Powder Alliance in California
Prices and access checked August 29, 2026 directly against each pass operator’s own site.
The Powder Alliance gives you three free days at every member resort when you hold a qualifying full season pass at any one of them. Six California resorts are members: Bear Valley, China Peak, Dodge Ridge, Mountain High, Sierra-at-Tahoe and Mt. Shasta Ski Park.
It is the most overlooked value in California skiing. A season pass at one small resort quietly becomes access to five more in-state, plus dozens across the West.
How it works
Buy a full season pass directly from a member resort. The reciprocal days are included — you do not apply, pay extra, or buy anything called a "Powder Alliance pass," because no such thing exists. Days are typically midweek and blacked out on holidays, and the exact terms are set by the resort issuing your pass, so read that resort’s rules rather than assuming.
One important limitation: a Cali Pass does not grant Powder Alliance days, even though all four of its unlimited mountains are members. The benefit attaches to a resort’s own season pass.
California members
| Resort | Region | Also on |
|---|---|---|
| Bear Valley | Central Sierra, Hwy 4 | Cali Pass, Indy |
| China Peak | Sierra above Fresno | Cali Pass, Indy |
| Dodge Ridge | Central Sierra, Hwy 108 | Cali Pass, Indy |
| Mountain High | Southern California | Cali Pass, Indy |
| Sierra-at-Tahoe | Lake Tahoe, Hwy 50 | Ikon (limited), Cali Pass |
| Mt. Shasta Ski Park | Far northern California | Cali Pass, Indy |
Not sure where these mountains actually are? All 28 California ski areas are plotted on the California ski resort map.
When this beats buying a multi-resort pass
You ski one mountain most of the time
This is the case where the alliance shines. A single-resort season pass is usually cheaper than the $729 Cali Pass, gives unlimited days at your home hill instead of blacked-out ones, and adds three days at each of five other California mountains. For a Dodge Ridge or Bear Valley regular, this is often the best-value arrangement in the state.
You genuinely split your season across several mountains
Three days each is not much if you want to ski four mountains twenty times. That is what the Cali Pass is for.
Worth noting: Sierra-at-Tahoe is the only Powder Alliance member in the Tahoe basin, so a season pass at any of the other five is also a quiet route to a few Tahoe days.
Powder Alliance — frequently asked questions
What is the Powder Alliance?
A reciprocal agreement between independent ski resorts. It is not a pass you can buy. If you hold a qualifying full season pass at any member resort, you get three free days at every other member resort in the alliance — typically midweek and non-holiday.
Which California resorts are in the Powder Alliance?
Six: Bear Valley, China Peak, Dodge Ridge, Mountain High, Sierra-at-Tahoe and Mt. Shasta Ski Park.
How do I get Powder Alliance benefits?
Buy a qualifying full season pass directly from one of the member resorts. The reciprocal days come attached automatically. A Cali Pass does not grant them — it has to be that resort's own season pass, and usually the unrestricted tier rather than a midweek or value pass.
Is a resort season pass plus Powder Alliance better than the Cali Pass?
It can be. If you would realistically ski one mountain most weekends, its own season pass often costs less than the $729 Cali Pass and brings three days at each of the other five California members plus dozens of resorts in other states. If you genuinely split your season across three or four California mountains, the Cali Pass wins on unlimited access.
Do Powder Alliance days have blackout dates?
Yes, typically. Reciprocal days are usually midweek and excluded on holidays, and terms vary by resort. Check the specific rules at the resort issuing your season pass rather than assuming.
Once you have picked a pass
Find the mountains it covers, then somewhere to sleep near them.
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