Last month, the Crystal Mountain Resort announced it would no longer sell ski-lift tickets at its windows on weekends, a startling move in an industry that has historically sought volume and the high margin returns from single-day lift ticket sales.

The resort, in the shadow of Washington’s Mount Rainier, has been plagued this season with overfilled parking lots, long lift lines and mountain roads choked with skier vehicles. The crowds were brought on by a cycle of big storms, yes, but also the crush of skiers who hold Ikon Passes, which grant riding privileges at Crystal all season long.

“It’s a very imperfect science, pairing demand with snow and terrain,” said Rusty Gregory, chief executive of Denver-based Alterra Mountain Co., which owns Crystal. “Each resort has to do what’s right for its conditions and its skiers.”

Crystal, which will continue honoring Ikon passes and lift tickets that have been purchased in advance, is not an outlier. The recent introduction of multi-resort passes have pushed more skiers to more places, making once-sleepy mountains more crowded. Resorts that are within driving distance of major metropolitan areas, in particular, are coping with powder day throngs not seen before.