So Great It's Epic

Lindsey Vonn has hers. Do you have your Epic Pass for the 2010-2011 season? Time is ticking down to save on one deal the skier or snowboarder in you doesn't want to miss when the snow falls next winter.

You have until May 31 to score one of the best, and unrestricted, ski/ride passes available, locked in at spring prices and only requiring a $49 deposit. And if you buy or renew your pass by the end of the month, you're also entered into an Epic Pass Summer Getaway Sweepstakes. I never win contests but the thought alone of having a chance to escape to Vail, Beaver Creek, Heavenly, Keystone or Breckenridge is motivation enough for me.

But the summer sweepstakes isn't the only reason to get jumping on an Epic Pass. For $599 you get unlimited skiing at six resorts--Vail, Beaver Creek, Heavenly, Keystone, Breckenridge and Arapahoe Basin--from November through April with zero black-out dates or restrictions. Or for $449, go for the Epic 7-Pack, seven days of unrestricted skiing perfect savings for those week-long winter escapes. Or if you head to Colorado to ski but never make it to Vail or Beaver Creek, and you know that trekking to Tahoe is out of the question, simply save with the $409 Summit Pass for unrestricted and unlimited skiing at Breckenridge, Keystone, Arapahoe Basin.

Think these deals couldn't get any better? Think again. Last month Vail Resorts sweetened the Epic Pass even more and made it possible for pass holders to ski year round by adding access to Argentina's Las Lenas from June through October. Once the California and Colorado resorts close in April, Epic Passers don't have to put their skis into storage until November. Instead they can twiddle their thumbs until June and then flock south to Argentina to ski Las Lenas. The catch is staying at one of the selected hotels--Piscis Hotel, Escorpio Hotel, Aries Hotel, Villa Capricornio or Acuario Hotel--to get the free skiing. But that just means adding another ski trip to the calendar right? Click here for more details on that deal.

Sure, skiing and snow might be the last thing on your mind, at least if you're as far enough removed from ski country as I am, but it's well worth it to think snow for this purchase. You'll be thankful when the winter chill returns and you want--and need--an outdoor activity. Logo grabbed from snow.com.