The Apex thread

Thought you would have added yourself to the list @sly_karma, being a local and all
Beerman and family is still tossing up SS or Apex/Manning Park etc. Will see who has the goods mid-late Jan.

 

Apex got any snow?

 

passes locked and loaded, Jan 8-24. Crystal clan.

 

@sly_karma : has there been much talk about the Indy Pass? I just realized that Apex is on it. A friend got Indy to check out Castle when she flies to Calgary for a late season trip. I know of someone in Washington State who plans to hit Apex and Castle on a driving ski trip.

I won't use Indy outside my home region this season. Got one because it was the first multi-resort and multi-regional pass to include the U.S. southeast and mid-Atlantic since it was announced before Vail Resorts added Peak Resorts locations to Epic. At US$199 for 2 days at each location, it was an easy decision.

 

That's true of a lot of mountains on the Indy Pass. One idea behind the Indy Pass is to encourage folks to explore a new mountain that they may or may not have heard of before.

In some ways, the Indy Pass is a collection of regional multi-resort passes. With the advantage of being overseen by a life long skier who has a lot of experience marketing skiing and ski resorts. Doug Fish and his marketing company got Subaru started on the idea of co-marketing with ski resorts. Initially in the Pacific Northwest but spread to other regions. Recently Fish retired in order to have more time for projects like the Indy Pass. He'd been thinking about the idea since 2017 and had more than enough contacts in the ski industry to come up with a viable business plan and roll out. The list has gone from about 20 ski areas to 46 as of Dec. 4, 2019, with two added this week. The goal was 25 in the first season and 50 by the second. Might make 50 for 2019-20. Been fascinating to watch the list grow since June.

Nov. 30, 2019, NYSkiBlog interview
Doug Fish and Birth of the Indy Pass

 

We have Mission Ridge in WA season passes and hence Indy Pass benefits. I love Apex so a cheap deal is always an incentive to head there. And the wineries. And Sly

 

I'm a little confused. The Indy Pass is a separate purchase for about US$200 from a season pass. Although a few places are offering Indy at a discounted rate. Mission Ridge is also on the Powder Alliance, which provides 3 free days at Alliance locations. That list includes Castle, but not Apex. A couple Indy locations in the east are also part of the Freedom Pass, which works like the Powder Alliance for a different list.

The difference from a business perspective is that the Indy Pass has a small cost to join, but brings in revenue to a ski area each time it's used. So it not only provides marketing outside the local region, it also can produce lift ticket revenue.

 

no crowds. excellent long groomers. some really good trees and the odd steep. there's lots of little hidden shots that you need to ski there a lot to know about. And Wenatchee is a fun town for the weekend

Also doesn't need much snow. if midway base in 20 inches, the whole mountain is skiing well. If it's 30, you can do anywhere.

 

yay...hope they don't bomb the base off the week before we arrive.

 

sitting in airport..... On our way

 

sensational @sly_karma good to see the resort is sorting things out for us . We will arrive on Wed night, after diner as we have a drop off at the airport on the way. I think Pedro is not far behind us on the 15th for a good ski.... hope you will be arriving on the weekend with obligatory food in tow...you will be hung if you don't by the ratbags.

Big White has turned on the goods and we are getting good snow over here, anyone coming up soonish will love the snow base and conditions. Got the freezing rain here the other night too and then had dust on crust the next day.... stayed on the groomers. Today was great skiing although moist with freezing googles which made it hard...hence the pub stop and hockey watching, it did now heavily in the afternoon. I believe more weather is on it's way in the next day or so.

 

@sly_karma
I see Apex is on the Indy Pass.
https://www.indyskipass.com/
I'll be heading to the Okanagan area next Christmas. For US $239 you get two tickets a bunch of resorts. If I used two days at Apex I would only need to use two days at another hill nearby to make it worth while. From what I can tell the ski resorts on the pass in the general vicinity are 49 Degrees North, Silver Mountain, Mission Ridge. Have you been to any of those? Worth visiting?

 

I know people (very good skiers) who have skied at those three hills and had fun for a day or two at each.

 

We have arrived more pics to come I am sure.

 

It's 9am and I have seen one lonely skier walk across the car park

 

Pretty normal for Apex.

 

I know them all rather well. We are Mission season pass holders and ski 49 and silver every year. If you check out my old blog on wordpress you'll find lots of posts, esp on Mission with pics. Silver probably further from Apex, other two are kinda in the same area. Kinda .... recommend all 3 as long as you are not looking for a Vail like experience (eg fast lifts and crowds!!)

Questions - fire away. Off to Mission this weekend

 

Great info. So many options around Okanagan area and a bit further east and south.
I think I'll book in somewhere over Christmas and then wing it from there.

Edit - at what point in the calendar would you suggest there is enough cover for decent skiing at the Mission, 49 and Silver? End of December? Or later?

 

ScrApex today: -10C today, felt the cold and I reckon it was -20C at the top of the quad...and -200C on the triple....wow it was cold on there.

Overall the conditions are pretty good, lots of wind blown stashes so fresh tracks all day, still soft off the groomers and nice and crisp underfoot. Loving it and not looking forward to the cold to come next week.

 

In normal years end december is super safe. Usually all skiing well before Xmas. This year it's basically now. Not normal ...

Great thing is no advance booking needed at any. For Mission you stay in Wenatchee with tonnes of choices. 49 only has about 3 hotels in Chewelah, and apart from probably between Xmas and NY, no one there. Can stay in Colville too - not too far.

Silver had base condos but there are tonnes of them so usually availability there or at one of the 3 or 4 local hotels in Kellogg

All deserted midweek - just check, think 49 and silver may close for a day or two?

We might go to 49 next weekend. Not booked anything

 

SkyRun here is not bad as they have a large selection in many buildings. Have found it easier to do word of mouth and get a contact base happening though

 

Fantastic info. Thanks.
Obviously Apex is good for at least a couple of days but the other three? I assume there’s enough to keep a family of four advanced intermediates (who unrealistically aspire to be experts) interested for two days?
That Indy Pass deal is awesome.

 

If your driving past in the next day or so......it's amazing up here. Boot deep fresh tracks all day, lots of wind blown and lovely soft bumps you can just push. More than enough to keep aspiring peeps amused.

 

Can’t wait to be there in 2 weeks.
I am currently in air flying home after being in Hobart to bury my father in law who passed suddenly on 2/1.
**** I need a ski and a whiskey

 

Yessssssssssssssssssssssssssss

 

Sly made me cry today..... Wildside glades. Knee deep snow.

 

Easy 2 days at each. i ski about 20 a year at Mission and don't get bored. Like all hills, there's lots of local knowledge - much of the good stuff is not on maps, or obvious from maps. Mission especially has some killer hidden stuff in the trees and 49 has endless tree lines.

 

Cold again this morning but no wind, hopefully the quad is running for a few runs, will send one of the kids on a mission and look.

 

1 run to coffee and cinnamon bun. -22C still a little fresh. Found newly arrived Pedro in the bar life is good.

 

Much to his disgust, we have invited him to dinner tonight....he'll have to leave the bar for that.

 

Well another successful ski.com.au dinner held after he was rescued from the bar.

 

Apex today was amazing, lots of new snow, crisp and lots of wind blown and -10C. Triple chair was closed so we had to earn some of those turns and walk back to the quad after skiing sensational powder at 12:00... no lines down some runs. Epic day.

 

Crazy day with @copakid today

 

-5C this morning in the village and warming during the day...very balmy. I must say I do prefer conditions at -10C. Lovely on the groomed a little slick off the sides and on the wind blown. Made for a wonderful slick and fast day.