STEVENS PASS — It was another record-breaking ski season for visits at Stevens Pass Mountain Resort.
The resort hit the 450,000 mark for visits, slightly higher than last year’s total, according to Chris Danforth, vice president of sales and marketing.
Snowfall was a bit above average during the 2017-18 window. The resort tallied 552 inches total at the mid-mountain level. There were 468 inches in the base area; the average is about 460.
The heaviest snow came Feb. 14 to 28.
“It snowed nearly every day and the resort recorded 80 inches of snow,” according to a news release.
Heavy snow in January and February set the resort up for success in the second half of its season, with a jump in visits for March and April, compared to the same months last year.
Danforth attributes the growth in visits to an increasing interest in winter sports and the learning programs offered at Stevens Pass.
Despite high numbers of visits this season and last, Stevens Pass has experienced some tough winters in recent years. The resort purchased snowmaking machines in 2015 and 2016. Three years ago, the resort saw the lowest amount of snowfall in its 80-year history.
Though other states saw lower than normal snow totals this year, including Colorado, Utah and California, the Pacific Northwest had “dependable snow,” Stevens Pass Mountain Resort CEO Karl Kapuscinski noted in the news release.
The resort had its third earliest opening ever, kicking off the season Nov. 16. The season ended Sunday.
Stevens Pass expects to reopen for summer sports in late June. It will be the seventh full season for the mountain bike park. There also are hiking trails, chairlift rides, disc golf and events. Summer operations typically continue into October, depending on conditions.
Kari Bray: 425-339-3439; kbray@heraldnet.com.
