Summer is off to a solid start here at Purgatory Resort, and we’re glad to see people back on the mountain. Our core summer activities are up and running: the Alpine Slide, Inferno Mountain Coaster, Treasure Panning, Scenic Chairlift Rides, and stand-up paddleboarding and boating on Twilight Lake. Guests can do one of each or five of any for $49, or pick and choose for $20 per activity. More details are at purgatory.ski/day-tickets.
Getting the resort ready for summer didn’t happen overnight. One of the bigger projects was making major repairs to the Alpine Slide trestle, which was necessary to safely open. Thanks to the work of our mountain operations team and the contractors they coordinated with, we were able to get it done in time for opening day.
Improved Cell Service at the Base Area
We’re also excited to share that the base area now has 4G LTE cell service. This was a joint project with the Village Center HOA, and it replaces the old 3G signal that many of you may have struggled with in the past. The new coverage supports AT&T and Verizon service (and carriers who share their networks) and we’ve already seen greatly improved performance across the area.
Some people may ask why the service was not upgraded to 5G. The short answer is bandwidth. A true 5G setup would require a dedicated 10GB fiber circuit, which just doesn’t exist on the mountain right now. As our IT Director Don Hess put it, “This was a much-needed upgrade, and people are going to notice the improvement right away.” Said from his back office, where he’s never had a signal – until now.
Lift and Snowmaking Projects
We’ve also had a lot of interest in updates to the new Gelande chairlift. Now that the ground has dried out, construction road access improvements have begun and tree removal is expected to begin in the next couple of weeks. Surveying and geotechnical analysis has been completed at the drive and return terminals. Selection of a helicopter company to perform heli-logging and to fly forms, concrete and towers is imminent. We’re still planning to have the lift completed for the 2025/26 season, and we’ll share updates as construction gets underway.
In the meantime, we’ve made progress on snowmaking. We’ve received the steel pipe for the water line for the snowmaking expansion along the Legends trail to the bottom of Legends Express (Lift 8). The hightech HDPE pipe for the compressed air line (high density polyethylene) will be arriving in the next two weeks. Once installed, this will allow us to make snow down the Blackburn’s Bash and Ray’s Ridge headwalls and the Legends Bypass, right to the bottom of the lift. It’s a meaningful improvement, especially in low-snow years, and could help us open the Legends Express and terrain earlier and much more reliably every season in the future.
Xcel Energy Cascade Flume
Many people have heard about the failure of a section of the flume that transports water from upper Cascade Creek to Electra Lake. The water exits Electra and is piped to generate hydroelectric power at the Tacoma Generating Station along the Animas River for Xcel Energy. I spoke to the local supervisor about plans to repair the flume this morning. Xcel is working closely with the USFS and FERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) to repair the flume and restore water flow to Electra Lake as soon as possible. The section of the flume that failed was constructed nearly 100 years ago and unfortunately, met the end of its useful life. Purgatory leases water from Xcel for snowmaking, so we’ll be keeping everyone informed on the progress of this project as well.
Celebrating 60 Years of Purgatory
Looking ahead, we’ll be celebrating a big milestone this upcoming winter: Purgatory’s 60th anniversary. Since 1965, the resort has grown and changed a lot, and we’re planning to mark the occasion with new trails, events, and other updates throughout the season. More to come on that soon.
Why We’re Sharing These Updates
We started this blog as a way to keep everyone informed, not just about the big announcements, but also the ongoing work that keeps the mountain running and improving. Not only is the ski resort busy this summer with significant projects, but our HOAs are spending a great deal of money to upgrade and improve their assets as well. Kendall Mountain Lodge and Village Center HOAs have undergone major renovations to fire systems, plumbing, foundations, storm water drainage, and parking garages (in addition to the cell service upgrade in the VC tower). As the commercial space owner in the Village, Purgatory Resort is contributing hundreds of thousands of dollars to these projects through our HOA fees as well. Not very many people clearly understand all the entities that make up “Purgatory Resort” and how big projects like this come together. This is our chance to share how this stuff works directly with you.
Thank you to our staff for making these projects happen. It takes a lot of coordination, planning, and effort, and we’re proud of the team that pulls it all together. And to our guests, community, and passholders, thanks for your continued support. Whether you’re visiting in summer or winter, we appreciate you being part of what makes this place special.
To stay in the loop on upcoming news, project progress, and 60th anniversary plans, be sure to follow us on social media, sign up for our newsletter, or check this blog regularly. We’re looking forward to sharing more as the season continues.
Ready to plan your visit? Check out our full list of summer activities and make a day (or weekend) of it. Whether you’re here for the slide, the lake, or just the cooler air – we’ll see you on the mountain.
Dave Rathbun
General Manager
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