Local skiers/snowboarders have a price advantage over visitors — if they choose to take advantage.
By purchasing before the snow falls, Utah residents are allowed to buy season and daily passes at discounted rates.
What's involved is a little pre-planning by picking a resort or resorts for the 2010-11 season, then checking out available options.
Those buying locals pre-season passes and tickets will need to prove they are residents of Utah.
To see all the available passes, check the individual resort websites:
Alta: An adult season pass this year is $1,099, a midweek pass $899 and a pass for youths ages 7 to 12 is $229. Alta's preseason sale has ended. An adult day will be $69. www.alta.com.
Beaver Mountain: A season pass for adults is $445, for students $270 and for children 6 to 11 it's $285. Prices will go up after Sept. 15. An all-day pass for adults will be $40. www.skithebeav.com
Powder Mountain: There were 72 season passes available on Tuesday at rates of $750 for adults, $1,860 for family (2 adults, 2 children) and $200 for kids kindergarten through 12th grade. When all 72 are gone, prices will go up. An adult daily pass this year will be $59. www.powdermountain.com
Snowbasin: Buy before Oct. 3 and an adult season pass is $975, a midweek adult pass $550 and a book of 10 passes $500. After Oct. 3 an adult season is $1,100 and midweek $650. Discount cards offering $12 off a day pass are on sale through Dec. 12. An all-day pass for adults will be $66. www.snowbasin.com.
Brighton: An adult season pass is $849 until Oct. 31. A student pass is $499 and a youth pass $299. After Oct. 31, prices will go up $100. A book of 10 passes is $450. An adult day pass will be $62. www.brightonresort.com.
The Canyons: A silver adult season pass is $999 until Oct. 15, when it will go up to $1,299. A midweek pass is $799, then go up to $999. A Cherry Picker book of five passes is $219 and a book of 10 is $509. Day-pass prices are not available yet. www.thecanyons.com.
Snowbird: Buy before Sept. 15 and a book of 10 to 15 passes is $53 for each pass, a book of 20 to 35 passes is $51 for each pass and a book of 40 or more is $49 for each pass. Passes are sold in increments of five. A transferrable Ten-2-Share pass, available until Nov. 1, is $529 and then will go up to $579. An adult day pass will be $72. www.snowbird.com.
Solitude: Skiers and snowboarders can build their own season pass this year. The basic one-day midweek pass is $279. Add additional midweek days for $89, Fridays for $139, Saturdays for $379 and Sundays for $229. A book of 10 passes is $44 per pass. This offer is good through Oct. 31. An adult day pass will be $68. www.skisolitude.com.
Sundance: An adult season pass is $429, and will be $529 after Oct. 31. A junior pass is $149 when purchased with an adult pass. An adult day pass will be $47. www.sundanceresort.com.
Deer Valley: An adult season pass is $1,630 when purchased before Oct. 31, then it will go to $1,910. A child's pass ages 4 to 12 is $410 then to up to $480. A book of 10 passes for adults is $580 and includes two buddy passes. The buddy passes allow holders to buy a pass at the $58 rate during the season. First-time buyers have until Nov. 30 to buy. Past buyers can purchase the books anytime. An adult day pass will be $90. www.deervalley.com.
Park City Mountain Resort: An adult season is $1,299, which will include Fast Track, underground parking and night skiing, through Oct. 31. Buying just the adult pass is $699. A youth pass with Fast Track and night skiing is $375. The day pass alone is $125. A book of 10 passes is $540. www.parkcitymountain.com.
Wolf Creek: This season a family pass (2 adults, 2 children) is $655 and an individual adult pass is $280. An adult day will be $26. www.wolfmountaineden.com.
Brian Head: An adult season pass is $479. For $839 get an individual pass and a buddy pass. A pass for children kindergarten through 12th grade is $219. An adult day pass this season will be $54. www.brianhead.com.