Vail Resorts said in a news release that Epic, Epic Local and Epic Australia pass holders will get seven unrestricted days of skiing each at Crested Butte and its sister resorts of Okemo in Vermont and Mount Sunapee in New Hampshire, and then 50 percent off of lift tickets after their days have been redeemed. Epic 7-Day and 4-Day pass holders can use all of their days at the Triple Peaks resorts and also get half-price lift tickets after their days are redeemed.

And there’s a little quid pro quo in the deal for people who hold passes from the Triple Peaks resorts. They’ll get 50 percent off lift tickets at all Vail Resorts-owned mountain resorts.

“We expect this partnership will be a significant benefit to our guests and skiers and riders around the world for years to come,” Triple Peaks president Tim Mueller said in a news release.

The union also turns up the heat in the ski-pass war between Colorado’s ski resort behemoths — Vail Resorts and Alterra Mountain Co. — which have been making deals with high-profile independent resorts like Jackson Hole, Telluride, Alta and Snowbird for their Epic and Ikon passes.

Pass sales have buoyed Vail Resorts through dry years. The Broomfield-based company last year sold 750,000 Epic Passes with allowed it to make $150 million in capital improvements at its 11 destination resorts this year. Alterra, the tie up of KSL Capital and the Crown family, which owns Aspen Skiing Co., hopes to replicate the cash flow with its Ikon Pass. Top-of-the line passes from both companies are selling for $899.