If one final run down famed Gunbarrel is the goal, do it now. The mogul-infested run won’t be available tomorrow because Sunday (April 30) is the final day of the ski season at Heavenly Mountain ski resort in Lake Tahoe.
Like many Lake Tahoe ski resorts this season, Heavenly Mountain decided back in March that it would push back its original closing date (April 24) by one week. There are plenty of skiers and snowboarders getting in their final runs Sunday with seven lifts and 35 trails available on this sun-drenched day of spring skiing where temperatures will be in the 50s during the afternoon.
It was quite the season for snow at Heavenly, which opened Nov. 23. The South Lake Tahoe ski resort reached the 600-inch mark by early March and will end the season with 659 inches for the 2016-17 season, an astonishing fact, considering the resort averages 360 inches per season.
Heavenly is be the final Vail Resort in Lake Tahoe to close. Both Kirkwood Mountain and Northstar California already shut down for the season following massive snow totals as well.
“We have enjoyed amazing snow totals this season. The snow really started coming in December and it just never stopped.” Heavenly spokesperson Anna Jacobson said.
While much of the country’s ski resorts have closed for the season, four Lake Tahoe ski resorts remained open this week. Three of those resorts – Sugar Bowl, Mt. Rose and Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows – will stay open for another week or more.
Here’s a look at the three Lake Tahoe ski resorts that will remain open.
Sugar Bowl: Thanks to its enormous snow totals, Tahoe’s oldest ski resort announced that it would be extending its season until May 7. Sugar Bowl will run its lifts Friday through Monday on April 28-30 and May 5-7.
The only U.S. ski resort with more snow this season than Sugar Bowl (782 inches) is Mt. Baker in Washington state, which had 808 inches. However, unlike Sugar Bowl, Mt. Baker recently closed.
“This season has been tremendous from start to finish. The storms kept skiers and riders energized all year which translated into steady visitation throughout, including in the spring when interest in skiing and riding tends to wane,” Sugar Bowl spokesperson Jon Slaughter said.
Mt. Rose: The Nevada ski resort near Lake Tahoe remains open for another month, closing for good on Memorial Day (May 29). Located on Mount Rose Highway in Nevada, Mt. Rose announced last week that it will be starting a reduced schedule. The resort will be open Thursday through Sunday and close the other three days until Memorial Day.
The 761 inches this season shatters the old Mt. Rose mark of 600 inches in 1994-95. The ski resort has recorded 500 or more inches five times in its history.
Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows: The snow totals recently went over the 700-inch mark and is 705 inches. While Alpine Meadows stops running lifts every day of the week after April 30, and goes to weekends only through May 14, Squaw is committed to offering skiing and riding through May, possibly moving to weekends only in June, and finally shutting down Fourth of July.
Closing dates for Lake Tahoe resorts.
- Homewood: April 16
- Kirkwood Mountain: April 16
- Tahoe Donner: April 16
- Granlibakken: April 17
- Sierra-at-Tahoe: April 23
- Diamond Peak: April 23
- Northstar: April 23
- Boreal Mountain: April 23
- Soda Springs: April 23
- Heavenly Mountain: April 30
- Sugar Bowl: May 7
- Donner Ski Ranch: May 14
- Alpine Meadows: May 14
- Mt. Rose: May 29
- Squaw Valley: TBA
