MONARCH MOUNTAIN SKI AREA — “It's just nice and buttery,” said Corey Johnson who is from Tennessee and in Colorado at Monarch Mountain Ski Area during a spring break trip with his daughter.
He is enjoying spring skiing and describing snow conditions more like a winter day.
“There's a nice little bowl section up there, there's a few tracks through it but there's huge sections of untouched powder,” said Johnson, “So it was killer.”
Monarch Ski Area is part of the Arkansas River Basin where snowpack so far this year is at 119% of average.
It is great for skiers and the ski area that just extended the ski season.
“We've extended the season twice now. So, we're going to be open until the 21st of April,” said Jack Carvell with Monarch Mountain Ski Area.
Colorado’s snowy March put down 68 inches of snow at Monarch.
That is just inches short of six feet.
“We are 100% open and wall to wall,” said Carvell.
It extends jobs at the ski area and shortens the economic off season between winter and summer at nearby towns.
“The rising tide definitely brings up all the ships in town and the whole valley,” said Carvell.
Johnson and his family are an example of the economic impact.
He said, “We drive down to Salida, we went down there and had breakfast this morning. And then came back and now we're up here for the rest of the day.”
They will head into town multiple times during their stay.
“Then yeah, I'm going to go down and get burritos tonight.”
They also stop by local shops.
Other skiers do the same.
It is the economic influence of an extended snow season at work.
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