BROOMFIELD, Colo. -- As Labor Day weekend nears, now is the time to lock in the most savings on Vail Resorts season passes for the 2012-13 season.

The Tahoe Local Pass remains unmatched in value, price and experience with access t0 more than 263 trails, 14 terrain parks and 10,270 acres of some of the best terrain in the world at Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood in California and Nevada. Ski or ride more than four days in one season and, priced at $419, the Tahoe Local Pass pays for itself, then ski or ride for free the rest of the season.

Vail Resorts’ entire season pass lineup offers something for every type of skier and snowboarder, including four different season pass options in Lake Tahoe ranging in price from $379 to $659. These pass prices are only guaranteed through September 3, 2012.  

“Vail Resorts’ season pass line-up offers the best value in the industry as we soon head into the 2012-13 winter season,” said Kirsten Lynch chief marketing officer of Vail Resorts. “With the addition of Kirkwood Resort, Lake Tahoe skiers and snowboarders can now access Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood Resorts on one pass. Plus, the Tahoe Local Pass now gives our guests access to all three world-class resorts on Saturdays. ”

Following is a guide to help skiers and snowboarders choose the best season pass options for skiing and riding Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood in California and Nevada and Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin in Colorado, based on where they live and how much they plan to ski and ride. All passes are available for purchase at www.epicpass.com.

• New for 2012-2013, the Tahoe Local Pass™offers skiing and riding seven days a week to Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood resorts. It includes access on Saturdays at all three resorts with limited holidays restrictions. $50 pass holder tickets are also available for purchase during blackout dates at Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood all for $419. The Tahoe Local Pass pays for itself in just over four days.

• Tahoe Value Pass™, available for $379, pays for itself in less than four days and is ideal for people who plan to ski or ride seven days a week at Heavenly and six days a week at Northstar and Kirkwood. The Tahoe Value Pass has holiday restrictions to Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood with Saturdays excluded at Northstar and Kirkwood. Pass holders can purchase access to Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood Resorts on restricted days for $50 per day.

• The Epic Pass™, the best season pass deal in the ski industry offering unlimited, unrestricted skiing and riding at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Heavenly, Northstar, Kirkwood and Arapahoe Basin is available for $659. It pays for itself in less than six days.

·         Epic 7-Day™ pays for itself in less than five days and is ideal for people who don’t plan to ski more than seven days. The Epic 7-Day gives skiers and snowboarders a total of seven unrestricted days of skiing at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Heavenly and Northstar, plus Arapahoe Basin anytime during the season for a price of $509.

EpicMix and EpicMix Photo: Revolutionizing Your On-Mountain Experience at Vail Resorts

Vail Resorts’ award winning and popular ski and snowboard application EpicMix, launched during the 2010-2011 season providing skiers and riders with hands- and hassle-free tracking of vertical feet skied, number of days skied and digital pin accomplishments thanks to a RF-enabled chip embedded in smart card passes. This past season, Vail Resorts launched EpicMix Photo which allows Vail Resorts guests to take their own photos or get their photos taken and combine them with their vertical feet, digital pins and memories of other special moments of their visit through the EpicMix platform and share them socially for free on Facebook and other social sites. Additionally EpicMix also expanded its program to nearly all skiers and snowboarders guests last season through an upgrade to "smart" RF-enabled lift tickets. For more information and to watch a video of EpicMix, visit EpicMix.com.Vail Resorts is also hard at work to launch EpicMix for the 2012-2013 season at Kirkwood Resort.

Season Pass Insurance Option: Protect Your Pass Investment in the Event of an Unexpected Circumstance
Vail Resorts encourages its guests to purchase pass insurance. All of its pass products are non-refundable. However, pass insurance covers pass holders in the event of unexpected circumstances including sickness, injury and job loss. Pass insurance is $20 for adults and $10 for children (ages 5-12). Coverage applies for all season passes and the Epic 7-Day valid for the 2012-2013 ski and snowboard season. For more information, visit www.epicpass.com.

Special Pass holder Benefits
The Epic Season Pass, Epic 7-Day, Epic Local Pass, Summit Value Pass, Tahoe Local Pass and Tahoe Value Pass purchasers will receive exclusive offers and promotions on lodging, dining, ski rentals, equipment, ski school and special events for the 2012-2013 ski and snowboard season.

For more information about Vail Resorts season passes or to purchase a pass online, visit www.epicpass.com.