport overall.”
A season pass to Deer Valley is listed at nearly $2,900, which is over $1,600 more than the Ikon Pass.
