Mentone, Alabama — One of the most interesting stories in the ski industry this season is the revival of a ski area that appeared to be closed for good.
Cloudmont Ski & Golf Resort had not operated since the 2022-23 season (and hadn’t been fully operational since 2020), and warming winters seemed likely to keep it closed. However, a cold stretch of January, along with a group of eager volunteers led by Evan Thibaud, got the place operational once again.
Since the 1970s, the ski resort was run by the Jones family. However, Gary Jones’ health declined since 2020, leading to limited operations. Cindy Jones, the wife of owner Gary Jones, received a call from Evan pleading for them to help reopen the ski resort. Jones obliged.
Evan Thibaud described the process of reopening the mountain to AL.com:
“It was a crash course on running a ski resort. I look at the place totally different now. I used to be a kid going there, and now I’m seeing it in a whole new light. And it’s a wonderful experience being an adult and seeing it with this new life. It’s like everyone goes there with a ‘let’s try’ attitude, and that’s contagious, from the parking lot to the end of the night.”
The ski resort reopened on January 11th, and remained open for a couple of weeks. However, warm weather closed the mountain in late January, and it stayed shuttered for a couple of weeks.
It appears that they’re trying to get the lifts turning once again. Over the past week, they’ve been teasing at reopening this week. The goal was to open tonight, but Cloudmont is now aiming to open tomorrow (Friday) night. They expect cold enough weather to continue to make snow, so they’re hopeful that they’ll be open for more than a few days.
How long this opening schedule will last is subject to debate, but those who want to will be able to Ski Bama once again.
Image/Video Credits: Cloudmont Ski & Golf, Local 3 News
