We are looking dry and mild through Christmas which will make for comfortable days on the mountain as we enter the holiday season. Starting late Christmas day, temperatures begin to cool which will assist our snowmaking efforts, and dare I say it, there may be measurable accumulation of snow over the New Year’s period! Snowmaking will be focused on opening Grizzly Double (Lift 5) and Legends Express (Lift 8), then returning to the frontside to fill in Paradise, Cherub, BC/DC, Yellow Brick Road, Pandemonium, Tinker’s Dam and completing snowmaking in the Columbine Base Area.
Keep those snow dances going and stay tuned on the outlook by visiting our snow report often.
Lift Reliability
We are hearing more guest comments than usual about lift reliability. For the record, Purgatory’s lifts are in excellent repair, especially considering the age of several of our double chairlifts. All lifts at every ski area, no matter their age, are susceptible to the occasional mechanical or electrical issue that can prevent their operation. Some issues take longer than others to resolve and in the early season, when terrain access is dependent on a specific lift operating, there may be times when terrain also must be closed when the lift is out of service.
We have had this happen twice this season – once each on Engineer Double (Lift 2) and Hermosa Park Express (Lift 3). Both problems were resolved within hours, but we know it is frustrating to lose precious, limited ski terrain when we are struggling with snowfall and cold temperatures to make snow. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused, but both lifts have been running well since their repairs. As more lifts and terrain are opened we expect any occasional issues that pop up will be much less impactful on terrain availability and access.
Purgatory Village Express (Lift 1) Upgrade
To stay on the lift reliability theme, we have decided to finish the upgrade project on Purgatory Express begun several summers ago before we open for summer operations in 2026. The lift will receive new communication lines, low voltage controls and a modern, digital drive for the electric motor. With these final upgrades in place, the lift will be outfitted with up-to-date mechanical and electrical systems to ensure the lift can be operated efficiently for years to come.
F&B Operations
Similar to lift reliability, we have received more comments about F&B operations than usual for early season. These comments can be organized in several categories:
French Fries – to meet required fire codes, the Purgy’s kitchen does not have enough fryer capacity to meet the demand for french fries this winter. The kitchen hood and fire suppression system require an expansion planned for this coming summer. Complimentary sides including house made chips, or my favorite, Cowboy Caviar with tortilla chips now come with each lunch basket entree. French fries are still offered at Paradise Pizza, Dante’s Cafe and Backside Bistro.
Food Costs – the unfortunate reality is our costs of goods have gone up just as much as the prices we’ve all seen at the grocery store. We have consciously reworked the Powderhouse menu to offer multiple lunch options starting at $9 with the most expensive option $16. We also have 25 oz. cans of PBR and 12 oz. cans of Pacifico for $5 and multiple options for 16-22 oz. cans from $8 and under. And remember, all Power Pass holders receive a 10% discount off food and non-alcoholic beverages with a pass.
Bar and Apres Ski Hours – the Bear Bar closes at 4pm, but that doesn’t mean apres ski is over at Purgatory. Today, Paradise Pizzeria opens for the season, so after 4 pm you can enjoy the largest draught beer lineup on the mountain at the Paradise bar, or continue apres ski just steps away from the Bear Bar inside at the Purgy’s bar. Both outlets offer craft cocktails, wine, beer and a diverse selection of mouth watering, sharable, apres ski food options. Check these out on your next visit.
Safe Mountain Conduct
One final thought for this edition of The Purgspective. With limited terrain and increased visitation for the holidays, please keep safety in mind – that of yourself and those who are enjoying the mountain around you. Not everyone possesses the same knowledge and experience when it comes to safe mountain conduct. Here are my suggested areas to place a heightened awareness on for the next several weeks:
Your Responsibility Code – Skiing and snowboarding are lifelong sports and passions for most of us. It is important to acknowledge their risk and understand what those risks are and how you can mitigate them. Your behavior, decisions, and actions have a direct effect on your safety and the safety of others on the slopes. Understand and follow Your Responsibility Code by talking with your family, kids, and friends who are new to the mountain.
Unseated Passengers – The incidence of people falling from chairlifts, has been alarming to many of us in the ski industry. As a reminder, it is the duty of all skiers/ski lift passengers “to be capable of safely loading, riding, and unloading ski lifts, requiring them to understand and follow instructions, maintain control, use restraint bars, and get on/off at designated spots, while lift operators assist.” If anyone in your party is not familiar with riding ski lifts ask for assistance from a resort employee prior to attempting to load a ski lift. Our friends from Ski California have created this short video to explain what to do should someone in your party have difficulty loading and become out of position to successfully ride the chairlift. We encourage you to share this information with your friends and family, particularly your children and grandchildren.
Slow and Family Skiing Zones – with the holidays upon us, it is also a good time to remind you of the rules of conduct for our Slow and Family Skiing Zones. The rules are the same for each zone (Slow zones are marked with Orange banners and Family zones are marked with Purple banners and wind blades). The focus in these marked zones is on personal control of speed and direction, awareness of your surroundings, and yielding to others, meaning you must ski at or below the general traffic flow, be able to stop instantly, and give ample space to beginners, kids, and slower skiers, avoiding sudden turns or stops, especially at blind spots. The core principles are defined in Your Responsibility Code: skiers ahead have the right-of-way, and it’s your job (as the faster or uphill skier) to avoid them, even if it means matching the speed of the slowest person. We will be patrolling these areas more frequently this holiday period to educate those failing to follow the rules. These areas include Nirvana, Lower Demon, Yellow Brick Road and Hermosa Parkway.
Thanks very much for your patience as we await Mother Nature’s assistance to make this another great ski season at Purgatory Resort. Please accept our holiday wishes for a joyous season and happy New Year!
We look forward to seeing you on the mountain soon,
Best regards,
Dave Rathbun
General Manager
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