The Indy Pass Is Your Key to Crowd-Free Skiing This Winter
Fish notes that the Indy Pass is perfect for those who might travel for a ski vacation, as well as for those that live within driving distance of a number of the resorts. For those who want to ski weekly, or multiple times per week, he says some customers use Indy Pass to supplement a season pass to a local resort—the good news here is that anyone who has an unlimited season pass to any single Indy ski resort gets a 30 percent discount on the larger pass.
If you’re thinking about scooping up an Indy Pass, or want a sense of where you might be able to use one, consider the below our guide to the best independent ski resorts in North America, all of which are part of Indy Pass. (Most of these resorts open early- to mid-December for the season, weather pending—keep an eye on their websites for the best info on opening dates, and note that they do have a habit of shifting.)
Brundage Mountain Resort, McCall, Idaho
Located in the high peaks of west-central Idaho, Brundage Mountain Resort was the first to join the Indy Pass, jumpstarting what would become a major player in the season ski pass world. In addition to the 1,920 acres of in-bounds terrain, Brundage offers guided backcountry skiing via SnowCat on 18,000 acres, guaranteeing untracked, powder-filled runs that skiers and riders spend seasons searching for.
The best bet for lodging and dining is in the nearby town of McCall. Shore Lodge, which overlooks the glacial waters of Payette Lake, offers a number of lake-view suites and spacious standard rooms with a modern mountain lodge feel.
Powder Mountain, Eden, Utah
For those in-the-know, Powder Mountain represents the pinnacle of downhill skiing in North America. With nearly 8,500 acres of skiable terrain, the resort is larger than nearby Park City and even Whistler. Technically, much of Powder’s terrain is accessible only by SnowCat, hiking, or snowmobile, meaning knowledge of backcountry travel is required to ski it. But with limits on both season and day passes combined with over 500 inches of powder annually, finding fresh tracks from one of their nine lifts is rarely a problem.
