Stevens Pass in Washington has had a… rocky start to the season… to say the least. From severe underemployment and lack of open terrain, to hundreds of complaints being filed with the Attorney General of Washington state, Bob Ferguson, and a Change.org petition calling for Vail Resorts to be held accountable for their treatment of the mountain reaching nearly 45,000 signatures, the 21/22 season is not what most would call a success. However, new interim general Tom Fortune appears to be bringing some success to the mountain in the past few weeks.
Friday, January 28th, the backside of Stevens Pass was able to open for the first time this winter, with seven of the 10 chairlifts spinning. On top of the opening terrain, the mountain has announced an extension to the season. Rather than closing up on April 17th, the resort now intends to stay open until the end of April, assuming conditions permit. Vail Resorts also announced a $150 discount for the renewal of Stevens Pass season passes.
Fortune has also pushed for the further hiring of new employees by greeting guests with a “We’re hiring” sign at the base of the mountain, coordinating employee housing, and ensuring more seats on employee shuttles to the mountain.
Though many are still calling for a refund on their current season pass, Fortune confirms that this will not be happening. According to the Seattle Times, however, he does expect the mountain to continue to work to improve the season. Fortune also continues to post updates on the Stevens Pass Instagram regarding the work he’s doing to improve the ski season for the mountain.
“That’s just the start. I don’t feel like the pressure is off.” -Tom Fortune to the Seattle Times
Image Credit: Stevens Pass on Instagram
