California Ski Pass Break-Even Calculator
Prices read directly from the operators' own purchase pages on September 17, 2026 · the Cali Pass states prices increase November 1, so these figures have a shelf life — check before you buy
The most useful number here is $100. A Mountain High season pass is $629 for an adult. The Cali Pass is $729 — and that hundred dollars adds unlimited access at Bear Valley, Dodge Ridge and China Peak, plus three days each at 14 more resorts.
For a child aged 6 to 12 the gap is $20. $369 against $389. Three extra mountains for twenty dollars.
There is one case where it reverses, and it is worth knowing: if you are 75 or over and only ski Mountain High, the Cali Pass costs you $149 more — because Mountain High charges $10 for its Super Senior pass and the Cali Pass Senior+ is $159.
Work out your own cost per day
Enter how many days you actually skied last season — not how many you meant to — and what you typically pay for a lift ticket. The maths is simple and you can check it.
| Option | Season cost | Per day | vs day tickets |
|---|
The $100 upgrade, tier by tier
Both passes are sold by the same company — California Mountain Resort Company owns all four mountains. So this is a straight comparison of the same operator's two products, not a cross-brand guess.
| Age tier | Mountain High Base | Cali Pass | Cost of three more mountains |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult (23-69) | $629 | $729 | +$100 |
| Young Adult (13-22) | $579 | $679 | +$100 |
| Senior (70-74) | $579 | $679 | +$100 |
| Child (6-12) | $369 | $389 | +$20 |
| Military | $419 | $469 | +$50 |
| Age 75+ | $10 | $159 | +$149 — the one that reverses |
| Age 5 and under | $10 | 2 free with a paying adult | Cali Pass is cheaper here |
The family case is the striking one. Two adults and two children upgrading from Mountain High to the Cali Pass: $100 + $100 + $20 + $20 = $240 for a household, and the two children's share of that is forty dollars. If you have a child aged 5 or under, the Cali Pass gives you two of those places free where Mountain High charges $10 each.
Two prices the operator buries
College Pass — as low as $249
Ages 18 to 25, listed well below the main tiers on the Cali Pass page and easy to miss entirely. At $249, ten days works out at $24.90 a day across four mountains. We have not found a cheaper route to this much California terrain. Check eligibility with the resort.
Mountain High at 75+ — $10
Mountain High's Super Senior pass is $10, processing fee included. That is not a typo and it is not a day rate. If you are over 75 and Wrightwood is your mountain, nothing else in California comes close — and the Cali Pass is a $149 step backwards.
What each pass costs per day
This is just the price divided by the days. No assumptions required.
| Days skied | Cali Pass $729 | Mountain High $629 | Cali child $389 | College $249 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | $243.00 | $209.67 | $129.67 | $83.00 |
| 5 | $145.80 | $125.80 | $77.80 | $49.80 |
| 8 | $91.12 | $78.62 | $48.62 | $31.12 |
| 10 | $72.90 | $62.90 | $38.90 | $24.90 |
| 15 | $48.60 | $41.93 | $25.93 | $16.60 |
| 20 | $36.45 | $31.45 | $19.45 | $12.45 |
| 30 | $24.30 | $20.97 | $12.97 | $8.30 |
The day you break even
Against a day ticket at a given price, this is the day the pass pulls ahead.
| If a day ticket costs… | Cali Pass breaks even on day | Mountain High breaks even on day |
|---|---|---|
| $60 | 13 | 11 |
| $70 | 11 | 9 |
| $80 | 10 | 8 |
| $89 | 9 | 8 |
| $100 | 8 | 7 |
| $120 | 7 | 6 |
| $140 | 6 | 5 |
| $169 | 5 | 4 |
Two reasons this table flatters passes, and nobody says so.
One: break-even maths compares a pass against the window rate, and almost nobody pays the window rate. Advance-purchase and midweek tickets are materially cheaper, which pushes your real break-even further out than the row you just read.
Two: it assumes you ski the days you planned. A warm November, an injury or a busy winter at work all cut the number down, and the pass is paid for in September. Use the days you actually skied last season, not the days you intended to.
What the Cali Pass actually includes
| Included | Terms |
|---|---|
| Bear Valley, Dodge Ridge, China Peak, Mountain High | Unrestricted access, no blackout dates |
| Powder Alliance | 3 days each at 14 more destinations |
| Buddy tickets | 50% off non-holiday weekdays, 40% off weekends and holidays · 10 per season, 1 per day, off full-price adult tickets |
| Lodging | 30% off multi-night, 20% off single night at Bear Valley and China Peak · Sun-Thu, non-holiday, subject to availability |
| Food and retail | 10% off food and non-alcoholic drinks · 10% off non-sale retail |
| Passholder Assurance | $50 to defer your pass to 27/28 if you cannot use it — return it to your home resort by December 1, 2026. One rollover only |
Benefits apply to Adult, Young Adult, College, Senior 70-74 and Military passes, and are redeemable only at the four owned mountains. Holiday periods for the buddy-ticket tiers are December 26-31 2026, and January 1-2, January 15-17 and February 12-14 2027.
What it does not cover, stated plainly by the operator: the Cali Pass is not valid at Mammoth, and it is not valid at the Big Bear resorts — Snow Summit, Bear Mountain or Snow Valley. For those you want Ikon. See the full pass comparison and our Cali Pass guide.
If Big Bear is your mountain, this is the wrong pass
Big Bear sits on Ikon, not the Cali Pass, so it is a separate calculation — but the day-ticket numbers are worth having, because they are the ones most Southern California skiers are actually weighing.
