The hills will soon be calling. Now is the time to secure passes to have quick and easy access to the mountains with hefty cost-savings. There are excellent free and low-cost programs for students so parents can get inspired to take the whole family on some great winter adventures. Here is the run-down for 2022-2023 season pass information:

Epic Schoolkids Colorado Pack – FREE
The Epic Schoolkids Colorado Pack program is free for kindergarten through fifth-grade students.  It provides four days of skiing or snowboarding at each of the following resorts: Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Crested Butte.  Also included in the Epic Schoolkids Colorado Pack is a free first-time lesson and rental; it just requires booking at least two weeks in advance.
Registration for this program is open for a limited time, so don’t delay.  Passes are available at Epic Mountain Gear near Park Meadows Retail Resort. Bring your child and proof of age/school grade (report card, transcript, school ID, passport, or birth certificate) for on-site registration. You can save time by making an appointment ahead of your visit. Parents of students who need to renew a prior year pass can send an email to: epicschoolkids@vailresorts.com with parent or guardian name, parent or guardian date of birth, email address, phone number, physical address, child/children’s name, child/children’s date of birth. For more information, visit www.snow.com/epic-pass/info/EpicKids_colorado.

Epic Pass, Epic Local, Epic Day, Keystone Plus, Epic Military, and Summit Value
Ski as much as you want, whenever and wherever you want! The Epic Pass has it all. It includes unlimited access to Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Crested Butte, and Park City, Utah. Travel a bit further and enjoy Heavenly, Northstar, Kirkwood, and Stevens Pass. It even provides access to resorts in Canada, along the East Coast, in the Midwest, outside of North America and includes seven days at Telluride. The current price of a pass for adults ages 13 and older is $859 and $439 for children ages 5-12.

Epic also offers the Epic Local, Epic Day, Epic Military (active, retired, dependent, veteran), Keystone Plus, and Summit Value passes for more specific offerings and for those who have plans to ski at just one resort, only a few resorts, or for just a few days.  These passes range in price for adults, teens and children.

Epic Pass prices are set to increase on September 5, so shop early for the best deals. Visit www.snow.com to view all pass options.

Colorado Ski Country USA’s Ski
Passport Program
Students in third, fourth, fifth and sixth grades can ski or snowboard four days each at 20 participating resorts for just $59 (price is subject to change) with the third through sixth grade passport.  Participating locations are Arapahoe Basin, Aspen Highlands, Aspen Mountain, Buttermilk, Cooper, Copper Mountain, Echo Mountain, Eldora, Grandy Ranch, Hesperus, Howelsen Hill, Loveland, Monarch, Powderhorn, Purgatory, Snowmass, Steamboat, Sunlight, Telluride, and Winter Park. The passport is fully digital. Visit http://www.coloradoski.com/passport to learn more and to register. Once passports are approved, the passport holder can go directly to a participating ski area to redeem lift tickets.

Colorado Ski Country USA’s Gold Pass
The best of the best. Enjoy unlimited access to 20 of the best mountains in Colorado all season long with no blackout dates, and share it with family, friends, clients and coworkers – all for $3,500. The catch – only 100 Gold Passes are available each year. Visit www.coloradoski.com/gold-pass to learn more and to apply for a chance online.

By Elean Gersack; courtesy photos