Paoli, Indiana — There’s one ski area that Vail Resorts struggles to open and keep open each winter.
Paoli Peaks in Indiana faces challenges each winter, largely due to its geographical location. While it is often compared to the other Indiana ski area, Perfect North, they have different temperatures. This means Perfect North has more snowmaking windows, so Paoli needs to make their cold stretches count.
After not many snowmaking updates in December, Paoli Peaks finally opened for the season on January 3rd, with five trails available for ripping. In comparison, Perfect North opened for the season on December 5th. The opening didn’t last long, as they announced a temporary closure on January 10th. Warm temperatures are expected in the days ahead, which will deplete the snowpack.
To be fair, it looks like Paoli Peaks intends to reopen soon. The ski area made snow on Sunday when the conditions permitted. As demonstrated by the photo collage below, the snowmaking team has some spots to patch up.
For an unfair comparison, here was the Perfect North Slopes update for Sunday.
Late openings and early closings are not new to Paoli Peaks, which was acquired by Vail Resorts in the 2019 Peak Resorts deal. In 2023, it closed in late February, as warm fronts can scorch their snowpack.
It’s a challenging conundrum for Vail Resorts. There clearly needs to be a heavy investment in more efficient snowmaking equipment there. However, is it really worth it if you can only operate for two-three months? Others want to see the ski resort diversify its offerings, such as adding mountain biking trails. There’s also value in keeping Paoli Peaks as part of Vail Resorts, as it allows them to have more Epic Passholders from Louisville and Cincinnati.
We’ll see how the rest of the season goes, but it may be time for a new strategy at Paoli Peaks.
Image Credits: Paoli Peaks, Perfect North Slopes
