Monarch Mountain, Winter Park's Mary Jane to Open

Riders will have additional choices on where to go, thanks to a recent snowstorm. Here's a look at the opening dates and conditions:

Photo from Monarch Mountain

DENVER, CO — November 30, 2022

Monarch Mountain will open for the 22/23 season on Thursday, December 1st. Monarch depends completely on natural snowfall to open. The ski area says the recent storm brought enough coverage to open 4 of its 7 lifts:

• Caterpillar

• Tumbelina

• Panorama

• Pioneer

Opening runs have not yet been announced. The Rental Shop, Elation Sports, Ski and Ride School, Sidewinder Saloon, Java Stop, and Flyby Burritos will be open.

You don’t need reservations to ski or ride. However: the ski area says it does recommend buying your ticket online, the night before.

A picture from the Challenger lift corral at Winter Park

Winter Park to Open Mary Jane

In another long-awaited announcement: Winter Park Resort says it will be dropping the rope on Mary Jane Friday, December 2nd. Three lifts will be open in that section of the resort:

• Super Gauge

• Iron Horse

• Galloping Goose

Winter Park has not released specifics on which trails will be open Friday, though they did say it would encompass more than 75 acres of terrain.

If you ski or snowboard, we are also running a survey on rider preferences; how you get to the mountain, whether you like to get in your turns solo or in a group… The research is part of a project investigating crowd mitigation at popular ski resorts, and how it can be done without negatively impacting visitors. If you have a minute to fill it out, you’re doing me a big favor!

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