The most significant takeaway from the Feb. 22 announcement of the terms and prices for Alterra Mountain Company’s new $899 Ikon Pass is that Steamboat Ski Resort, the business that has defined Steamboat Springs’ identity as a destination resort for 50-plus years, is part of a group of mountain resorts that is well prepared to go toe to toe with Vail Resort’s industry-dominating Epic Pass.

That said, for most dedicated local skiers, the new pass is a huge plus. It’s difficult not to like a 22 percent price decrease for a season pass, combined with unlimited  access to nearby Winter Park and Copper Mountain, along with access to some of the greatest ski mountains in the country. Winter Park’s steep mogul runs will offer Steamboat skiers a change of pace, and Copper stands to lengthen the ski season at the front end of most winters.

Still, competing with Vail and its magnificent mountain just down the highway from Steamboat, not to mention Whistler/Blackcomb, which is on every skier’s bucket list, may be a bigger deal.

Read more at Steamboat Today.