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SALT LAKE COUNTY -- When you see snow in the mountains, it's hard not to think about ski season.
Utah's ski resorts say they're doing better than expected when it comes to season passes, though not as well as last year. But there is one super secret pass that is still for sale.
"This is the super secret granddaddy of all passes," says Nathan Rafferty, director of Ski Utah.
Rafferty gets a gleam in his eye when he talks about the Gold Pass. In fact, the pass is almost as exciting to him as the first snowfall.
| Resort | Opening |
|---|---|
| Alta | Nov. 20 |
| Beaver | TBA |
| Brian Head | Nov. 21 |
| Brighton | Nov. 16 |
| The Canyons | Nov. 27 |
| Deer Valley | Dec. 5 |
| Park City | Nov. 21 |
| Powder Mountain | Nov. 28 |
| Snowbasin | Nov. 26 |
| Snowbird | Nov. 21 |
| Solitude | Nov. 13 |
| Sundance | Dec. 11 |
| Wolf Creek | TBA |
The Gold Pass costs $3,400. It allows you 40 days of skiing a year for each resort. The best part is you can transfer the pass to a friend on any day you know you won't be skiing.
Only 120 Gold Passes are available every year, and this year, unlike past years, there are still plenty left.
"With economic conditions the way they are, a couple of people dropped out of this list," Rafferty says.
However, regular season passes seem to be selling well.
"It sounds like they're really strong. Resorts are reporting that season pass sales are mostly on par with last year, which was a record for most of them," Rafferty says.
It was for Solitude, which plans on being the first ski resort to open this ski season. They're planning day one for Nov. 13.
"Hopefully, we'll have at least a few runs and a lift or two going," says Nick Como, with Solitude Mountain Resort. "We're not sure yet. It just depends on how cold the weather stays."
As for the Gold Passes, Ski Utah says there are still about 20 of them left for sale. [CLICK HERE to get your Gold Pass]
E-mail: jboal@ksl.com
