April is finally here! The weather is getting warmer, the grass is getting greener, and all around us the mountain is waking up from its long winter’s nap. Opening day is just over two weeks away: the 2021 season begins on Wednesday, April 28 for season pass holders and Thursday, April 29 for the public.
As we announced a few weeks ago, 2021 season pass sales are closed until further notice. With state COVID guidelines still impacting how efficiently we can load the lift, we want to make sure we’re doing everything we can to keep the lift line reasonable for our guests. If circumstances change later in the season to allow us to comfortably accommodate more riders we will reevaluate.
In the meantime, we will continue to sell a limited number of regular day passes online. Passes must be reserved in advance. There are still passes available for the Thursday and Friday of opening weekend: grab yours today!
The HTC has reopened for 2021 and preseason sessions have been popping off. In just two weekends, we’re already witnessing some wild progression. (When did so many people start doing backflips?)
Because the HTC is such a small space, all sessions are strictly limited to 20 riders. Reservations should be made online in advance. (All-Access and Yard Card Season Pass holders, you can reserve your spot for free!) There are two more pre-season Saturdays on the calendar. Once the park is open, HTC sessions will be offered on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
With the recent stretch of dry weather, trail crew was able to drop the ropes in Lower Sherwood on Saturday for a surprise pre-season dirt jump session. This was new for us: usually the dirt jumps aren’t open until at least a week after opening day.
This Saturday the crew plans to have Lower Sherwood, the pump track, and maybe a couple of tabletop lines open for more spring riding. If you already have an HTC pass reserved, you will have access to the dirt jumps. Jump Park Passes will also be available for walkup purchase in the Welcome Center. Hours are 11am-4:30pm.
Meanwhile, the XC network has been reopened. As always, access to the XC network is free and open to the public. You can find the trailhead to your right when approaching our parking lot.
Work is ramping up on our backyard improvement projects and we have some fresh progress shots to share with you. Pictured here, the lift corral is getting a revamp: you’ll notice that the bike wash station has migrated off to the left, and we’re making space for a cleaner, less sprawling line layout that still keeps everyone safely distanced.
(Speaking of lines….the Welcome Center will also be seeing some organizational upgrades. You know that Season Pass Holders line you’ve been waiting for? Folks, it’s finally happening!)
The new deck is also coming together nicely. Patio furniture arrived on Friday, and once the stairs are in place we’ll be able to start dressing up your new favorite hangout spot. Can’t argue with those views.
Underneath the deck is expanded storage for our rental and demo bikes. The bike shop mechanics have been hard at work assembling this year’s fleet, which are now available to book online. Thinking about taking one for a spin? Check out what we have to offer here.
Uphill riding nights kick off on Wednesday, May 5. We’ll be running both Wednesduro and Thursduro again this season, with extended Wednesduro hours during the spring. We’ve also added seven Wednesday Night Enduro Races to the calendar, sponsored by our friends at Oskar Blues. Registration will be opening up next week, so keep an eye out for that.
For even more racing opportunities, the Friday Night Race Series is back and better than ever! This year we’re bringing you six weeks of racing, weekly themes, and plenty of chances to score bonus points for your team. Registration will open on May 1st.
That’s all the news we have for now! Only fifteen days until opening: brush off that garage dust and get ready to replace it with good ol’ Highland mud. We’ll see you soon!