The Indy Pass is like a breath of fresh air in a stagnant room. A pass that’s focused on the Mom & Pops. The places where you can still get a beer for $5. Ski areas with soul. The equivalent of the local diner or coffee shop in skiing & snowboarding. And we couldn’t be more excited to see that in 2021 they’re still continuing to add to their MASSIVE list of ski areas. Drumroll please… As of February 2nd, Pomerelle Mountain AND Soldier Mountain in Idaho will be joining the Indy Pass ski resorts.
Looks Like We’re Not The Only Ones
We’ll be honest. When we heard about the Indy Pass in 2019, we were a little nervous. Other multi-resort passes have come on the scene like the Mountain Collective and Powder Alliance, but they’ve seemed to flounder. Sure, they’re still around but the choice of resorts on them has waned. Could this work? The answer is a resounding yes!
725 Percent Increase In Sales
Doug Fish, the man behind Indy Pass who had foresight to know Indy Resorts are awesome, stated that in the 2019-20 season their pass accounted for 9,000 skier visits. As of February 2021, the amount of Indy Pass sales skyrocketed to over 725 percent increase in sales YOY. In addition, they’re currently tracking to over 80,000 skier visits! And that’s without a single ski area in Colorado or Tahoe!
Why Is It Becoming The Fastest Growing Pass
Ikon & Epic are focused on the “big fish.” Visitors that head out for ten days or more only account for 25% of the skier visits. The other 75% get on the slopes only four days a year. Indy Pass becomes the perfect pass for them especially that it’s $100’s and $100’s of dollars less than the cheapest Epic or Ikon passes.
Pomerelle Mountain
Alright, we’ve talked enough about why it’s become such a popular pass. Let’s get into the two newest Indy Pass ski resorts. Up first, Pomerelle Mountain. What it lacks in vertical and scary steeps, it more than makes up in quantity of snow (500 inches+ annually) and quality of grooming. Don’t believe us? Read our personal experience of riding this mountain in our article: It’s All About The Wine… Pomerelle Ski Resort. And if you’re looking for some steep n’ deep, there’s some AMAZING backcountry in the Albion Mountains near Pomerelle.
Soldier Mountain
Located in the same mountain range as the resort (i.e. Soldier Mountains), this newly acquired ski area is a true Phoenix rising out of the ashes literally. This past fall, a terrible wildfire ransacked the resort causing severe damage. The new owners had to replace everything on one of the chairlifts except the towers. Looking at the fire as a glass half-full perspective, it has also helped introduce glade skiing to the lower part of the mountain. While still a family-focused ski area, they’re focusing on unique experiences like cat skiing, overnight yurt stays, and the first time in its history, a terrain park. In addition, they listened to their guests and will now feature more groomed terrain than ever before.
If this year is any indication, be on the lookout for even more areas to join the list of Indy Pass ski resorts. Until then, it might be time to make the Indy Pass road trip a reality and sample these two new denizens on your way home.
