Mount Lemmon Ski Valley — which remained closed all of last season for the first time in its half-century history due to lack of snow — has opened at last, thanks to heavy snowfall over the New Year’s holiday.
“Finally!” said Graham Davies, general manager of the ski area in the Catalina Mountains north of Tucson.
“Happiness is the feeling right now,” said Davies, noting that Ski Valley opened all its runs to skiers on Thursday.
“We’ve now opened the whole mountain” after operating a small lift in late December, he said.
Davies said the ski area had a base of 8 to 10 inches of snow, and this week’s snowstorm added 13 inches — creating good skiing conditions.
“We’ve got lots of people” skiing, he said Friday. “But it’s cold. I think it’s about 10 degrees right now.”
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Overcrowding Friday afternoon prompted the Pima County Sheriff’s Department to restrict access to the Catalina Highway, which leads to the ski area. A car had to leave Mount Lemmon before another was allowed to go up, the department said in a news release Friday afternoon.
For road information, call 547-7510.
The ski area is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursdays through Mondays. It’s closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. A basic all-day lift ticket costs $40, with reduced rates for youths, seniors and members of the military.
The outlook for the remainder of the season: “We’re always hoping for more snow,” Davies said.
