SOUTH FORK— Wolf Creek Ski Area is taking a break this week from Monday, Nov. 5 through Thursday Nov. 8 to prepare for opening full-time this weekend. The resort has been blessed with several inches of new snow over the last few weeks and is ready to open seven days a week with all lifts in operation.
According to the ski area staff, “On Friday, Nov. 9, seven lifts will be operating from 9 a.m. to 4 pm. Wolf Creek has excellent early season conditions with 90 percent of the terrain open for all ability levels. Expert terrain like Alberta Peak, Boundary Bowl, Montezuma Bowl and Step Bowl, the Knife Ridge, Horseshoe Bowl and Waterfall areas will all be open in addition to a wide variety of groomed trails.”
The new Charity Lift is expected to be open by the second week in December and according to resort Owner Rosanne Haidorfer-Pitcher they are really excited for the new addition. “The lift is powered by a motor at the top and we have to lay the high voltage power cable down to the bottom before we can power the lift. After that is completed, we will have an inspection around the first of December and once we pass that, we can put the lift into operation,” said Haidorfer-Pitcher.
The lift was named after previous owner Charity Pitcher, who was instrumental in the creation of Wolf Creek Ski Area. “We just felt that it was a great way to honor her and the things that she did for the resort for it to become what it is today, and we are super excited to get it up and running,” said Haidorfer-Pitcher.
The lift is a detachable quad and will join the new Lynx Lift in servicing beginner terrain and will serve as another connecting lift for the mountain. The resort has been working to minimize some of the congestion from the main area of the ski slopes by creating new areas for beginner skiers, who need and appreciate the space while trying to learn the art of skiing.
In addition to the new lift the resort has been working to remove several thousand dead trees from the resort throughout the summer. “We removed two to three thousand trees from near the Alberta Lift throughout the summer. That seems like a large number, but we have only begun to scratch the surface. Many skiers who use the run near the Alberta Lift notice the downed trees underneath the snow. They create bumps underneath the snow and we urge skiers to use caution at all times. We had a large crew working over the summer and have made a lot of progress,” stated Haidorfer-Pitcher.
The ski area is also working on becoming paperless and is continuing to make everything electronic for guests. “We have an amazing crew from the Valley that has been instrumental in the process of going paperless. We will continue to work on our programs until we can get everything in place for the future.”
The resort is hosting the U.S. Mobile Ski Team this week and into the weekend who have been in the area to practice. “We have some really cool jumps on the mountain right now and five of the team members are US Olympians. It is very exciting to have them with us this year and they will be around the resort for our opening weekend,” said Haidorfer-Pitcher.
It is time to dust off the skis and get out for a weekend of fresh powder.