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:
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.
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!
And if you find news updates like this one to be useful, consider subscribing to Cole’s Climb. Our Base Camp news service aims to keep you ahead of other outlets, and bring you the stories that have a real impact on the outdoor community. It’s free, and you’re helping to support independent journalism!