Posted March 31, 2023

Happy Fortune Friday!

It might not feel like it, but the season is starting to wind down as we are just one day away from April... and what a season it has been! After opening a full week early in November, we recently announced we are extending the season. And with these great conditions, how couldn’t we? We are going to keep some lifts spinning all the way through May 7, which is an additional three weeks of skiing and riding!

As we wind down the final weeks, we will also begin ramping down operations and decreasing lifts and terrain starting this Monday, April 3 – which is standard for our spring approach, and what would typically occur in our final weeks of operations. This is primarily because our staff members start to head off to their summer jobs and springtime also brings a lot more options for people’s time such as biking, baseball, and traveling. That said, there will be plenty of terrain all the way until the end. We will adjust the footprint slightly each week as staffing dictates with the intention of prioritizing Stagecoach, the Gondola, and California portals + upper mountain acreage as long as we can. Here is what we are looking at for next week:

The terrain on the California side of the mountain will stay fully open. Lifts include Sky, Powderbowl, Groove, Patsy’s (for download), Gunbarrel, and the Tram. In Nevada we will operate Stagecoach, Dipper, and Mott Canyon. Out of Heavenly Village we will operate the Gondola, Tamarack, Big Easy, and Tubing. We will be running a shuttle between Boulder and Stagecoach parking lots and ski + ride (access only) will be available back to Boulder. We will likely pivot lifts and terrain based on conditions week by week, so please make sure you check the lifts and terrain status page on our website for the latest/current information.

I also want to take a quick look back at last weekend - it was so awesome! Yet another Gunbarrel 25 is in the books, and it was such a perfect day for it. Every year, I am awed by all of the skiers and riders who take on this challenge. I was especially honored to present the first ever ‘Kyle Smaine Iron Man Champion Award’ in honor of local pro skier and last year’s Gunbarrel 25 Iron Man Champion Kyle Smaine. Kyle tragically passed away in January. Heavenly’s own Brandon Commanda won this year’s Kyle Smaine Iron Man Champion trophy which made for a special moment. Another Heavenly insider - Jen Menzel Cambria - was once again the Iron Woman Champion, adding to her long list of 1st place finishes. You can check out the full results here. Congratulations to EVERYONE who participated, and to all the winners.

Last weekend also brought our inaugural Pride Day at Heavenly! It was a hit, and it was awesome to see how much support it garnered from guests, employees, and our community. We proudly welcome everyone to our mountain. It’s one of our core values to Be Inclusive, and our inaugural Pride Day was reflective of this... plus, it was a blast! Speaking of events, our Pond Skim is just around the corner, on April 16 – our “non-closing day”. Mark your calendars and be sure to join us!

Importantly, none of these events would be possible without our Field Marketing Manager, Katie Ficeto, who has been an integral part of our team for seven years now! Check out her employee spotlight below.

Finally, we are only three inches away from breaking our 2016/2017 record of 564”, which we expect to pass in the next couple of days. This has truly been a historic and unforgettable season – while we all want some sunny spring days, we also want to break the record and finish strong!

Stay tuned for continued lift and terrain updates each week... and see you on the slopes.

Tom