but it really isn't a gamble. Vail resorts basically invented passing off the risk of a bad season to pass holders. While prices at the ticket office are indeed insane, pass prices are very reasonable (like you have to go up 4 times to make a pass worth it). Most the people going early and late season are pass holders. There is no incentive for vail to really put much work into opening more terrain since they have already obtained most the income before the season even started. Pretty genius really.