Unlimited season passes at Washington's Crystal Mountain Resort will cost $1,699 next season

Crystal Mountain Resort, one of Western Washington’s most popular winter sports destinations, announced last week that an unlimited season pass for adults during the 2022-23 season will cost hundreds more than it does now.

This season, skiers and snowboarders could buy an unlimited pass for $999. Next season, a pass will go for $1,699. Resort spokesperson Emma Brice said the price increase was made in an attempt to tamp down on overcrowding.

“Our season pass changes are in response to the increasingly overwhelming demand that Crystal has experienced over the past few years and are not related to our expansion plan,” she said in an email. “We are trying to balance the demand and provide a better guest experience.”

The expansion plan Brice is talking about is the $100 million in capital investments the resort said it will be making over the next five years. Those investments include the construction of two new lodges, a new 100-room hotel, and the addition of several hundred parking spaces.

That expansion plan — funded by the Denver-based Alterra Mountain Company, which owns the resort — is also aimed at addressing issues related to overcrowding.

“We need more space and infrastructure to support the rise in visitation stemming from the dramatic increase in the popularity of outdoor recreation in the Pacific Northwest,” resort President Frank DeBerry said in a statement. “We are ready to make some big investments in our infrastructure and uphill capacity to keep pace with the growth in our community and improve guest satisfaction.”

Overcrowding at Crystal Mountain has been a much-discussed topic in recent years.

Many point to the relatively cheap Ikon Pass, which was introduced at Crystal when Alterra purchased the resort in 2018, as the primary cause. That pass gave skiers and snowboarders unlimited and unrestricted access to Crystal and dozens of other resorts worldwide for an entire season, all for less than $1,000. Before 2018, unlimited season passes at Crystal went for about $1,200.

Next season, those unlimited passes — called the Crystal Legend Pass — will cost $1,699 for adults, and will give guests unlimited access to just Crystal. Ikon passes for adults will cost $1,079, and will give buyers access to Crystal, as well as 50 other resorts around the world, for up to seven days. Ikon Base passes will cost $769 for adults and will give buyers access to Crystal, and 47 other resorts, for up to five days.  

Those who buy the Crystal Legend Pass can add an Ikon or Ikon Base pass to their Legend pass at an additional cost, allowing them access to other resorts. There are $100 discounts for those who choose to renew a pass for next season.

Online reaction to news of the price hike was stinging.

“As a local getting to spend winters at Crystal has been one of the highlights of my life,” one user on Twitter said. “That’s where I have met my closest friends and made some of my fondest memories. It pains me deeply that my children will not be able to have that same experience because we aren’t rich.”

When asked about such criticism, Brice — the resort spokesperson — said the resort offers many cheaper opportunities for visits during the work week, when demand is lower.  She pointed to the resort’s Wild Card passes, which give guests access to the slopes for either three or five weekdays in total.

“The ski industry worldwide has experienced a dramatic rise in demand over the past several years,” Brice said. “Our goal is to provide the best skier experience possible while maintaining the balance of capacity and demand.”  

Season passes go on sale March 10.