I remember when the Indy Pass was first introduced. It was a miraculous idea. Instead of being backed by a large public company beholden to shareholders, it was a “co-op.” The focus has always been on keeping skiing affordable, accessible, and supporting the Mom-and-Pop operations. Since the beginning, each fall has brought a fresh crop of ski areas joining the revolution. For the 2024/25 season, more than 30 have made the leap. Here’s a rundown of the ones we’re personally excited about.
Put Their Money Where Their Mouth Is
The big two claim they are “saving skiing” but have they actually purchased any closed resorts? I can’t think of any. In its short five-year history, the Indy Pass has helped reopen ski areas like New York’s Hickory Ski Center, which is similar to Mad River Glen. It also prevented Black Mountain in New Hampshire from shutting down. Meanwhile, Indy Pass continues to support small ski areas during this period of consolidation, all while ensuring the slopes remain uncrowded.
Bad News First
Even with more than 174+ downhill ski areas to visit, you still need a flagship ski area (or two) to look forward to. For the Indy Pass, there are a few notable options, such as Jay Peak, but one of those was Powder Mountain. As of today, it seems they will not be renewing. This is understandable given the new direction they’re taking this year. The other area leaving is Mt. Ashland. In the end, having only two ski areas leave is impressive and shows how much resorts value being part of the pass.
All About “Love” in Colorado
One market that’s been difficult for the Indy Pass to break into is Colorado and rightly so. There are a few that have joined such as Sunlight but many of the independent ski areas there, such as Monarch and Wolf Creek, are doing incredibly well on their own. And for the larger ones, they’re part of the big two. It’s exciting to see Loveland Ski Area join the pass. It is one of the first ski areas I visited in Colorado, and I still have fond memories of it. Loveland is always in the running to be one of the first to open and one of the last to close, sometimes staying open into May.
Tahoe Gets One More (Or Tahoe-Adjacent)
Another region that’s been tough to break into is the group of Lake Tahoe ski areas. I couldn’t be more excited to hear that Bear Valley is part of it. It’s so close to Kirkwood that you can see it from the top if you look southward. I’ve heard many good things about Bear Valley from friends, including Alex and Natalia from the Dodov Foundation. With a similar storm track to Kirkwood, unique terrain, and fewer crowds (especially mid-week), it’s been on our hit list for years. This winter, we will make a point to visit. Combined with Dodge Ridge and China Peak, this part of the Sierra could be considered “Tahoe’s Indy” coalition.
Europe Gets in on the Action
Our good friend at One Life to Ski spent an entire winter in Europe and returned with rave reviews of European skiing. Some quick highlights include better food, improved infrastructure, and not being stuck in gridlock for hours. One notable area that’s been added in Europe is the “Innsbruck Resorts.” On paper, it may not seem significant, but there are TWELVE ski areas included.
One standout among these ski areas is Axamer Lizum, a freeriding mecca. While many of Europe’s ski areas have been struggling with high snow levels, Axamer Lizum isn’t among them. Its high base (5,183 feet above sea level) usually guarantees full snow coverage throughout the season. When the snow does fall, the predominantly north to northeast-facing terrain retains its quality.
The new European resorts are as follows:
- Baqueria Beret, Spain
- Innsbruck Resorts, Austria (12 resorts)
- The Snow Centre, England (one of the indoor ski centers in the UK)
- Trafford City Snow Centre, England (another indoor ski center)
- Mala Upa, Czech Republic
More JAPOW Please
We’ve had the good fortune to explore the Indy Pass Japan resorts when they first joined, and we can tell you that these places are worth the flight. It could be argued that for powder hounds, the Indy Pass resorts are even better than the larger destinations because they have less competition.
The newest additions for the October release are in two major prefectures: Niigata and Gifu. Both of these regions are near Nagano, so you can use that area as your base camp. As we highlighted in “10 Things I Wish I Knew Before Skiing in Japan,” snowfall here is all about wind direction. Your best bet is to book a trip with a local guide and let them show you where it’s snowing in Japan. We used Japan Ski Tours and can’t say enough good things about them.
- Cupid Valley Ski Resort, Niigata
- Dynaland Ski Resort, Gifu
- Hirugano Kogen Ski Resort, Gifu
- Ninox Snow Park, Niigata
- Takasu Snow Park, Gifu
- Washigatake Ski Resort, Gifu
- White Pia Takasu Ski Resort, Gifu
- Yuzawa Nakazato Snow Resort, Niigata
Before you book your trip, we HIGHLY recommend reading our Tips, Tricks, and Lessons Learned – Guide to Skiing in Japan.
Need more Coaxing?
If you’re trying to put together a West Coast powder road trip on the Indy Pass, here’s one that we’ve created for the Pacific Northwest.
