About this episode
This podcast hit paid subscribers’ inboxes on Nov. 25. It dropped for free subscribers on Dec. 2. To receive future episodes as soon as they’re live, and to support independent ski journalism, please consider an upgrade to a paid subscription. You can also subscribe to the free tier below: What Indy Pass is a newcomer to the NYC media circuit, hosting their inaugural gathering at an airy venue hard by the Hudson River. Part of the agenda was this short panel that I moderated, featuring the leaders of four Indy Pass partner mountains. Who * Erik Mogensen, Director, Indy Pass * Steve Wright, President & General Manager, Jay Peak , Vermont * Rob Goodell, Senior Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, Loveland , Colorado * David Severn, Owner, White Pass , Washington * Geoff Hatheway, Owner & President, Magic Mountain , Vermont Recorded on October 23, 2024 About Indy Pass Indy Pass has collected 230 partners. The pass gets you two days each at 222 of them and discounts at the other eight. The pass is no longer on sale for the 2024-25 ski season, but there are baseball-game hotdogs that cost more than this thing. About the ski areas JAY PEAK, VERMONT Stats: 2,153 vertical feet | 385 skiable acres | 347 inches average annual snowfall LOVELAND, COLORADO Stats: 2,210 vertical feet | 1,800 skiable acres | 422 inches average annual snowfall WHITE PASS, WASHINGTON Stats: 2,050 vertical feet | 1,402 skiable acres | 400 inches average annual snowfall MAGIC MOUNTAIN, VERMONT Stats: 1,500 vertical feet | 205 skiable acres | 130 inches average annual snowfall What we talked about Jay isn’t remote for everyone; Magic’s black quad odyssey; PNW snow quality; why you’ve probably seen Loveland even if you’ve never skied it; Loveland Valley’s origin story; why Jay joined Indy Pass when it could have joined any pass; why White Pass’ new owners stayed on Indy Pass after purchasing it; and what finally convinced Loveland to join Indy. Podcast Notes On the original Indy Pass announcement Indy Pass’ website popped live sometime in March 2019, with a list of under-appreciated mid-sized ski areas concentrated around the Pacific Northwest. The roster grew rapidly prior to the start of the season, but even this would have been a hell of an offering for $199: On Loveland Valley Loveland is home to a little-noticed terrain pod known as Loveland Valley. With a quad, a double, and a set of carpets, this segmented zone essentially serves as a separate, beginners-oriented ski area. On The Storm’s Indy Pass/Jay Peak exclusive Somehow, I scored an exclusive on the news that Jay Peak would join Indy Pass in 2020. I was also able to record a podcast with Wright in advance of the announcement. This was a huge moment for The Storm , turning hundreds of new subscribers onto the newsletter and forging a relationship with one of the most important mountains in New England. On Hatheway being one of my first interviews Hatheway was one of the first guests on The Storm Skiing Podcast , and one of the first to agree to join me on the show. That was an incredible gesture, as I had published zero episodes when I made the request. Here’s the conversation: What I got wrong * I said that Magic “failed a couple of times” before current ownership acquired it. The ski area only completely closed once, from 1991 to 1997. The ski area then fumbled through two decades of near-failures, including a derailed attempt to form a co-op, until Ski Magic LLC took the keys in 2016. Read the full saga at New England Ski History . * I said that it took Magic “four or five” years to install the Black Quad. The full timeline is closer to six years. Stratton removed their Snow Bowl fixed-grip quad following the 2017-18 ski season (replacing it with a high-speed quad). I’m not sure when exactly Magic, just 13.6 road miles from Stratton, took delivery of the lift, but the goal was to get it spinning as the new Black lift by the 2019-20 ski season. After a series of construction delays, engineering problems, and global emergencies, the quad finally started spinning in February of this year. The Storm explores the world of lift-served skiing year-round. Join us. The Storm publishes year-round, and guarantees 100 articles per year. This is article 80/100 in 2024, and number 580 since launching on Oct. 13, 2019. Get full access to The Storm Skiing Journal and Podcast at www.stormskiing.com/subscribe