A-Basin Joins Ikon Pass, 6 Months After Dropping Epic

Arapahoe Basin Ski Area announced Friday that it's joining Alterra Mountain's Ikon Pass, six months after separating from Vail Resorts' Epic Pass.

Ikon Pass holders now have access to six ski areas in Colorado and 40 around the world.

Holders of the higher-level Ikon Pass will have full access to the resort for seven total visits, but other passes will have some restrictions. The Ikon Base Pass will let people access the mountain a total of five times with some blackout days.

A-Basin left their partnership with Vail Resorts in February. Chief Operating Officer Alan Henceroth said that's because the ski area's boom in popularity led to overcrowding, especially on weekends and holidays.

"We've been looking to find the sweet spot to run our business and that includes what kind of pass products we have and what kind of partnerships we have," he said. "We think by being a restricted part on this pass is really going to take the edge off those peak periods."

Those restrictions will lessen pinch points in parking and facilities during high traffic days, Henceroth said.

"They're going to have a lot more elbow room to move around," he said.

When A-Basin was part of Epic Pass, they did not have such restrictions, according to Henceroth.

Here's what each pass gets you:

Ikon Pass Resorts in Colorado

• Winter Park
• Copper Mountain
• Eldora Mountain
• Arapahoe Basin
• Aspen Snowmass
• Steamboat

Epic Pass Resorts in Colorado

• Vail
• Beaver Creek
• Breckenridge
• Keystone
• Crested Butte Mountain
• Telluride

The move has made some A-Basin regulars unhappy.