Industry News
In an interview yesterday with the Aspen Daily News, Aspen Ski Co. Vice President of Communications Jeff Hanle revealed that if conditions allow they will look to reopen Aspen Highlands in May.
“We’ve been pretty upfront with it all along that we’re going to try to maintain the ability to open Highlands very late season if we are given the go-ahead that we can do it, if the conditions are decent and good, and if we can open [Highlands] with a plan that keeps our employees and our guests safe at the direction of the county health and state health.
– Aspen Ski Co. Vice President of Communications Jeff Hanle told the Aspen Daily News
The resort closed on 14th March, along with all Alterra and Vail Resorts ski areas in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.
Skico announced just the day before that they will continue grooming at their ski resorts even though their original planned season ending-date was last Sunday, April 19. They will also “keep uphilling accessible (on Aspen Mountain) as long as it is safely possible,” according to a report by Katie Ertl, Skico senior vice president of mountain operations.
Regarding, ‘if conditions allow’, Hanle confirmed that meant not only snow conditions but of course health concerns across the state and in Pitkin County.
Hanle added: “With all the snow we’ve had and the snowpack, and if the temperatures cooperate and things start to turn around, who knows, it could be Memorial Day. We don’t know.”
Of course, there would be plenty of logistical problems to resolve surrounding social distancing and health and safety. Mt. Baldy in California reopened yesterday with very stringent social distancing measures, limiting chair rides to people of the same family, and spacing them ten-minutes apart, essentially giving skiers a ‘private mountain’.
Thanks for sharing. I am from the Reno/Lake Tahoe Area and hope the resorts around here open soon. Keep posting the great content.
Thanks for sharing this post. I’m not from Colorado but I still hope they open the resorts soon. I am from the Reno/Lake Tahoe area and all of the resorts are still closed. It is a bummer but its important to get everyone inside and healthy. Keep sharing the great posts!