Editor’s note: Stories on this list received the most page views on SummitDaily.com in the past week.

1. Ikon passes for 2021-22 season on sale now

Alterra Mountain Co. has released pricing for the 2021-22 Ikon Pass, which went on sale Thursday, March 11.

The full Ikon Pass will continue to offer skiers and riders unlimited access to Copper Mountain Resort with seven days at Arapahoe Basin Ski Area in Summit County. There are no blackout dates on the Ikon Pass, which includes access to 41 destinations outside of Summit County, including Eldora Mountain Resort, Steamboat Resort and Winter Park Resort in Colorado.

Alterra is offering existing passholders a renewal discount of up to $100 on all 2021-22 adult and young adult Ikon passes purchased before May 5. Among pass products that increased in price, most saw about a 4% jump, while passes for children ages 4 and younger saw decreases in price.

— Taylor Sienkiewicz

2. Smith Ranch homebuyer requirements challenged as discriminatory

The Smith Ranch housing development in Silverthorne, which includes for-sale homes for people who work in Summit County, has been met with complaints of discrimination against people with disabilities.

Because homes in the development are deed-restricted to homebuyers who work at least 30 hours per week in the county, people with disabilities who are unable to work the required amount cannot purchase in the neighborhood.

The Summit Daily News received two complaints of discrimination related to the Smith Ranch neighborhood. Complaints included allegations that an applicant on long-term disability was denied entrance into the lottery system, which is used to select homebuyers, because the applicant did not meet the work requirement.

The complaints also raised concerns about a section of the Smith Ranch Restrictive Covenant that says a resident of the neighborhood would be required to move out after one year if they become disabled and can’t meet the work requirement, unless the town approves a longer period of occupancy. Other Summit County workforce housing covenants — including those at Blue 52, Sail Lofts and The Wellington Neighborhood — include similar statements.

— Taylor Sienkiewicz

3. Breckenridge prepares for spring break crowds, fears an increase in COVID-19 cases

Breckenridge officials and tourism industry representatives made predictions about crowd levels, business and restriction-related confrontations associated with the spring break period during the Breckenridge Tourism Office’s community update on March 5.

Breckenridge Mayor Eric Mamula urged citizens of Breckenridge and Summit County at large to stay vigilant “for at least the next month” in their attempts to reduce the spread of COVID-19. He said that while the county’s case numbers are trending downward, he is afraid the community will see a resurgence of the virus due to spring break crowds expected to arrive in mid-March.

Mamula predicted that retail, lodging and restaurant operations could be negatively affected from an infection standpoint by spring break visitors. He noted that the town is hiring private security to patrol Main Street over the spring break period in order to support employees, but he said security personnel will not hand out tickets or arrest people.

— Taylor Sienkiewicz

4. Drive-thru COVID-19 vaccine clinic leads to heavy traffic in Frisco

A drive-thru COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the county bus barn in Frisco caused traffic to back up for almost a mile down Colorado Highway 9 in Frisco on March 5.

Summit County Public Health officials administered more than 1,200 doses of the Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines March 5. It was one of the largest vaccine events the county has taken on to date, with people ages 60-64 and grocery workers eligible for the first time.

County Manager Scott Vargo said one of the possible explanations for the increased traffic is people arriving too early for their appointments.

At past clinics, people have been arriving as much as two or three hours early for their appointments, which contributes to backups, he said. He added that visitors coming up for the weekend also might have contributed to the traffic.

— Libby Stanford

5. Mountain Wheels: Tacoma and Crosstrek rule as Colorado’s mountain favorites

This week’s featured vehicles should come as no surprise to any Colorado High Country resident as there’s likely four of each of them parked in front of your house or business.

Besides the Ford F-150 family — which we will get to in the near future — the Toyota Tacoma and the Subaru Outback’s little brother, the Crosstrek, anecdotally represent maybe 50% of the vehicles I see on my drives. They’re popular, they’re more affordable than their full-sized kin (well, sorta), and they both deliver a certain Colorado je ne sais quoi, at least differentiating us from the Accords and Camrys that clog the highways in other parts of the country.

So why have these two smallish, purposefully rugged vehicles captured the hearts of Colorado drivers? I guess the answer’s right there. Both have accentuated the idea that chunky, lifted, ski-trip and camping-ready automobiles can provide all of the laughs and capability that come along with the more typical $70,000 and over vehicles plying our highways.

— Andy Stonehosue