Industry News
The weather across the United States this season has been well below average for most regions, specifically in Wyoming. Even though the forecast trends are looking like some large snowfall amounts could be in the forecast, Sleeping Giant Ski Area in Cody, Wyoming, has chosen not to open for the 2024 ski season due to the snow shortage. The resort had this message to share in a letter to there season pass holders.
“We are disappointed to announce that this latest winter storm mostly missed us. Unfortunately, we are no closer to being able to open the mountain than we were 2-3 weeks ago. We have reached a point where the loss of seasonal staff would make it difficult to open the mountain, even if we got snow tomorrow. For these reasons, we feel that the responsible thing to do is to pull the plug on this season.”
Many other small resorts in Wyoming, such as White Pine Ski Resort, were able to open only recently, while normally they open sometime around Thanksgiving. Even with the delayed opening, the resort has only been able to open one run, which has caused them to have to significantly decrease ticket prices.
Sleeping Giant does not rely exclusively on snowfall to operate. In 2021, the resort invested over $100,000 to upgrade its snowmaking machinery to guarantee an early season. Unfortunately, the piping for this equipment was outdated, and major repairs will need to be made in order to open next season.
“Our team will still be working at Sleeping Giant and I think everyone is ready to use this down time to get to work on several long-standing projects that we could not get to when operating. Moreover, we are in discussions with our friends at the USFS and Techno Alpine to get paperwork done so we can jump on improvements to our snow making system in the spring.”
For those who call Sleeping Giant their home resort, they can find turns at Red Lodge Mountain Resort, Montana, which is about an hour away. Although the cancellation of the season is a bummer for both the resort and the local community, as the resort operates as one of the largest sources of revenue and jobs for the area but also is one of the centerpieces of the community, they have high hopes for next season and the future.
