What a summer this has been! Despite the persistent dust and heat, we’ve had an incredible time getting out on the trails with the Highland Family. We want to thank all of you who have been diligent about wearing your mask and practicing social distancing, helping us keep Highland a safe place to ride.
When we had to postpone opening back in April, our team spent a lot of time thinking of ways we could do right by our season pass holders and add value to what at that point seemed doomed to be a short season. We finally settled on jumping straight into summer hours: running the lift seven days a week as soon as we opened at the end of May instead of waiting until mid-June as scheduled. Rather than a “shortened” season, we’d have a condensed one.
Well, those unexpected spring weekdays were so popular that we’ve decided to keep the good times rolling into the fall. We will now be open seven days a week through the month of September! (Friday lift hours will cut back to 10am-5pm after September 4th.) This is the most days Highland has ever been open in one season, but you’ve all made it clear that you’re ready for it. 2020. Who knew, right?
Please remember that our COVID-19 guidelines are still in effect and you’ll need a mask to enter any of our buildings. Day passes must be reserved online in advance, and often sell out on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Make sure to plan ahead!
Trail Crew spent most of July focusing on overall trail maintenance, with weekly handwork done to prepare for the Friday Night Race Series. Cat’s Paw and Hellion both saw rebuilds, Eastern Hemlock got some fresh handwork, and both Tombstone and Pirate’s Cove were opened up for the season. On the agenda for August is cleaning up Freedom Trail and continuing to dial in race trails every Friday.
Ropes dropped last week on Derailer (pictured above), the latest downhill trail at Loon Mountain. Our Highland Trails team is incredibly stoked on this build: if you haven’t been to Loon yet this season, be sure to check them out.
In other exciting news, the full crew will be reunited back at Highland this month and ready to tackle Lower NE Style. We’re going to be gradually opening this new trail in various phases, so stay tuned for updates. We can’t wait to share them with you!
Our new outdoor bar is slated to open this week. We still haven’t settled on a name, so keep sharing your suggestions! (And when you visit, keep your eyes peeled for some hidden treasures in the bar top.)
There are only two weeks left in the Friday Night Race Series. Last Friday’s race on Bonesaw to Jack Rabbit got pretty rowdy. This week’s race, sponsored by POC Sports, will take place on Upper NE Style to Lower Happy Hour. Make sure to get in a few practice runs! Photos and results from past races are available here.
Stay safe out there, and we’ll see you on the trails!
