Mountain Update: Good Conditions, Refreshed and Expanded Terrain, Thank You USFS

After spending a few days on the mountain this past week, I can say the conditions remain remarkably good – get up here for some turns, sunshine and mountain air!

As we keep refreshing our snowmaking trails, it feels like there is something new to ski every time you visit the mountain. Since the season began, we have been able to add terrain almost every week and keep what was already open in very good shape. A lot of hard work from our mountain operations teams is making this possible. With the natural snow year we have so far, this progress has come through a combination of planning, patience, persistence, and a whole lot of human effort behind the scenes.

We have tried to reinforce this story as much as we can (I apologize). You have probably seen the photos, snow reports, and updates showing how the mountain has been reinvigorated by the foot of snow we received last week. Some things are hard to fully capture unless you are here in person though. There is still a long season ahead and I’m certain we will see more snow in the coming weeks and months, but that shouldn’t stop you from rejoining the action here at Purgatory, sooner than later!

As I mentioned, a huge reason we have been able to keep this momentum going is snowmaking, and the Legends Express (Lift 8) snowmaking expansion is a great example of how that investment is paying off. This upgrade has been critical to getting the Legends Bypass, lower Ray’s headwall and the Legends Express itself open. Without it, access to the bottom of the lift via the Bypass and Ray’s, and that entire area of the mountain would still sit dormant today. Tonight we’ll have two cats working the huge stashes of manmade snow we’ve accumulated on Ray’s and in the next several nights we’ll be moving snowmaking over to Blackburn’s Bash.

The Legends snowmaking project has been in the works for over 20 years. The final product – a 9,000 foot long air & water line system from Boogie, down Legends, to the base of Lift 8 – was originally proposed in 2003 and approved in 2008 by the U.S. Forest Service, but only provided snowmaking coverage at the very bottom of the lift and on the Ray’s and Blackburn’s headwalls. In 2021 we began planning for this expansion and it became clear it was going to be an expensive endeavor to install all the infrastructure, but only be able to make snow over the last few hundred feet at the very bottom of the lift. Thanks to our local San Juan National Forest district ranger and forest supervisor, and their specialists, we were able to navigate challenging project design, environmental and cultural regulations to permit snowmaking down the length of the Legends ski trail. Without their support, expertise, transparent communication and creative problem solving, this project would not have been possible. Please join us in thanking our local USFS team for being a great partner of Purgatory Resort as we strive to “Give People the Freedom to Ski.”

For our passholders, there is more to look forward to beyond just great conditions on the hill. We are putting together a few exclusive offers designed specifically for you. Keep an eye out in your emails for upcoming deals that will include some strong savings on new equipment, along with a few added perks as a thank you for choosing to spend your season with us at Purgatory.

While the skiing and riding is excellent right now, conditions can and do continue to evolve throughout the day and across the mountain. As always, we encourage everyone to check the daily snow report, stay aware of changing conditions, and ski or ride within your ability. Coverage can vary, especially off groomed runs, and a little awareness goes a long way in keeping everyone safe while having a great day on the mountain.

Thanks for the continued stoke and support. The mountain keeps getting better every week, and we cannot wait to see you up here!

Best regards,
Dave Rathbun
General Manager