Winter storm doors finally open up for Southwest Colorado ski areas

Winter storm doors finally open up for Southwest Colorado ski areas

January 1, 2002

BY JIM THOMAS
Journal Sports Editor

Snow, snow and more snow.

Mother Nature is finally cooperating with the Southwestern Colorado ski areas. Durango Mountain Resort (Purgatory), Hesperus, Telluride Resort, and Wolf Creek are all reported good to excellent conditions. The storm doors are open right now.

Two successive snowstorms since Christmas have dumped several inches of snow throughout the area. Another storm started rolling into the area on Friday, New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31, and will linger into today, New Year’s Day, Jan. 1. And yet another storm is expected into the Four Corners area by this Thursday and Friday, Jan. 3-4. According to the National Weather Service, snow was expected throughout the Four Corners area by late afternoon Friday and with snow showers continuing through the early part of today.

Purgatory is reporting 3 inches of new snow within the past 48 hours. The resort has a base of 28 inches at mid-way with 31 inches at the top. Skiing and snowboarding conditions are good on powder from mid-way down and excellent from mid-mountain to the top. The mountain is 100 percent open with all lifts operating. Ticket prices for day are $52 for adults and $27 for children. Purgatory is located about 25 miles north of Durango on U.S. Highway 550. The road was snowpacked in spots.

Hesperus Ski Area now has a 28-inch base with 6 inches of new snow. Skiing is reported as good on powder. The area is now operating holiday hours from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. daily. Holiday hours will extend through Jan. 7. Snow Katz Kids program will be starting soon. For more details, phone (970) 259-3711. Hesperus is located about 34 miles east of Cortez on U.S. Highway 160. The road was icy in a few spots but otherwise dry.

Telluride Resort reports 3 inches of new snow and 2 inches at mid-mountain. There is now 40 inches at the summit and 36 at mid-way. The mountain is 93 percent with all lifts operating. A total of 73 of 81 trails are open. Conditions are good to excellent on powder and packed powder. New Prospect Bowl is now open with 733 new arces of skiable terrain. The grand opening celebration is slated for Jan. 11-13.

Oddly, the loser in snow totals was Wolf Creek. It received only a trace of new snow in the past 24 hours, 48 and 72 hours. However, Wolf Creek has 47 inches at the summit and 35 inches at mid-mountain. Surface conditions are powder and packed powder. Wolf Creek Ski Area is located at the top of Wolf Creek Pass on U.S. Highway 160. The road was snowpacked in spots.

As of Monday, Dec. 31, all highway construction on U.S. Highway 160 will be suspended for the winter. There are currently no closures, day or night. Construction on the 950-foot tunnel east of the summit will resume in Spring, 2002.

Elsewhere across Colorado, Aspen Highlands and Aspen Mountain report good conditions with 21-36 inches on mainly packed powder; Crested Butte reports good conditions on 25-29 inches; Monarch good on 31; Powderhorn fair on 25; and Vail excellent on 30-47.