There are hidden gems, and then there are straight up gems.
The Gems Pass from Colorado Ski Country USA gets you access to the latter kind.
On sale now, the teen ($199) or adult ($325) Gems Pass buys you two days each at 11 smaller ski areas: Arapahoe Basin, Ski Cooper, Echo Mountain, Eldora, Granby Ranch, Hesperus, Loveland, Monarch, Powderhorn, Purgatory and Sunlight.
There is also the Gems Discount Card ($48). It’s a BOGO ski pass if you’re skiing with a friend, or 30% off at select resorts if you’re skiing solo.
All three of the Gems ski passes come with blackout date from Dec. 25 to Jan. 1, MLK weekend (Jan. 18-19) and Presidents’ Day weekend (Feb. 15-16).
Back for another season is the Kids Ski Passport ($67). This one is good for students between third and sixth grade, and it unlocks four days of free skiing at 20 resorts, including Copper, Steamboat and all four Aspen-area resorts. That’s 80 days for a tank of gas!
Be sure to read the fine print before you buy.
One important caveat: You must buy the teen pass or kids ski passport to get the adult pass.