Nifty and sixty

Diehard skiers and snowboarders will want to circle Sat., Nov. 22 on the calendar – that’s the day Purgatory will officially fire up the bullwheel on its 60th season.

In addition to celebrating its 60th birthday, the local ski hill is touting lift tickets as low as $9 when buying ahead online with the resort’s demand-based system (Opening Day tickets are currently $14). There will also be expanded snowmaking and free skiing for kids 12 and under.

“We are thrilled to invite skiers and snowboarders to celebrate 60 years of Purgatory,” Dave Rathbun, Purgatory Resort’s general manager, said. “This achievement is a testament to the support of our community and the dedication of our amazing team and our loyal guests.”

To help kick things off, Purgatory will host a party and ski swap on Sat., Sept. 27, at the resort. The day will feature live music, food and drink specials, games, giveaways, and a ski swap.

And while the Gelande Lift will not be getting off the ground this year due to various delays and snafus, Purg does have some other exciting news in the capital improvements department.

For starters, snowmaking has come to the lower Lift 8 section including Blackburn’s, lower Ray’s and the Legends Bypass. That’s right – hopefully no more rock dodging and core shots on the way to the lift. Can we get a hallelujah? (Now if only they could do something about getting some water back there – just saying, skiers get thirsty.)

Next up, the resort is installing a brand spanking new Campbell Scientific SnowVue system. We really have no idea what this is, but it sure looks fancy. According to the powers that be, it will provide “real-time snow depth measurements and track 24-hour snow totals, storm totals and cumulative snowfall, giving skiers and riders clear, consistent updates to plan their days on the mountain.” Hey, it’s got to be better than the old snow stake, which let’s just say, delivered some creative snow totals. 

In addition, guests can expect expanded Wi-Fi coverage (hopefully this means no more dead zones on the backside), new streaming cameras for live mountain conditions, an improved Purgatory app, ongoing trail work to clear brush and hazard trees, and a “Paradise Pizzeria refresh.”

Alas, no news on the fate of Hesperus Ski Area, which was closed last season because of purported lift issues. Stay tuned …