The 2017-18 Mountain Collective pass features 16 ski destinations spread across North America and even down to Australia and New Zealand. For residents of northern California, the $449 pass can easily more than “pay for itself” with just a pair of trips within the state. Then the savings can continue to rack up when they venture far and wide.
Mountain Collective 2017-2018 Pass Now Available For $449
Each Mountain Collective passholder receives two days at each destination, plus a third day at one chosen destination. Any additional lift tickets can be purchased at half of the single-day window rate. While Tahoe resorts Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows are considered one “destination,” Mammoth Mountain—located a few hours south of Lake Tahoe—is a different destination with at least two more days on the pass.
Southern California skiers and boarders can also take advantage of some fine print for the Mammoth Mountain “destination”. The Mountain Collective gets you access to the entire Mammoth family of resorts: Mammoth Mountain, June Mountain, Snow Summit, and Bear Mountain. This means longer trips to Mammoth and short jaunts to Bear Mountain or Snow Summit are a good way to take advantage of the pass benefits.
PHOTO CREDIT: Mammoth Resorts / Mountain Collective
Crunching The Numbers
Scenario 1: One Squaw/Alpine & one Mammoth trip for one adult
Single adult plans to take a three-day trip up to Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows. This skier also wants to ski for two days at Mammoth farther south. When buying the Mountain Collective Pass, the skier chooses Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows for the bonus third day. (Traditional comparison figures are 2016-17 regular-season online rates with multi-day discounts where available. Considering the traditional lift-ticket prices will likely go up next season, the actual savings will probably be slightly greater than this calculation.)
Mountain Collective Pass: $449
Total: $449
Squaw/Alpine Lift Tickets (3 days): $372
Mammoth Lift Tickets (2 days): $261
Total: $633
Scenario 2: Four Southern California ski trips for one adult
Single adult living in southern California plans to take two three-day trips up to Mammoth Mountain. This skier also wants to stay closer to home for two weekend trips to Bear Mountain and Snow Summit. When buying the Mountain Collective Pass, the skier chooses Mammoth for the bonus third day. (Traditional comparison figures are 2016-17 regular-season online rates with multi-day discounts where available. Considering the traditional lift-ticket prices will likely go up next season, the actual savings will probably be slightly greater than this calculation.)
Mountain Collective Pass: $449
Mammoth 50% Single-day Rate (3 days): $216
Bear 50% Single-day Rate (2 days): $88
Snow Summit 50% Single-day Rate (2 days): $88
Total: $841
Mammoth Trip 1 Lift Tickets (3 days): $301
Mammoth Trip 2 Lift Tickets (3 days): $301
Bear Lift Tickets (2 days) $144
Snow Summit Lift Tickets (2 days) $144
Total: $890
PHOTO CREDIT: Mammoth Resorts / Mountain Collective
Scenario 3: One Squaw/Alpine & one Mammoth trip for family of four
Family of four (two adults and two children ages 12 and under) plans to take a three-day trip up to Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows. This family also wants to ski for two days at Mammoth. When buying the Mountain Collective Pass, each member of the family chooses Squaw Valley/Alpine Meadows for the bonus third day.
Mountain Collective Pass (Parent 1): $449
Mountain Collective Pass (Parent 2): $449
Mountain Collective Pass (Child 1): $99
Mountain Collective Pass (Child 2): $99
Total: $1,096
Squaw/Alpine Lift Tickets (3 days): $1,194
Mammoth Lift Tickets (2 days): $690
Total: $1,884
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