Big Bear Mountain Resort publishes 2026-27 adult day tickets from $89 to $169 depending on the date. Against that:
| Days at Big Bear | At $89 (off-peak) | At $169 (peak) |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | $267 | $507 |
| 5 | $445 | $845 |
| 10 | $890 | $1,690 |
| 15 | $1,335 | $2,535 |
| 20 | $1,780 | $3,380 |
For scale: $729 of Big Bear skiing is about eight off-peak days, or a little over four peak days. If you ski there more than eight or so times a season — or mostly on holidays and weekends — a pass is very likely the cheaper route. Compare against Ikon pricing, not the Cali Pass, which will not get you through the gate.
Our Big Bear vs Mountain High comparison covers the mountains themselves rather than the money.
Buy before November 1
The Cali Pass page carries a plain notice: prices increase November 1, 2026. Mountain High says all 26/27 season passes will be mailed in October.
This is the uncomfortable part of pass economics. You have to commit before the season starts — which is exactly when you know least about how it will go. Last season several California resorts missed their announced opening dates by two weeks or more, and only two Tahoe resorts were running lifts at Thanksgiving. The Passholder Assurance deferral, at $50, is the only hedge on offer, and it has to be exercised by December 1.
Our early-season guide covers which resorts can realistically open on time and which are gambling.
Ski pass break-even — frequently asked questions
How many days do you need to ski to break even on the Cali Pass?
At the 2026-27 adult price of $729, the Cali Pass works out at $145.80 a day over five days, $72.90 over ten and $48.60 over fifteen. Whether that beats day tickets depends on what you would otherwise pay. Against an $89 ticket you break even on the ninth day; against $120, the seventh; against a $169 peak-day ticket, the fifth. Work from the price you would actually pay on the days you actually ski, not the headline window rate.
Is the Cali Pass worth it over a Mountain High season pass?
For most people the upgrade costs $100. The Mountain High Base Pass is $629 for an adult and the Cali Pass is $729, and that $100 adds unlimited access at Bear Valley, Dodge Ridge and China Peak plus three days each at 14 Powder Alliance destinations. For a child aged 6 to 12 the gap is only $20 — $369 against $389. The exception is age 75 and over: Mountain High charges $10 for a Super Senior pass while the Cali Pass Senior+ is $159, so the upgrade costs $149.
What does the Cali Pass cover?
Unrestricted access with no blackout dates at Bear Valley, Dodge Ridge, China Peak and Mountain High, all four owned by California Mountain Resort Company, plus three days each at 14 more Powder Alliance destinations. Benefits include buddy tickets at 50% off on non-holiday weekdays and 40% off at weekends and holidays, ten per season and one per day; 10% off food and non-alcoholic drinks; 10% off non-sale retail; and 30% off multi-night or 20% off single-night lodging at Bear Valley and China Peak. It is not valid at Mammoth or at the Big Bear resorts.
When do 2026-27 ski pass prices go up?
The Cali Pass states that prices increase on November 1, 2026. Season pass pricing generally rises in tiers through the autumn, so the cheapest time to buy is early. Mountain High says all 26/27 season passes will be mailed in October. If you are weighing a pass against day tickets, note that you have to make that decision before the season starts, which is exactly when you know least about how the snow will turn out.
How much is a Cali Pass for a college student?
The Cali Pass publishes a College Pass for ages 18 to 25 at as low as $249, which is the cheapest route to four California ski areas that we are aware of. At $249, ten days of skiing works out at $24.90 a day. It is listed below the main pass tiers on the operator page and is easy to miss. Check the eligibility requirements with the resort before buying.
Is a season pass cheaper than day tickets at Big Bear?
Big Bear is on the Ikon Pass rather than the Cali Pass, so it is a separate calculation. Its own 2026-27 adult day tickets run from $89 to $169 depending on the date. That means $729 of skiing is roughly 8 low-season days or a little over 4 peak days. If you ski Big Bear more than about eight times a season, or mostly on peak dates, a pass is very likely cheaper — though you should compare against Ikon pricing rather than the Cali Pass, which is not valid there.
What is the catch with season pass break-even math?
Two things. First, break-even calculations usually compare a pass against the full window rate, but almost nobody pays that; advance-purchase and midweek tickets are much cheaper, which pushes the break-even further out than the headline suggests. Second, the comparison assumes you ski the days you planned. A warm winter, an injury or a busy season at work all reduce your actual day count, and a pass is paid for up front. Be honest about how many days you skied last season rather than how many you intended to.
How we sourced this, and what is missing
Every pass price on this page was read directly from the operators' own purchase pages on September 17, 2026 — the Cali Pass buy page and the Mountain High shop. Big Bear's day-ticket range is from Big Bear Mountain Resort's own lift-ticket page. Nothing here comes from an aggregator.
One gap we cannot close, and it is worth knowing about. Mountain High has not yet published 2026-27 single-day lift ticket prices — its shop still lists 25/26 rates. So we cannot give you a true day-ticket break-even for Mountain High itself, and we are not going to estimate one. What the resort does state is that tickets cost $10 more if you buy them at the resort rather than in advance, and that daily sales are capped. We will update this page when the 26/27 rates appear.
All figures are for the 2026-27 season and were current on the date above. The Cali Pass states prices increase November 1, so treat everything here as a snapshot and confirm on the operator's page before purchasing. Calculations on this page are simple arithmetic on those published prices and you are welcome to check them.
Before you buy
Work out which mountains you would actually use, then do the maths.
Compare all passesCali Pass guideThe four mountainsEarly-season openingsPass prices were read from the operators' own purchase pages on September 17, 2026 and change without notice — the Cali Pass states prices increase November 1, 2026. Mountain High has not published 2026-27 day-ticket rates. Calculations are arithmetic on published prices. This is not financial advice, and SnoCal is not affiliated with any California ski resort or pass operator and earns nothing from pass sales.