When you're a destination skier—someone who must travel considerable distance to go skiing—choosing between the Epic Pass and the Ikon Pass is the decision that maps out an entire winter. It's the most important call a skier makes prior to a season, and the decision, for most, should be an obvious one.

What I’m going to say here is something that I’ve long believed but not written about explicitly: The Ikon Pass is simply better. Ikon resorts, as a whole, have better terrain, better snow, and fewer crowds. Yes, the Ikon is more expensive, but that $200 difference is well worth it.

There is one major caveat: Telluride, which we will cover later.

Putting Telluride Aside: Why Ikon Dominates Epic

The top of the lineup at Ikon dominates that of Epic:

• Jackson Hole: unmatched terrain, a unique setting, and fewer crowds than mainline Epic resorts.
  
• Aspen: the town might be pretentious, but the skiing is superb, with Aspen Mountain, Highlands, and Snowmass offering excellent experiences with limited crowds.
  
• Alta and Snowbird: the best snow in North America paired with some of the best terrain.
  
• Big Sky: a riveting setting in Montana’s Rockies, with endless blue runs and unique expert terrain off Lone Peak and its tram.
  
• Deer Valley: best resort food in skiing and a luxurious experience that outshines every other resort.
  
• California: the best mountains in the state, from Mammoth to Palisades Tahoe (though both see significant weekend crowds and are best avoided during such times).

Aspen Highlands isn't available to those with the Epic Pass. Sad.

On the other side, the Epic lineup is plagued by crowds in central Colorado and Utah. Even Epic’s resort with the best terrain, Whistler, is a logistical challenge and among the most crowded in the industry. Vail-owned Park City has become a zoo since the merger of PCMR and The Canyons; the skiing was never that compelling (I lived there for three winters), and the overall experience has degraded.

Epic’s relatively low price is designed to snag cost-conscious buyers (read: young people who have a lot of time to ski). It's a strategy that works. But Epic's Colorado core—Keystone, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Vail—is quite close to Denver, which leaves those slopes consistently clogged with Epic Pass holders.

Crested Butte has remained a better bet for Epic skiers since it’s farther out, but even it has seen increased traffic since its acquisition by Vail. For destination skiers who don’t call Colorado home, there are few compelling reasons to buy the Epic Pass and ski these mountains overwhelmed by local traffic.

On the Ikon side in Colorado, it’s true that Winter Park, Copper, A-Basin, and Steamboat can get crowded, but they maintain lower skier loads compared to Epic’s central Colorado lineup. And the Ikon Pass has Aspen, which, at just 100 minutes farther than Beaver Creek, offers a far superior skiing experience for those willing to drive a bit longer.

As mentioned, the Epic Pass does have Telluride in Colorado, but its great distance from Denver—a seven-hour drive on a good day—makes it function almost like it’s in a different state. Telluride sees scarce weekend traffic from Denver; it’s simply too far for a casual trip.

Vail has its charms, but many of them disappear on the weekends.

As for Telluride, it’s the only reason for destination skiers to buy an Epic Pass, and it's a pretty good one. Telluride offers a singular experience; it ranks No. 2 here because it’s a goddamned magical place:

• It’s the No. 1 ski town in North America, offering an unmatched vibe and ambience.
• Its terrain is superlative, with some of the best in-bounds runs anywhere (Senor’s, Palmyra Peak @13,310’).
• It boasts the best scenery and vistas of any North American ski resort.
• Snow preservation is phenomenal, lasting well into late March.
• It offers the best food of any ski town in North America, helping secure its No. 1 ranking.
• It has no crowds, almost ever.

If you’re not going to Telluride, and you don’t live in a place where owning the Epic Pass is a must because of your local mountain (Park City, Whistler, Vail, Crested Butte), then don’t buy an Epic Pass.

There’s a reason Vail Resorts is paying Telluride what we’ve heard is $125 per scan of the Epic Pass, which is a richer deal than any other Ikon or Epic pass partnership. Vail had to pony up to retain Telluride because it’s the only partner Vail has left that drives pass sales—and pass sales are the primary driver of Vail Resorts’ stock price.

Ikon vs. Epic: The Bottom Line

The mountains on the Ikon Pass have always had the edge, but their advantage has grown more acute as the age of the megapass matures. Resorts on both sides have been losers here (Alta and Snowbird among them on the Ikon side), but the carnage has been much worse for Epic Pass mountains.

Alterra continues to charge more for their Ikon Pass compared with Vail's Epic. They think it's the better product, and they're right.