Maybe this should be called EASTER Closing Thread instead?
On the other side of the late Easter weekend and as anticipated, many called it a season. The amount of options for midweek and the weekend have dropped considerably. This Easter weekend we were looking at 38 ski areas still spinning lifts, now the number still going it on this rainy Tuesday is only 5: all located in New England (Jay, Sugarbush, Killington and Sugarloaf).
None of the Eastern Canadian ski areas will be open midweek as Mont St-Sauveur is now mainly only open for camps. A grand total of 13 ski areas will try to open on the April 26-27 weekend which is more than in recent seasons. Four of the Eastern late season regulars (St-Sauveur, Jay, Sugarbush & Killington) have mentioned a May closing like Sugarloaf and Mont Sutton haven’t set a closing date openly. A few lesser known ski areas like Eastern Quebec’s Mont Comi and Le Valinouet are even openly talking about possibly making it to May. The driving factor for these remote areas, places like Mont Miller, Val d’Irère and Smokey Mountain which closed this past weekend, is how many people shows up to buy lifts tickets?
Of course, all of this depends of the weather; some like MSS will not open if the weather sucks and no one shows up, but at this time, the main concern is heat and rain. The week prior to Easter saw a Summer like Monday, followed by a snow/rain Tuesday followed by warm weather again for the last 3 days.
Although the end of the season shutdown is always too soon for some, the good news for those that like riding lifts is that a few more ski areas have real hopes onto making into May.
LIST OF 11 SKI AREAS TENTATIVELY OPEN THIS WEEKEND**
QUEBEC 5*
Comi – May 4 (weekend only)
Orford – April 27 (tentative weekend only)*
Ste-Anne – April 27 (weekend only)
St-Sauveur – May 11 (weekend only and tentative to nice weather)
Sutton – May 3 – Closed this weekend** (tentative weekend only)
Le Valinouet – May 3 (Friday*-weekend only)*
ONTARIO : 1
Blue – April 27 (tentative weekend only)****
NEW YORK : 0**
Whiteface – April 27 (tentative weekend only)**
VERMONT : 3
Jay – May 11 or more (tentative)
Killington – May 3 minimum
Sugarbush – May 4 (everyday till April 27 then tentative weekend)
NEW HAMPSHIRE : 1
Wildcat – April 27 May 4 (tentative weekend only)***
MAINE : 1
Sugarloaf – TBD
OPEN EVERY DAY :
Jay VT
Killington VT
Sugarbush VT
Sugarloaf ME
*Update : April 23, 3:00pm
Mont Orford is calling it a season with this week’s rain and the weekend forecast.
With the new snow, Le Valinouet has decided to also open this Friday as well as the weekend.
**Update : April 24 : 5:30pm
Wildcat has confirmed weekend opening.
Whiteface is done for the season.
Mont Sutton will be closed this weekend due to the forecast. They will try to open Saturday May 3rd.
***Update : April 24 : 8:30pm
Wildcat has confirmed it will try to reopen for May 3rd weekend.
****Update : April 25 : 12:00pm
Blue Mountain has confirmed weekend opening.
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Ski Mad World’s weekly Eastern Closing 2014 post:
Spring skiing is just starting, but …
Where Are We At? – Eastern Closing Thread 2013-14 – Part 2
Late Easter, Late Spring, Late Skiing – Eastern Closing Thread 2013-14 – Part 3
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