While some ski resorts in the Western United States are having a historic season, a few mountains in the Eastern part of the country are shutting down their lifts. Yesterday, three ski resorts decided to throw the damm towel on the 2022-23 season. This included Ober Mountain in Tennessee, Paoli Peaks in Indiana, and Cockaigne in New York.
Ober Mountain: It’s been really warm in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, as Wednesday had a high of 82 degrees. With rain projected through Monday, Ober Mountain announced that they’re shutting their skiing operations down for the winter.
Tim over at Ski Rex Media traveled to Ober Mountain on their closing day, and he could tell that things were nearing an end. He told me that conditions featured very sticky snow, dirt, and the occasional pond skim.
A little impromptu pond skim in the middle of the trail today at @OberGatlinburg. Also, I look for part of the family I was skiing with today. #skiing pic.twitter.com/kHyTaRG0Z2
— Ski Rex Media (@SkiRexMedia) February 22, 2023
The situation isn’t the worst-case scenario for the mountain though, as it’s a multitude of activities. In all honestly, skiing isn’t the main draw there. It’s near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, so the crowds will be back over to Gatlinburg as we get closer to spring and summer.
Paoli Peaks: Vail Resorts’ struggles in the Midwest continue, as Paoli Peaks has ended their ski season. A statement from the Indiana ski resort said that warm weather and a lack of ample snowmaking opportunities have led to them ending the season there.
Local Epic Pass holders were not pleased with this answer. Here’s one commenter’s response to the statement:
“You mean you completely mismanaged the entire place, right? There were multiple ample opportunities to make a snow base, and you chose not to. This place will never be the same. How many weeks were you open this year?”
Some people disagreed with this comment, saying that their snowmaking had mechanical issues, resulting in a lengthy repair. In addition, warm weather is forecasted for the next week, making their snow situation unsalvagable.
Cockaigne: So far this winter, the town of Cherry Creek, where Cockaigne is located has only received between 35-37″ of snow. This is far below average, and warm temperatures have led to minimal snowmaking windows. With Cockaigne mostly relying on natural snowfall, the New York ski resort announced that they’re closing for the season.
Also, they will only operate as a seasonal resort (as they did last summer), meaning that they won’t have any offseason activities. Cockaigne was listed for sale last year, but the current owners supposedly remain committed to operating the mountain while they wait for a buyer.
Update 2/25: Wolf Ridge Resort in North Carolina became the latest ski resort in the Southeast to announce the end of its ski season. Other mountains like Wintergreen and Whitetail will end their operations after this weekend.
Image/Video Credits: Ober Mountain, Ski Rex Media, Paoli Peaks, Cockaigne, Wolf Ridge Resort
