Depending on where you are, the season just coming to a close was either terrific or terrible. Wherever you were though, just being on snow and in the mountains is special enough and what we all live for, right?
The longer we can keep that going, and shred as late as possible, the better. Luckily, there are some resorts that either had a great season, or are at a high enough altitude, that they will keep the lifts spinning well into May, and in some cases June. Iโm not sure weโll see resorts opening into August, like last year, but we can dreamโฆ
So, whether your winter was boom or bust, hereโs a list (with closing dates) of some ten North American resorts (Timberline Lodge, OR opens all year round) where you can still make turns and prolong your winter as long as possible:
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Arapahoe Basin, CO: Mid June
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Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, CA: 28th May
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Mammoth Mountain, CA: 28th May
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Mount Bachelor, OR: 27th May
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Whistler Blackcomb, BC: 21st May
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Snowbird, UT: May 13th for sure, then possibly weekends
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Mt. Hood Meadows: 12th May
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Winter Park, CO: 6th May
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Lake Louise, BC: 6th May
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Killington, VT: weekends until the snow is gone
And this is just ten, there are others for sure (Jay Peak, Sugarloaf, Sugarbush, Lovelandโฆ)
If you fancy traveling a bit further afield, then there are plenty of resorts staying open in Europe too. Hintertux, Austria opens 12 months a year, and Zermatt, Switzerland endeavor to do the same; Tignes and Val Thorens in the French Alps are open into early May; a couple of Scandinavian resorts stay open and are so far north they can offer midnight sun skiing; and not forgetting the Scottish resorts having a bumper snow season enabling them to stay open into May also.
Looks like thereโs no reason to be down because the season is coming to a close, there are plenty of options worldwide to keep you shredding. And these will just keep you going until the resorts in Australia, New Zealand, Chile and Argentina start turning the lifts for their winter seasonโฆ
Mt. Bachelor โ Washington?