CALIFORNIA, USA — There's a little over two weeks away from the start of ski and snowboarding season in the Sierra. Resorts like Boreal and Heavenly looking to open Nov. 22.
Getting ready for ski and snow boarding season this year is more than just resorts making snow and skiers and snowboarders waxing their ski’s and boards. Skiers and snowboarders can make sure their phone is updated with the latest resources with the Epic Pass App.
Peter Disch the Vice President of Mountain Operations at Heavenly Ski Resort gave ABC10 a look through the Epic Pass App and its features.
“This is the new my Epic App, got your season pass, your lift ticket in here, got my name right there, click right there you can see my pass number,” said Disch.
For the second year in a row there isn't a need for a physical pass to get into the resorts and ride the lifts.
“It’s also got GPS tracking so if I want to keep track of my day remember where those pow shots were see how many vertical feet I did,” said Disch.
What's new this year is the find my friend’s feature. Designed to help friends and family meet up on the slopes but after a deadly avalanche at Palisades Tahoe last January, this social feature could double as a safety measure.
“And you can also track your friends, you can drop pins so if you lose track of your friends your family it’s an easy way to meet up on the mountain,” said Disch.
It’s like an extension of find my friends app many have on their phones. The feature provides them a peace of mind with an interactive trail, maps and GPS tracking for users to know where they are.
“Really great way for the whole family just being able to give the kids a little bit of a longer leash head out but still be able to easily meet up with each other,” said Disch.
Users can also access ski patrol assistance to get direct access to ski patrol during an emergency with your GPS location ensuring their safety on the mountain
Cellular service and wifi is not required to use GPS tracking. It's a great benefit due to those services sometimes being hard to find on the slopes.
The cost of a pass goes up Nov. 17.
WATCH MORE ON ABC10 | Ski resorts preparing for snow season
