Conditions Report
Report from Sunday, March 29, 2026.
Monarch Mountain in Colorado closed for the season yesterday, March 29.
Record heat waves have ravaged ski areas across the Western United States over the past few weeks.
Despite this, the independent mountain was able to enjoy a great season lasting 117 days.
The season saw record visitations, epic powder days, and the grand opening of No Name Basin.
One of my highlights of the season was when Monarch got the highest snow totals in the state from the storm in late January.
People flocked to the mountain from far and wide, and it seemed like Monarch’s busiest day in history.
Just a few days later, Monarch made history again by opening brand-new terrain on the east side of the continental divide.
Monarch saw just over 100″ inches of snow this season.
Despite this, the mountain was able to open No Name Basin for it’s first season, as well as steep terrain in Mirkwood Basin.
Including the new terrain on the other side of the divide, Monarch was able to open 77/80 trails for a large portion of the season.
The mountain benefitted greatly from another storm earlier this month, before the historic March heat wave took hold.
High temperatures reached 80 in Salida last week, ravaging the snowpack and forcing the mountain to close earlier than typical.
Skiing on Sunday was all about soaking up the sun, staying on snow, and reminiscing about the short and sweet season.
No Name Basin closed on March 22, and the south-facing terrain under the Breezeway lift was also closed on Sunday.
Tango and Toddler off of Pioneer had decent coverage and fun slushy conditions.
More north-facing runs such as KC Cutoff and Quickdraw had better coverage and firmer snow.
The higher-elevation runs off of Panorama also had decent coverage, but it was clear that the trails were on their last legs.
Visitors sported fun outfits and enjoyed quick laps before pivoting towards the lodge and the Gunbarrel Race at 1 pm.
After filling up on San Luis Mac n’ Cheese, we gathered in the parking lot to watch the Gunbarrel Challenge.
At this classic Monarch closing day event, participants hike up the Gunbarrel trail and race down to the bottom.
It was a great day for a parking lot party, and the festivities did not end there.
With live music in the lodge and tailgating all afternoon, this season closed out with a bang.
We’re sad to see it go so soon, but the stoke during this dismal season just means the next one will be incredible!
