When Purgatory Resort calls it a season on Sunday, Colorado spring skiers and riders will be down to three options: Arapahoe Basin, Breckenridge and the Mary Jane slopes at Winter Park.
Purgatory received more than 31 feet of snow for the season, ranking in the top three for that resort’s best snowfall seasons since it opened in 1965. In recent weeks, the resort has offered weekends-only skiing, just the second time its season has extended into May. The resort near Durango in southwest Colorado is expected to have one lift running this weekend, serving 43 of its 105 trails.
Officials at the other areas still operating aren’t setting closing dates, saying they will stay open as long as there is enough snow to ski.
“We have about 1,000 acres open on the Mary Jane side of the mountain, so still lots to ski,” Winter Park spokeswoman Jen Miller said. “Melt-out usually accelerates in May, so it’s unclear how long we’ll stay open. As late as possible.” The base depth there currently stands at 62 inches.
Officials at Breckenridge are assessing prospects “day by day,” according to spokeswoman Sara Lococo. The base there is 58 inches.
“Currently we still have more than 1,000 acres of intermediate-and-above level terrain open across Peaks 6, 7 and 8, primarily in our high alpine (terrain),” Lococo said. “All skiing and riding access is out of the base of Peak 7 and the Independence SuperChair, with multiple trails still open for skiing and riding on lower Peak 7 and back to the base area lift.”
At Arapahoe Basin, which is the area that typically is the last to close, all nine lifts are running with a base at 61 inches. It closed on June 5 last year and June 6 in 2021.
“Our snow is great,” said Arapahoe Basin spokesman Jesse True. “We will make it to June 4th and maybe the 11th before we close. Some terrain will close before that, but skiing will go into June.”