Skiing

Alaska’s Alyeska Resort joins Ikon Pass collective of ski resorts

Alyeska Resort said Thursday that it’s joining the Ikon Pass collective of ski resorts for the 2023-24 season, adding the Girdwood ski area to an array of options available to holders of the multi-resort pass.

The inclusion of Alyeska on the Ikon Pass is likely to make it a more attractive destination to pass holders, potentially boosting resort visitation by out-of-state skiers and snowboarders.

On its webpage dedicated to Ikon Pass information, Alyeska Resort described the new partnership as “a huge win for skiers and snowboarders, and for our community.”

“With increased visitation to Alyeska, we aim to bolster winter tourism to Girdwood and Alaska,” Alyeska Resort said on its site. “This means increased job opportunities, more overnight guests staying in town and subsequently more leisure spending in the local bars, restaurants and shops around our community.”

Erik Forsell — CEO of Alterra Mountain Company, which counts Ikon Pass as one of its properties — said in a prepared statement that they “are thrilled to expand into Alaska and invite the Ikon Pass community to discover Alyeska Resort.”

Social media users reacted to the news swiftly Thursday, with some raising questions about resort infrastructure, parking and overcrowding — issues that have emerged at other Ikon Pass resorts in the Lower 48. (In a few cases, some ski areas, such as Jackson Hole in Wyoming and Aspen Snowmass in Colorado, have chosen to manage overcrowding by requiring Ikon Pass holders to make reservations.)

Alyeska Resort, which is owned by the independent Canadian hospitality company Pomeroy Lodging, addressed some of those topics in the FAQ portion of its Ikon Pass webpage. The resort said it plans to guide Ikon Pass holders to stay at the Hotel Alyeska and “use our transportation service partners to help manage traffic to Girdwood.”

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On the potential for overcrowding, Alyeska said on its website: “The truth is the area is growing whether we like it or not and our goal is to manage the growth, so the place, the feel and the vibe don’t change. Being a partner on the Ikon Pass just gives us the opportunity to invite skiers and riders from other places to come enjoy all that is Alyeska.”

[Alyeska Resort adds mountaintop aerial walkways to its repertoire]

The top-tier Ikon Pass, which costs $1,159 before April 21, offers unlimited access to 15 resorts in Colorado, California and other locations with no blackout dates, plus another seven days each at another 40 ski areas worldwide, including Alyeska.

Other options where blackout dates do apply include the Ikon Base Pass — unlimited access to 14 resorts, plus another five days each at 34 select destinations, including Alyeska — and the Session Pass, good for two, three or four days at Alyeska and 39 other ski areas. College, military and nurse discounts are available on Ikon Passes.

None of the Ikon Pass options include unlimited riding at Alyeska Resort. For that, skiers and snowboarders can pay $999 for early-bird pricing through May on Alyeska’s own adult season pass. A cheaper option is the midweek season pass, good for use Mondays-Thursdays and currently priced at an early-bird adult rate of $399. Military and college student discounts are available on Alyeska passes.

For comparison, a single-day lift ticket on a weekend day cost $119 at Alyeska this season.

The Ikon Pass announcement comes on top of a series of changes in recent years at the resort, including the launch of the Nordic Spa in 2022 and the planned opening of its mountaintop aerial walkways this July.

Alyeska Resort boasts over 1,610 skiable acres, over 70 named trails and the longest double black diamond run in North America.

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