COLORADO — The end of summer in this state means one thing — the start of winter. With the ski season fast approaching, it’s time to get those season passes. “Everyone’s counting down to November, and here in Colorado, that also means welcoming the start of another epic ski and snowboard season,” said Rob Katz, chief executive officer for Vail Resorts. The company announced that Labor Day weekend will be the last chance to purchase passes at the lowest prices. “The best way to get ready is to purchase your Vail Resorts’ season pass now, during the Labor Day weekend, for the lowest prices of the year” Katz said. The company offers the Summit Pass, providing unlimited access with no date restrictions at Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin. It costs $399 for adults, $309 for teens (ages 13-18) and $199 for children (ages 5-12). The Colorado Pass offers unlimited access at the same resorts, with an additional 10 days at Vail and Beaver Creek with restricted dates. It is offered at $439 for adults, $329 for teens and $209 for children. This year, the Vail Resorts also is offering its Epic Pass for $579, which provides unlimited skiing and riding at Vail, Beaver Creek, Arapahoe Basin and Keystone as well as at the company’s Heavenly ski resort in California. Intrawest also is offering economical season passes for Copper Mountain and its sister resorts, Winter Park and Steamboat. The Rocky Mountain Super Pass offers unrestricted skiing and riding at Winter Park and Copper for $399, and the Rocky Mountain Super Pass Plus adds six unrestricted days and unlimited free Friday afternoons throughout the season at Steamboat for $439. Intrawest indicates that those prices will be available through Monday. Upgrades in the line, on the slopes Among the upgrades for the winter in Summit County are an eight-passenger, state-of-the-art gondola at Keystone. Crews spent the bulk of the summer building the bottom terminal in River Run Village, added a mid-station and constructed a new skier bridge. Breckenridge continues work on the new base area at Peak 7, which includes skier services, great lodging and The Sevens restaurant. Arapahoe Basin is expanding and enhancing its parking and will unveil a pedestrian tunnel under Highway 6 and a shuttle service from remote parking. And a high-tech upgrade will be introduced for all of the Vail Resorts passes this season: a new radio-frequency technology that will offer an “easy scan” that allows skiers and snowboarders to keep their passes zipped inside their jackets.