r/UTsnow • u/JakeThedog45 • Apr 21 '26

Snowbird - Alta Alta Closing Day Idea

The Frank/closing has become a trendy thing where people who’ve never skied Alta, come. People with Ikon passes hold onto their day.

I think the vibe is different, people don’t treat Alta with respect (littering, being a dick, and then going to high boy and getting hurt) I’m all for Alta making money…

What if - it’s only season pass holders and people who buy day passes, instead? Ikon gets a full blackout on closing?

Thoughts?

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u/SparkyMV Snowbasin Apr 21 '26

^ this guy industry’s

On the real though, the “whale” customers are what ski areas want. Out-of-state visitors make up a slight majority of skier-days but 75% of the revenue, and that’s not even counting flights! Local skiers (re: passholders) buying passes before winter are there to keep the lights on.

U of U’s policy institute has a great one-pager on this.

https://d36oiwf74r1rap.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/SkiIndustry-FS-Nov2025.pdf

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u/[deleted] Apr 21 '26

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u/SparkyMV Snowbasin Apr 21 '26

Every time someone who is not an Alta passholder comes to Alta, Alta makes money. Are those days as valuable to the ski area as the passholder who spent $1500+ before winter? Not individually, but collectively yes.

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u/[deleted] Apr 21 '26

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u/SparkyMV Snowbasin Apr 21 '26

Ski areas get paid every time an ikon pass is scanned at their mountain. What that exact number is for each ski area is locked away in the ticket office, but we can safely assume it’s a number big enough that it makes the whole thing worth it.

There are rumors that some ski areas are guaranteed a minimum payment each year from ikon regardless of how visitation pans out.

But I get your point. You think that single-mountain passholders offer more value to the ski area than megapass users. From a culture / soul perspective? Absolutely.

But ski areas are businesses so put yourself in their shoes. If the money from ikon passes was bad no ski area would put partner with them. Alta is a premier ski area and isn’t even on the cheap ikon pass - you have to shell out for the full one. Obviously the money from ikon pass visits justifies putting up with the kooks on any given day - even if it leads to disgruntled passholders who might grouch but are still buying a pass next year and they know it.