If you’re a regular at Hesperus, it sounds like you’ll need to make new plans for this winter.
Today, Hesperus Ski Area announced that they won’t open this winter. This is due to their only lift, the Bighorn Chairlift, suffering a major mechanical failure. With an extended timeline for putting in a replacement gearbox, Hesperus made the tough decision not to operate this winter. On the bright side, Hesperus is only eleven miles west of Durango, so guests are relatively close to partner mountain Purgatory Resort.
Hesperus is owned by Mountain Capital Partners, which is a growing player in the Southwest ski industry. I’m a fan of Mountain Capital Partners and their mission: to make skiing affordable. One of the great things they do is that skiing is free for kids twelve and under. This year, they’ve acquired Lee Canyon and Valle Nevado. In addition, they are working to revive Sandia Peak. This isn’t the only chairlift issue they’re currently experiencing at their properties, as Nordic Valley is currently without the Apollo chairlift for an undetermined period of time.
Ultimately, I think their main goal right now should be lift replacements, and not acquiring other ski resorts.
Image Credits: Hesperus Ski Area
