By Abigale Kreinheder
The 2022-2023 ski season at Holiday Valley was once again an exciting and successful one. The Valley was back running at full capacity after all the uncertainties thrown at ski resorts the past two years due to COVID-19. However, the season was not free from other challenges. New advancements in technology, developments in infrastructure and unpredictable weather made it a memorable winter.
The season kicked off on Friday Nov. 25 with 5 lifts running, 9 slopes open and a terrain park. Opening weekend could not have been any more beautiful. While Friday wasn’t 100% weather favorable, Saturday was a typical bluebird day. The sun was shining and people were smiling, a great start to the season! Unfortunately, the slopes closed the following week due to Western New York weather conditions, but quickly reopened the following Friday Dec. 2.
Skiers had high hopes for the upcoming winter season to begin and the Holiday valley snowmaking crew were determined to make everyone’s dreams come true. Mother nature was not very cooperative, but the persistent snowmakers still made it happen.
The inconsistent temperatures put Holiday Valley’s incredible snowmaking technology to the test. The resort substantially invests in improving the infostructure to provide the very best conditions for skiers and boarders. As everyone patiently waited for the snow to fall, guns were blazing, pumping out as much snow as possible when the temperatures permitted.
By mid-December we all got what we asked for: a snowstorm to remember. The frigid temperatures and wild snowfall covered the hills at Holiday Valley. It was a white Christmas in Western New York, but can you guess what happened next?
As the new year approached, so did the looming clouds. Mother Nature changed course and gave us all a taste of spring weather. While the beautiful warm days were nice for walking the dogs, Holiday Valley had to keep the white blankets from disappearing. Despite the fluctuating weather, Holiday Valley managed to keep a majority of the trails remained open throughout the season.
The resort’s excellent snowmaking capabilities and commitment to providing visitors with a top-notch skiing experience, Holiday Valley kept all 13 lifts and 60 trails of skiable terrain open as often and long as possible. Skiers and snowboarders of all levels had a variety of options to enjoy throughout the season.
Despite the inconsistent weather, season pass sales and day ticket sales were strong throughout the season. Buying a day ticket became an easier and faster process for those eager to get out on the mountain as soon as possible. The introduction of the new RFID (Radio Frequency Identification Device) ticketing system was an adjustment to say the least, but created a more efficient experience for visitors. The system eliminated long wait lines for tickets and waste.
The cards are reusable, no matter if you’re a season’s pass holder or a daily ticket purchaser. New tickets/passes are now reloadable onto the card. To encourage people to reuse their cards from day-to-day or year-to-year, skiers and boarders are subject to a $25 replacement fee. The multi-year durability of the new RFID cards is expected to reduce Holiday Valley’s environmental impact by lessening the production of single use day tickets and annual season pass cards.
Last ski season was the opening of a new high-speed quad lift on the mountain. Yodeler lift provided faster access to the top of the mountain. The lift quickly shuffled skiers and snowboarders through the line reducing time waiting in line or sitting on the lift. People could get back on the mountain sooner and enjoy ripping down the slopes more frequently.
It’s not over yet, but as the 2022-2023 ski season comes to an end, Holiday Valley is thankful to their loyal visitors and newcomers for making it another fantastic winter season. With a season total of 121 inches (60 inches less than the yearly average) of snowfall, Holiday Valley was still able to open every slope and lift across the mountain.
After ranking number six in eastern North America by SKI Magazine readers for the 2022-2023 season, Holiday Valley was ready for another great year and as a local skier myself, I think they knocked it out of the park…again.
As night skiing ends, Holiday Valley is still open for those awesome bluebird spring skiing days and coming up this weekend is the annual Pond Skimming event that you won’t want to miss out on.