LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Recent wet weather left the Lee Canyon Ski Resort covered in white, and up to two feet of new snow could land on top of it by the weekend.
“(The snow is) perfectly packed. They groom it really well afterward, so it’s much easier to glide and get through the trees,” Kennedy Williams a skier said during one of her breaks from coming down the mountain.
A resort representative told 8 News Now that higher-than-average visitor numbers are expected.
The reason seemingly is due to a trio: new snow, a holiday weekend, and a popular race.
The eighth annual Chris Ruby Cup is anticipated to bring hundreds of people to the resort. The race, named after the 20-year-old man that died in a 2014 snowboarding incident, seeks to increase organ donation registrations through Nevada Donor Network.
Additionally, the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on Monday had historically persuaded families looking for fun in the snow to head up the mountain.
It all comes after a “peak-visitation” weekend, according to the resort’s Twitter account, that periodically closed parking when no more spaces were available. People online report waiting in an hour or longer line over the weekend to access the parking lot.
The increased attendance may help the resort’s bottom line despite the parking headaches.
Some visitors like Aaron Chernoff said they spend at least $100 per visit.
“(That’s to) get food. The lift pass of course. It’s gone up about $10 for locals in the last year,” Chernoff said while leaving the resort Monday morning.
For others, like Dan Larsen, visitors are paying $200 or more.
“That’s the chair, the rentals. That’s the food, stuff like that. Parking,” Larsen said inside the resort’s café Monday morning. “I love to ski, and I only have a couple more years with these knees, so I’m-a do it while I can.”
Those planning to go to Lee Canyon this weekend are urged to arrive before the lifts start at 9:00 a.m. and check road conditions as NDOT occasionally can close the one-lane street unexpectedly.
The resort additionally urges visitors to do so by calling 511 or visiting nvroads.com before leaving.
Nevada State Police requires snow chains and/or four-wheel drive vehicles after any winter storm, like the one anticipated later this week.
More traveling and pricing information can be found on the Lee Canyon Ski Resort website.