Arapahoe Basin Ski Area’s ongoing effort to reduce the number of skiers on the mountain is bucking ski industry trends.
Summit County’s oldest ski area announced Friday that it would reduce the number of season passes it sells by 10% in an effort to preserve its “culture and vibe.”
While some Colorado ski areas have opted to partner with Alterra Mountain Co. or Vail Resorts and open their mountains to unlimited skiing and riding for Epic or Ikon passholders, A-Basin has taken steps back from the mega pass trend over the past two seasons.
Looking ahead to next season, the ski area will limit the number of lift tickets sold each day and cap the number of available season passes at 90% of what was sold this season. As part of the change, all tickets must be purchased online and in advance — no lift tickets will be sold on-site — and the ski area anticipates selling out of weekend lift tickets on a regular basis.
“We know pretty clearly when things start to get a little too busy, so we’re really focused on just trying to get just up to that threshold without getting too busy,” Henceroth said. “And we think we can really do that with … reduction in season pass numbers and limiting lift ticket sales on a daily basis.”
