Vadito, NM – For powder-starved New Mexico skiers and snowboarders, the wait is nearly over as the first ski lifts in the state will start turning Saturday morning at Sipapu Ski and Summer Resort.
The Nov. 19 opening will mark the 10th consecutive year that Sipapu has opened before any other ski area in the state.
Mountain crews have been working virtually non-stop to get the mountain ready, and they expect to break resort records by opening more terrain and running more lifts than they’ve ever done on an opening day, said General Manager John Paul Bradley.
“We’ve been working hard, really hard, to get things ready for this weekend,” he said. “As of right now, it looks like we’ll have routes available from top to bottom, and we expect to have two lifts going. If all goes as planned, we will have more open and available this opening day than we ever have before.”
Since 2001, Sipapu has more than tripled its snowmaking abilities, which has enabled northern New Mexico’s oldest resort to consistently open first in New Mexico, Bradley said. He added that this year, his snowmaking team began making snow in late October – this marked just the second time in resort history that Sipapu was able to begin snowmaking operations before Halloween.
Starting this weekend, all lift tickets are discounted to $20 for adults, and teens, kids and seniors pay $15. As with every year, guests age six and under, 4th graders (report card required), 40-year-olds and guests ages 70 and older receive a free lift ticket every day. As part of the resort’s 60th anniversary this year, 60-year-olds will pick up a free lift ticket everyday, too.
Nearly everyday Thanksgiving week (and throughout the season as well), the resort is offering free lodging with the purchase of one full-day, full-price adult lift ticket to celebrate a decade of being the first ski area to open in New Mexico.
Lifts will turn on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the resort will be open every day for Thanksgiving week until Sunday, Nov. 27. Sipapu will resume weekend operations on Dec. 3-4, and daily operations are scheduled to begin on Friday, Dec. 9.