SEATTLE — Stevens Pass Ski Resort is officially open for the 2024-2025 winter season. Lifts started spinning just before 9 a.m. on Friday, delighting skiers and snowboarders anxious to hit the slopes.
“What else would I do today?" Miles Gaylen, who just moved to the Pacific Northwest from Atlanta, said. "I don't have any Black Friday shopping to do."
Koi Davis said he came up to the mountain bright and early to get some laps in.
"I gotta be on the mountain, dude," Davis said. For diehards like Gaylen and Davis, opening day has been a long time coming.
“It feels like I’ve been missing this for the past few months," Gaylen said. Davis said he considers Stevens Pass, which sits on the border of King and Chelan counties nearly 40 miles away from Leavenworth, his home mountain.
“It feels local, it feels nice, I’ve always felt at home here," he said.
If you are skiing or snowboarding at Stevens Pass, be aware that there are changes to the parking for peak holidays and weekends.
“If people want to come first-come, first-serve they have the option, if they’d like to reserve a place that’s either free for carpools or $20 for non-carpools," said Ellen Galbraith, the general manager.
She said approximately 40% of the mountain is open, along with four ski lifts. The resort is hoping for more winter storms so that more of the mountain and its operations can open up.
“We’re looking for that next system to develop which will bring even more snow and we can open even more terrain," she said. Season passes are on sale until Monday; Galbraith said that's the most affordable option if you're looking at doing a day or more at the resort.