Get paid to ski this winter. Select Ikon Pass holders can earn resort credit just for showing up

The Hoodoo Express Grand Opening at Deer Valley Resort. Photo: TownLift//Randi Sidman-Moore

The credits can be used at participating on-mountain restaurants, retail shops and rental locations. In Utah, those include food, beverage, retail and rental outlets at Deer Valley and Solitude.

PARK CITY, Utah — The operator of two Utah ski resorts is offering select Ikon Pass holders financial incentives to ski this winter, as warm temperatures and historically low snowpack have slowed the season across much of the West.

Alterra Mountain Co., which owns Deer Valley Resort and Solitude Mountain Resort, is offering eligible Ikon passholders $20 in credits for each day they ski at a U.S. Ikon destination through Feb. 25, according to an email sent to some passholders. The offer is capped at three days, for a maximum of $60 in credits.

The credits can be used at participating on-mountain restaurants, retail shops and rental locations. In Utah, those include food, beverage, retail and rental outlets at Deer Valley and Solitude.

The incentive comes as ski areas contend with one of the weakest early seasons in decades. Limited snowfall has reduced visitation and spending tied to lodging, dining and retail, which typically drive significant resort revenue.

Alterra’s largest competitor, Vail Resorts, reported earlier this season a 20% decline in skier visits through Jan. 4 compared with the same period a year earlier. CEO Rob Katz said the slow start is expected to weigh on earnings, with full-year resort EBITDA now projected to come in below earlier expectations due to the weak snow year.

According to the email announcing the promotion, mountain credits will be deposited into eligible Ikon accounts by March 6 and must be used by May 31. Passholders must register for the offer to qualify, and Alterra did not confirm whether all Ikon passholders are eligible.

In Utah, credits may be redeemed at multiple locations, including Snow Park Restaurant and The Brass Tag at Deer Valley, and Moonbeam Lodge and Stone Haus Pizzeria at Solitude. The credits are also valid at participating businesses at Ikon resorts in other states, including Mammoth Mountain, Palisades Tahoe, Crystal Mountain, Sugarbush and Stratton.