As the temperatures drop, and snow begins to fall along the mountaintops, local ski resorts are getting ready to open their doors again.
At Mt. Shasta Ski Park, Marketing Director Grace Hornbeak said they’re aiming for a mid-December opening date. But that’s highly dependent on the weather.
"It is looking like it’s trending towards a strong El Niño [when] we have historically had pretty good years," she said. "A lot of what we’re seeing is supposed to be around early December so hopefully that holds true and we start to see some storms coming through.”
Last year, Mt. Shasta opened on Dec. 10, about a week earlier than expected.
Hornbeak said they’ve sold a record number of season passes before this year’s season has even started. The same is true for Mt. Ashland, which has sold around 3,500 passes, according to General Manager Andrew Gast.
“That spring sale was phenomenal," he said. "It was far above what we expected. In large part I think because last year was so great.”
Both of the ski areas attribute the record sales to the unusually snowy 2022/23 season. High levels of snowfall meant ski resorts were able to stay open for longer. Mt. Ashland broke records for its latest closing date and largest number of visits ever.
M. Ashland will celebrate its 60th anniversary this year. The resort plans to open on Dec. 9, weather and snow permitting.
Both resorts have made improvements to their resorts, including replacing old cables on chairlifts and renovating indoor spaces.