Following a steady trend of escalating lift-ticket prices across the Rocky Mountain West, Sun Valley Resort has announced that a full-day, adult lift ticket during peak season this winter will cost $69, $2 more than last year.
While paying nearly $70 for a day of skiing or snowboarding might seem steep to some, Sun Valley's price remains lower than those at several well-known mountain resorts in Colorado.
Aspen Skiing Co., which controls four lift-served mountains around Aspen, Colo., this winter will charge $78 for a full-day, adult lift-ticket, up $4 from last year.
At Breckenridge, Colo., a high-season full-day ticket this winter will cost $75.
Sun Valley's peak-season price is also lower than that of its primary regional competitor, Jackson Hole Resort, in western Wyoming. A full-day, adult lift ticket at Jackson Hole during the 2005-2006 season will cost $70.
However, as stiff competition reigns in the Western ski industry, most ski resorts are offering discounts and fewer skiers and snowboarders are paying the premium price for a full-day lift ticket.
Sun Valley is no exception. Through Oct. 16, the resort is offering discounts on several popular mountain passes and lift-ticket packages.
Sales of lift passes for the upcoming 2005-2006 ski season will commence on Monday, Oct. 3, at Sun Valley's main ticket office in River Run Lodge, at the base of Bald Mountain.
Adult season passes will be sold this year for $1,875 each, a $25 increase from the 2004-2005 season-pass price. However, if purchased by Oct. 16, the passes will be sold at a $100 discount, for $1,775 each.
The resort's popular 20/20 ski pass—a package that permits 20 days of peak-season skiing and 20 days of combined early- and late-season skiing—will be sold for $850 each, $25 more than last year. 20/20 passes will also be sold with a $100 discount through Oct. 16, reducing the cost to $750 each.
The 20/20 Unlimited Pass—which permits ski-lift access at Sun Valley for any 20 days in the early and late seasons plus any 20 days during the peak season, which starts on Dec. 19 and runs through April 1—will cost $1,250. The pass is not subject to blackout dates during winter holidays or restrictions that limit the number of days per week it can be used.
The Early-Late Season Pass, a pass introduced last year that permits unrestricted mountain access during Sun Valley's designated early and late seasons—this year will cost $125.
The Alpine/Nordic Season Pass—which allows full access to Sun Valley's alpine ski mountains and Nordic ski facilities—will sell this year for $2,000, the same price as last year. It will also be discounted $100 through Oct. 16.
Other passes available for purchase starting Oct. 3 include:
· Student season pass: $360
· Dollar Mountain adult season pass: $210
· Dollar Mountain child season pass: $125
· Season discount pass: $150 (not available after Dec. 18)
· Weekend discount card: $40
Sun Valley's Bald Mountain is scheduled to open for skiing on Nov. 24, Thanksgiving Day. Early season is scheduled to last through Dec. 18, while the resort's late season is set to last from April 2 to the final day of skiing—typically in late April.
Sun Valley Resort has also announced a new service it will offer this winter on Bald Mountain. The "Ski Barn," a new 800-square-foot facility at River Run Plaza, will provide resort guests with free ski, snowboard and pole storage, for part of a day or overnight. Skiers and snowboarders not staying at one of the resort's hotels can also use the service for a small fee.
For more information, visit the resort's Web site, www.sunvalley.com.
