• Welcome to AlpineZone, the largest online community of skiers and snowboarders in the Northeast!

    You may have to REGISTER before you can post. Registering is FREE, gets rid of the majority of advertisements, and lets you participate in giveaways and other AlpineZone events!

How long will NE ski resorts stay open?

Cheese

New member
Joined
Jan 4, 2012
Messages
999
Points
0
Location
Hollis, NH
I wish it had to do with snow pack but for many resorts it comes down to $$. Not skier visits but rather insurance. All resorts have expensive liability and worker's comp. policies which are term. Terms are agreed on before the resort opens and can end well before the snow is gone. It's usually a date they feel will keep pass holders happy since day ticket sales, lessons and food sales dry up following February vacation.
 

shadyjay

Active member
Joined
Nov 24, 2007
Messages
243
Points
28
Website
linktr.ee
SB/Mt Ellen closes the last Sunday of March. Once you get into April, it doesn't make sense to operate two seperate base areas, regardless of snowpack. However I think it was last year that there was so much snow, ME opened for one more weekend, pushing it into April.

Over at SB/Lincoln Peak, we closed the last Sunday of April, then reopened for May 4. We did not make May 5. The runout to the base of VH was, for all intensive purposes, pretty shot in the warm temps. We see crowds diminish drastically come April, even when the conditions are great. Given how harsh this winter has been throughout the Northeast, I'd guess that this will come into play again, with those "down south" looking to get into warm weather activities. Its really too bad, as there can be a ton of snow up here and noone on the slopes. Nice soft spring bumps are where it's at come April.
 

Riverskier

Active member
Joined
Apr 20, 2009
Messages
1,103
Points
38
Location
New Gloucester, ME
I am hoping Sunday River makes it to the end of April, we have been invited up to a house that a non ski friend has rented for a party. I want to have a reason to have our equipment in the vehicle.

There are rumblings of pulling the plug on 4/13. My semi educated guess is that they will stay open until 4/20, and that would be pretty consistent with prior years under Boyne's ownership. If your trip is after 4/20, I would say that being open is a long shot at best.

I certainly miss the days of May skiing at Sunday River, but it is hard to complain as a Bonye Pass holder with a typical October opening at Sunday River, and typical May closing at Sugarloaf.
 

mikec142

Active member
Joined
Jan 27, 2014
Messages
738
Points
43
Problem for us is that the kids sports schedules kick in pretty hard at the end of March. My youngest's soccer season started the weekend of 3/8 and both of my kids start softball on 3/28. Tough to get away once those seasons start. I assume that I'm not the only one in this situation and thus the mountains get pretty empty by the end of March making it hard to stay open from a fiscal standpoint. Was really hoping to head up to VT from NJ on a spur of the moment trip this weekend, but just found out that there are soccer games that got scheduled. :(
 

KD7000

New member
Joined
Feb 21, 2010
Messages
332
Points
0
Location
Central MA
Wachusett is scheduled to have their last day on Sunday April 6. I think they could easily push that if temperatures allow, but I guess skier visits plummet to nuthin' in April.

Both my kids have outdoor spring sports that startup then. I'm pretty sure the fields will still be unusable.
 

skiur

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 27, 2012
Messages
1,577
Points
113
Killington has events scheduled thru May 3rd. They should make that easily but all the June talk they were making earlier in the year is over since they blew the budget resurfacing trails with the crappy early season and were not able to make enough snow on Superstar. But hey, if the spring is cool enough who knows.
 

HD333

New member
Joined
Apr 15, 2009
Messages
1,312
Points
0
Location
Central Mass/Lakes Region NH
There are rumblings of pulling the plug on 4/13. My semi educated guess is that they will stay open until 4/20, and that would be pretty consistent with prior years under Boyne's ownership. If your trip is after 4/20, I would say that being open is a long shot at best.

I certainly miss the days of May skiing at Sunday River, but it is hard to complain as a Bonye Pass holder with a typical October opening at Sunday River, and typical May closing at Sugarloaf.

Arghhh:angry: We head up on the 23rd. Maybe golf clubs will be in order:beer:
 

drjeff

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 18, 2006
Messages
19,183
Points
113
Location
Brooklyn, CT
Killington has events scheduled thru May 3rd. They should make that easily but all the June talk they were making earlier in the year is over since they blew the budget resurfacing trails with the crappy early season and were not able to make enough snow on Superstar. But hey, if the spring is cool enough who knows.

