Featured Image: Courtesy of Alterra Mountain Company
It’s been a busy summer for Alterra Mountain Company with its acquisition of Solitude Mountain Resort in Utah in June, partnerships with Thredbo in Australia, Taos Ski Valley, The Summit at Snoqualmie in Washington, Cypress Mountain in British Columbia, Boyne Highlands and Boyne Mountain in Michigan, Niseko United in Japan and now its most recent announcement of plans to acquire Crystal Mountain Resort in Washington state. This acquisition brings a total of 14 iconic mountain destinations across North America under the company’s umbrella and expands Alterra’s reach to the northwest corner of the country.
“With the addition of Crystal Mountain Resort in Washington, we are able to expand our reach into the Pacific Northwest and offer our guests incredible experiences in the Cascade Mountains, while also giving Crystal Mountain Resort skiers and riders the opportunity to explore all the other premier destinations on the Ikon Pass,” said Rusty Gregory, chief executive officer of Alterra Mountain Company in a press release. “Crystal Mountain is Washington’s premier resort and has been a favorite year-round destination for those in the greater Seattle-Tacoma area for years, and we are excited to include it in the Alterra Mountain Company family.”
Crystal Mountain Resort sits on the northeast edge of Mount Rainier National Park, less than a two hour drive from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Home to the largest and highest lift-serviced terrain in the state, Crystal Mountain boasts a 3,100-foot vertical drop across 2,600 skiable acres and an impressive average annual snowfall of 486 inches.
“It has always been my goal to ensure Crystal Mountain Resort be taken the farthest in the shortest amount of time in order to keep Crystal at the top of Northwest skiing,” said John Kircher, owner of Crystal Mountain Resort in that same press release. “Alterra Mountain Company is able to offer a depth of experience and resources, as well as inclusion on the Ikon Pass with its outstanding destinations throughout the world. The mountain sports business has changed more in the last year than I have seen it change in my entire 40-year career, and I am excited to see what lays ahead.”
With the transaction expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2018, Crystal Mountain Resort will be available on the Ikon Pass at the start of the 2018-19 season with unlimited access and zero blackout dates on both the Ikon and Ikon Base Pass.
