Chasing Powder


My Quest to Visit Every Mountain


These days, most ski passes cost a fixed amountβ€”usually a lotβ€”but they allow you to ski basically as much as you want. I view this as a chance to minimize my daily cost and come as close to skiing for free as possible.

So I ski a lotβ€”this season (2024) I visited 14 destinations and amassed 28 days on the slopes. I spent $1,862 on an IKON pass and individual lift tickets, so my average daily rate was $66.50. My IKON daily rate was $56! Not terrible, but now I have numbers to beat for next year.

To help this effort, I’m embarking on a quest to visit ALL of the resorts on the common passes. Here’s how I’m doing:

2024 – 2025 Season Update: 6 destinations, 13 days, $1250 spent on IKON Base pass plus = $96.15/day. Even though I moved to Colorado, I failed to beat last years rate. I got a new job that made it hard to ski weekdays, and I spent several weekends out of the country, away from the mountains.

IKON Resorts [20/59]

NameVisited?DatesTerrain ParkOff-TrailOverallNotes
USA – ROCKIES
ALTA SKI AREAβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
ARAPAHOE BASINβœ…1/13/2024N/AN/AN/ABad weather
ASPEN SNOWMASSβœ…3/11/2020N/AN/AN/AConcussion lol
BIG SKY RESORTβœ…3/22/2024β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†
BRIGHTONβœ…2/16/2024β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†
COPPER MOUNTAINβœ…Manyβ˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†Best terrain park.
DEER VALLEY RESORTβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
ELDORA MOUNTAIN RESORTβœ…2/2/2024β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜†β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†Best park for quick laps.
JACKSON HOLE MOUNTAIN RESORTβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
SNOWBASINβœ…2/2,4/2025β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜†β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†
SNOWBIRDβœ…Manyβ˜†β˜†β˜†β˜†β˜†β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†
SOLITUDE MOUNTAIN RESORTβœ…Manyβ˜†β˜†β˜†β˜†β˜†β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†
STEAMBOATβœ…Unknownβ˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†
TAOS SKI VALLEYβœ…2/22-23/2025β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜†β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†Icy bluebird day.
WINTER PARK RESORTβœ…Manyβ˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…Favorite mountain?
USA – EAST
BLUE MOUNTAIN RESORTβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
CAMELBACK RESORTβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
KILLINGTON – PICOβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
LOON MOUNTAINβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
SNOWSHOE MOUNTAINβœ…3/11/2020β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜†β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜†β˜†β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜†Halted by covid.
STRATTONβœ…12/15/2023β˜†β˜†β˜†β˜†β˜†β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜†β˜†β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜†β˜†Early season.
SUGARBUSH RESORTβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
SUGARLOAFβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
SUNDAY RIVERβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
WINDHAM MOUNTAIN CLUBβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
USA – MIDWEST
BOYNE MOUNTAINβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
THE HIGHLANDSβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
USA – PACIFIC NORTHWEST
ALYESKA RESORTβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN RESORTβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
MT. BACHELORβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
SCHWEITZERβœ…3/14/2024β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†
SUN VALLEYβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
THE SUMMIT AT SNOQUALMIEβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
USA – WEST
BIG BEAR MOUNTAIN RESORTβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
JUNE MOUNTAINβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
MAMMOTH MOUNTAINβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
PALISADES TAHOEβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
SNOW VALLEYβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
CANADA – EAST
BLUE MOUNTAINβœ…3/11/2018N/AN/AN/ADon’t remember.
TREMBLANTβœ…3/11/2016N/AN/AN/ADon’t remember.
CANADA – WEST
CYPRESS MOUNTAINβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
PANORAMAβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
RED MOUNTAINβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
REVELSTOKE MOUNTAIN RESORTβœ…3/3-5/2024β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜†β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…Best powder run.
SKIBIG3 – Banff Sunshineβœ…3/7,9/2024β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…Best views.
SKIBIG3 – Lake Louiseβœ…3/8/2024β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜†β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†Got lost OOB lol
SKIBIG3 – Mount NorquayβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
SUN PEAKS RESORTβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
INTERNATIONAL
GRANDVALIRA RESORTS ANDORRAβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”Andorra
MT BULLERβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”Australia
THREDBOβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”Australia
KITZBÜHELβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”Austria
VALLE NEVADOβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”Chile
CHAMONIX MONT-BLANC VALLEYβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”France
DOLOMITI SUPERSKIβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”Italy
ARAI SNOW RESORTβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”Japan
NISEKO UNITEDβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”Japan
CORONET PEAKβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”New Zealand
THE REMARKABLESβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”New Zealand
MT HUTTβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”New Zealand
ZERMATT MATTERHORNβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”Switzerland

Epic Resorts [5/55]

NameVisited?DatesTerrain ParkBackcountryOverallNotes
USA – ROCKIES
VAILβœ…Β―\_(ツ)_/Β― N/AN/AN/ADon’t remember.
BEAVER CREEKβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
BRECKENRIDGEβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
KEYSTONEβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
CRESTED BUTTEβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
TELLURIDEβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
PARK CITYβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
USA – WEST
HEAVENLYβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
NORTHSTARβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
KIRKWOODβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
STEVENS PASSβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
CANADA
WHISTLER BLACKCOMBβœ…2/22-24/2024β˜†β˜†β˜†β˜†β˜†β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†Best gondola.
CANADIAN ROCKIESβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
FERNIE ALPINE RESORTβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
KICKING HORSEβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
KIMBERLY ALPINE RESORTβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
NAKISKA SKI AREAβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
MONT-SAINTE ANNEβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
STONEHAMβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
USA – NORTHEAST
STOWEβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
OKEMOβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
MOUNT SUNAPEEβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
MOUNT SNOWβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
ATTITASH MOUNTAIN RESORTβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
WILDCAT MOUNTAINβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
CROTCHED MOUNTAINβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
HUNTER MOUNTAINβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
USA – MIDATLANTIC
LIBERTY MOUNTAIN RESORTβœ…MANYβ˜…β˜†β˜†β˜†β˜†β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜†β˜†β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜†β˜†
ROUNDTOP MOUNTAIN RESORTβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
WHITETAIL RESORTβœ…MANYβ˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜†β˜†β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜†
JACK FROSTβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
BIG BOULDERβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
SEVEN SPRINGSβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
LAUREL MOUNTAINβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
HIDDEN VALLEYβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
USA – MIDWEST
AFTON ALPSβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
MT BRIGHTONβœ…Β―\_(ツ)_/Β― β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜†β˜†β˜†β˜†β˜†β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜†
WILMOTβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
ALPINE VALLEYβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
BOSTON MILLSβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
BRANDYWINEβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
MAD RIVER MOUNTAINβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
HIDDEN VALLEYβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
SNOW CREEKβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
PAOLI PEAKSβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
INTERNATIONAL
ANDERMATT-SEDRUN-DISENTISβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
CRANS-MONTANAβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
PERISHERβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
FALLS CREEKβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
HOTHAMβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
HAKUBA VALLEYβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
RUSUTSUβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
EUROPEAN RESORTSβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
SKIRAMA DOLOMITIβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”
LES 3 VALLEESβŒβ€”β€”β€”β€”

Other

NameVisited?DatesTerrain ParkBackcountryOverallNotes
POWDER MOUNTAINβœ…2/3/2025N/Aβ˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜†β˜†Missed park. No crowds.

One response to “Chasing Powder”

  1. Chris: that’s a lot of sking! You might qualify as a ski bum! 

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    div>Stay safe whatever you do!

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    div>                          Unc

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