For the past week, I've had to listen to Season Pass holders complain in the chair lift lines about Squaw's "$400" Season Pass. Purportedly in celebration of its 60th Anniversary Squaw Valley is offering season passes "starting at $369." Or perhaps its meant to bolster ticket sales and user days. Maybe.
There was no way Alpine Meadows and its owners, JMA, could not respond to Squaw's gauntlet-tossed challenge. On Tuesday I listened to a Director on at Alpine Meadows tell a couple of steamed Season Pass Holder's, "Just hold on - just wait and see..." Well, at closing yesterday Alpine Meadows slapped back.
Alpine Meadows / Homewood Passes for next year will start at $299. The breakdown looks like this:
Sunday-Friday, Holiday Blackouts:
Alpine - $299, Squaw - $369
All week, Holiday Blackouts:
Alpine - $429, Squaw - $469
All week, Unlimited
Alpine - $649, Squaw - $949-$1499, depending on the perks
Bottom line: Alpine gives equal or better value for the "Midweek" or "Unlimited" passes, but Squaw gives a better value for the All Week with Blackouts (although Squaw appears to have more blackout dates than Alpine).
Of course, I'm biased. So take this with a grain of salt. But I was predicting this as soon as Squaw made its announcement. Glad to know I was right, eh?
