Winter Park announced their new “Early Up Add-On” late last week, providing skiers and riders with the opportunity to access the mountain 30-minutes before anyone else. The Early Up Add-On is available to anyone of any age, but limited quantities will be sold for both the season pass and daily add-on.
“Be the first on the mountain this season with Early Ups! You’ll enjoy 30 minutes of lift access before anyone else, which means making the most of your powder day.” – Winter Park
The additional 30 minutes of ride time applies to terrain accessible from the Super Gauge, Gondola, and Explorer lifts, but only intermediate and advanced trails will be available (this add-on is not for beginners!). Winter Park typically opens lifts at 9am on weekdays and 8:30am on weekends, but Early Up users will gain access at 8:30am on weekdays and 8am on weekends.
The season pass add-on, which can be added to a full Ikon Pass or just a local pass, is $599. Those hoping to get the early access add-on for just a day pass can expect to pay as little as $49 in addition to the price of their lift ticked, but prices increase if you don’t pre-book seven days ahead of time.
Winter Park is located around an hour and a half drive from Denver, providing riders with over 3,000 acres of terrain, 166 designated trails, 1,212 acres of off-trail terrain, and 23 lifts.
With the unpredictable nature of Colorado’s I-70 and the constant state of traffic heading into the mountains, it’s hard to say if this extra thirty minutes would be worth it. On the one hand, it means you don’t have to worry about being first in line on a powder day, you can just show up before 8 or 8:30. On the other hand, there’s a pretty good chance the traffic will keep you away from the mountain well beyond those thirty minutes if you aren’t lucky. What do you think? Is the Early Up Add-On worth it?
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Image Credit: Winter Park Resort via Facebook