Mt. Rose season pass holders celebrated the earliest skiing and boarding on record when the resort opened on Oct. 19 and 20.
It was the first Lake Tahoe-area resort to open and it marked the earliest opening on record for Mt. Rose. Last year, it opened on Oct. 26. It will be closed this weekend Oct. 26-28.
Marketing Director Mike Pierce wrote in an Oct. 25 email, “After surveying the snowpack this morning – the decision has been made to NOT open this weekend. The last 2 warm days have impacted the snowpack on the connected trails ( Merlin / Witches Brew / Spellbound ) to the point where a quality ski experience is questionable / sustainable. Our goal at Mt. Rose is to always provide a snow product that we have confidence in to please all our guests.
“The forecast for next week is positive, with cold temps returning to the region giving us the potential to continue to make snow and potentially spin the lift(s) again soon.”
The resort has invested significantly in snowmaking and is marketing itself as offering six months of skiing and sliding with the highest base elevation around the lake at 8,260. That altitude, coupled with the snowmaking, allowed the resort to open three beginner trails in the Enchanted Forest area to offer top-to-bottom runs off the Wizard lift.
“Early season operations and a strong commitment to offering superior quality snow surfaces all season long continue to be among our top priorities,” said Pierce. “At 8,260’, Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe has the highest base area elevation in the region, and our snowmaking team really knows how to take advantage of it. As conditions permit, and as winter weather starts to arrive, we’ll continue to make snow at every opportunity and get more terrain open.”
The early October opening is unusual for Lake Tahoe resorts where opening by Halloween is rare. Skiers celebrate if resorts have a reasonable amount of their mountains open by Thanksgiving Weekend. Last year, it was machine-made snow only into the New Year—the Gunbarrel run at Heavenly was bare on New Year’s Day.
Mt. Rose opened one lift and kept most of its base services closed. It offers a variety of season pass plans that range in price from $199 to $599. The resort, which sits atop Mt. Rose, is about 25 minutes from Reno and an easy ride up the Mt. Rose highway from the Incline Village area and North Lake Tahoe.