Steamboat Pilot & Today

An open letter to the new Steamboat Ski Area management:
Many Colorado ski resorts offer low-cost season passes, e.g. $200 to $350; Steamboat has so far declined, noting (letter to me) that "their product does not warrant a discount." Maybe Steamboat can afford not to cater to Colorado skiers, continuing to depend on out-of-state vacationers for the bulk of its income. While I enjoy occasionally skiing at Steamboat, the "product" does not justify a cost more than triple that of nearby Colorado resorts.
For example, at Copper, season passes for my family of five cost a TOTAL of $695. During the preseason, Steamboat charged $865 for a single adult pass and $2,315 for a family of five. Copper's passes provide 10-percent discounts on meals, lessons, some lodging and up to four discounted lift tickets ($13 for kids; $40 for adults) per day per card! Steamboat passes provide skiing only.
Steamboat is a large, gorgeous mountain offering extensive and diverse terrain, especially the varied tree skiing. Copper's tree skiing is limited but it has numerous large bowls (none at Steamboat) and a greater amount of steep terrain. Copper grooms one or more trails, including expert runs, under all lifts, allowing skiers options for warming up, cruising or taking it easy at the end of the day. Steamboat, apparently, hasn't the capacity or willingness to provide that service to skiers.
Many northern Colorado skiers would willingly make the longer drive to Steamboat to avoid the interstates IF they received a value close to that offered by the central mountain resorts. If the new management can't/won't offer the same blanket, low prices as other resorts, consider following Montana's Big Sky approach a range of season ticket prices with lower ones for those who live farther away (driver's license proof of address required). Competition for in-state skiers is intense and Steamboat has not yet made any serious attempt to join that competition. Let's hope the new management is more aggressive in pursuing in-state skiers.
Garry Auld
Fort Collins