If the 2 week models have some degree of accuracy, Superstar won't be loosing essentially any snow due to melting between now and April 1st. The "colder" than normal pattern we've been in looks to be hanging around for a while. Heck, even the long range multi month trends are for a cooler than normal spring across the Northeast. Who knows??
 

spiderpig

Member
Joined
Dec 8, 2012
Messages
270
Points
18
Location
Ridgefield, CT
Okemo posted on Facebook that they expect to close April 13, which is typical. I don't think the volume of skiers will push them to Easter weekend, assuming snow remains, unless people are calling to book lodging.
 

wa-loaf

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 7, 2007
Messages
15,109
Points
48
Location
Mordor
Sugarloaf, Killington, and Jay are the usual late season players. If the snowpack holds you can count on at least mid-May. One or two other resorts end up going for it too, but not consistently (Sugarbush and Wildcat in the recent past).
 

Euler

Active member
Joined
Jan 28, 2007
Messages
1,063
Points
36
Location
Southern Vermont
If the 2 week models have some degree of accuracy, Superstar won't be loosing essentially any snow due to melting between now and April 1st. The "colder" than normal pattern we've been in looks to be hanging around for a while. Heck, even the long range multi month trends are for a cooler than normal spring across the Northeast. Who knows??

I have to agree with Dr. J here...even with the lower than normal snowmaking on the trail the height of the snowpack there is impressive, and the temps have been cooperating so far. I plan on skiing well into May!
 

C-Rex

New member
Joined
Mar 4, 2010
Messages
1,350
Points
0
Location
Enfield, CT
I have a trip to Mt. Bachelor planned for 4/3-4/7. Anything I can get after that is a bonus. I'd love to get to Tucks this year if conditions allow, and I can find someone to let me tag along with them (hint hint). I think Killington is going to be open for quite some time. They groomed a lot of the trails yesterday which tells me they are looking to keep the base deep for the long run. I wouldn't be surprised if they make it to June as long as it doesn't get too warm. Maybe 4th of July bumps in shorts and t-shirts on Superstar? LOL

3 years ago, I got an unexpected powder day at the loaf around 4/21. Spring conditions one day and then 14 inches overnight for a powder day the next. After that, I hung up my board. It was a great way to end the season.

For all the complaining we all did during January, this season has turned out to be pretty damned good. I might not break my record for days in a season but I'd say the overall quality of the days has been as good or better than any season I can remember. I definitely don't think I've ever hit this many true powder days before.
 

octopus

Member
Joined
May 4, 2008
Messages
397
Points
16
Location
mass
i was at bretton woods a few years ago and we went boarding and then used the outdoor pool to work on our tans, mustve been 75 that day.i think they stay open until the snow is gone, at least they did that year.
 

xwhaler

Active member
Joined
Nov 26, 2007
Messages
2,943
Points
38
Location
Seacoast NH
Okemo posted on Facebook that they expect to close April 13, which is typical. I don't think the volume of skiers will push them to Easter weekend, assuming snow remains, unless people are calling to book lodging.

Good info...will probably be up there for their closing day as I'd like to help clean out the family ski house before summer renters get in there.
 

MadPatSki

Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2011
Messages
613
Points
18
Location
Ottawa, ON
Website
madpatski.wordpress.com
http://madpatski.wordpress.com/2013...orm-eastern-closing-thread-2012-13-part-last/A bunch of them will closed in April, but one or more will make it to May. That has been the trend for the last few years.

There has been at less one Northeast (NY and NEngland) in all, but one year (2012) in the last 40+ seasons. If you include Quebec's St-Sauveur, someone is always spinning lifts into May in the East.

After last season's Kmart push, it is definitely a possibility that Killington makes it to June. This season might be enough for St-Sauveur to make to June also.

More detailed info can be found in my conclusion of the Eastern Closing Thread from last season on Ski Mad World.

It’s a Wrap and the Storm – Eastern Closing Thread 2012-13- Part Last

http://madpatski.wordpress.com/2013...orm-eastern-closing-thread-2012-13-part-last/
 
Top