Park City, Diamond Peak extend ski season to April 19; Aspen Highlands adds weekends

April 12, 1:05 AMSkiing ExaminerEric Wagnon

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Park City Mountain Resort plans to give skiers an 
extra week in 2009 by extending the season to
April 19.                Photo: Park City Mountain Resort

Park City Mountain Resort in Utah and Diamond Peak Ski Resort in the Lake Tahoe area each announced on Thursday a closing date move from April 12 to Sunday, April 19.

Recent big snows inspire Park City to stay open

Spurring the extra week of skiing, Park City has received more than eight feet of snow in the past two weeks. On April 11, the resort reported a settled base depth of 98 inches and 390 inches of total snowfall for the season, about 10 percent more than Park City’s season average of 355 inches. Starting April 13, Park City will operate seven lifts: PayDay, Bonanza, Silverlode, Thaynes, Jupiter, First Time and Three Kings. Lift ticket prices will be $50 for adults, $30 for children and $35 for seniors. During the additional week of winter operations, nearby Deer Valley and The Canyons will be closed, but season passholders and employees of the two resorts can ski Park City Mountain Resort for $20 a day. Among the other Utah resorts, Alta, Brighton, Powder Mountain and Snowbasin are also open through April 19. Snowbird is open through Memorial Day.

Diamond Peak delights, Alpine Meadows disappoints despite same closing day

Making a longer season for Diamond Peak possible, a base depth of 87 inches near the resort summit was reported on April 11. Known for its scenic views of Lake Tahoe from its perch in Nevada on the north shore, the resort offers 1,840 vertical feet of skiing across 655 acres.

Diamond Peak Ski Resort overlooks Lake Tahoe.
                   Photo: Diamond Peak/ Jeff Engerbretson

While Diamond Peak’s closing date may be viewed as a treat, some Lake Tahoe area skiers have been disappointed by the same April 19 closing of Alpine Meadows, also on the north side of the lake. The resort has traditionally stayed open much longer, even for example extending the season to June 13, 1999, and Memorial Day in 2005. Last year, the resort closed on May 4. Alpine Meadows management posted a letter on the resort’s website in effect apologizing for the closing date. The letter cited the general economic downturn and continued, “While we cannot deny that the current economic difficulties have put stress on our timeline for Alpine… Our decision to close on April 19 was driven by the unfortunate fact that we are not seeing the numbers of skiers necessary to cover our operating costs on weekdays or weekends.” The letter also offered additional incentives for season-pass renewals, “in an attempt to help offset some of your disappointment.”

Telluride, Aspen Highlands offer bonus skiing

Earlier this spring, two Colorado resorts, Telluride and Aspen Highlands, announced additional late-season skiing. Telluride went from a closing date of April 5 to April 12. Aspen Highlands closed as planned on April 5, but added two weekends, April 18-19 and April 25-26, to the schedule. Depending on the temperature on the extra weekends, the Exhibition, Loge and Deep Temerity lifts will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. to provide access to most of the mountain. Aspen Highlands reported the season's deepest base depths of more than 100 inches throughout early April. Also in the area, Aspen Mountain and Snowmass are scheduled to close as planned on April 12.

Video from Diamond Peak in Incline Village, Nevada

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