Monarch Opens For The Season

Monarch was able to open with amazing conditions thanks to six feet of snow from the recent four-day storm that blasted southwest Colorado. Greg Ralph says, "No one remembers this much snow for opening day at Monarch in the past 30 years. We went from famine to feast in less than a week. Before opening day, we were looking at trying to open a little terrain with marginal snow conditions. On Saturday (Dec. 8) we ended up opening up most of the mountain with powder snow." Ralph says opening day, Dec. 8, had around 1,200 people skiing and riding the mountain. Mid-week, he expects about 300 a day. "You won't get stuck in a lift line. The only thing you'll get stuck in is powder." Early season lift ticket prices are in effect through Dec. 14. All services are available, such as daycare, children's center, rentals, ski schools, sport shop and food. Mountain crews expect to have 100 percent of Monarch terrain open by Friday, Dec. 14.