With more snow in the forecast this week, outdoor enthusiasts can enjoy a unique experience at Purgatory Resort on Saturday, November 18. Ski and mountain bike on the same day, at the same resort. Purgatory Resort opens for ski season on Saturday, November 18 with Lifts 1 and 2 operating from 9am to 4pm with access to the trails Westfork and El Diablo, plus Lift 4 will provide lift-served mountain biking, weather permitting. The forecast calls for 6 inches of snow at Purgatory this week, plus cold temperatures which allow mountain crews to make additional snow.
“We’re excited to kick off the ski season, and what a better way to celebrate than to offer a unique Colorado mountain experience,” stated Colin McBeath, general manager at Purgatory Resort. “We wanted to make it a fun weekend to start off the ski season by offering up two favorite activities at the resort – skiing and mountain biking.”
Purgatory will open for the ski season at 9am on Saturday, November 18. Skiers and snowboarders will upload and download on the high-speed six-person Lift 1, and will have access to 683 vertical feet of skiable terrain under Lift 2. Lifts 1 and 2 will turn from 9am to 4pm daily starting Saturday, November 18. Lift 4 will provide lift-served mountain biking Saturday and Sunday, 9am – 3:30pm, weather permitting, with access to the Divinity downhill flow trail, Diggler trail, and portions of the World’s Course. The mountain bike chairlift may open again Friday through Sunday, November 24-26 for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, conditions permitting.
Discounted lift tickets are available at the Ticket Window, allowing access to both activities – the mountain bike uplift and skiing. Lift ticket prices are $49 adults, $39 teens, $29 kids, and $39 seniors. Kids 7 and under, 4th graders and those 80+ ski free everyday at Purgatory.
Purgatory Resort nearly doubled its snowmaking capacity on the front-side of the mountain with new pipe, access to electricity, and additional energy efficient snow guns and fans. Crews have been boosting snowmaking capacity on the upper portion of the front-side, including the top of Lift 1, the mid-way loading zone on Lift 6, and the Lift 2 area to help produce a great skiable product especially during early season. The new snowmaking equipment improves Purgatory’s ability to make snow and open the resort more efficiently.
“With Purgatory’s advanced snowmaking system and the upgrades we’ve made to it this year, we’re able to make more snow during a shorter amount of time, which ultimately allows us to open the mountain earlier and maintain our solid base throughout the spring,” stated McBeath.“We’ll continue opening more and more terrain as soon as we can.”
On Saturday, the Powderhouse on-mountain bar and restaurant will feature live music, and Purgy’s Slopeside restaurant will offer Coors giveaways along with live music by the Outskirts for après ski.
