Fortune Friday

Posted March 29, 2024

Greetings everyone - Happy Fortune Friday! 

We’re officially in spring, and in the final stretch of the 2023/24 ski and ride season. Mother Nature is still delivering, which is super helpful for our terrain as we head towards our April 21 closing day.

I want to really focus on gratitude as I begin this Fortune Friday. I want to begin this by thanking all of you for your support throughout the season. Even after 45 winter seasons, I never get tired of the feeling of the spring vibe in the mountains and there’s nowhere else I’d rather be than right here with this amazing team and our incredible guests and community.  Each season presents new highlights, unexpected challenges, and always brings a whole lot of fun. Speaking of, there is still plenty of fun to be had, so I will save all my reflections on the season for now.  

Since we are in the final weeks of the season, I want to provide a look at our operating plans... Around this time of year, we begin ramping down operations as part of the normal spring cycle of snow melting, staff leaving for summer jobs, and due to all the other sports and activities that come with spring. This year’s plan is pretty typical of what we do each year, and largely depends on snowfall and weather. Here is what you can expect: 

All lifts will continue spinning through Sunday, March 31 (conditions permitting) except Galaxy chair which closed March 25. From there, we’ll begin our typical spring ramp down. 

April 1: Boulder, North Bowl, First Ride will close for the season. 
 
April 8: Mott and Olympic close for season. 
 
April 15: Stagecoach, Comet (except for end of day egress), Canyon, Groove chairs close for season. Groove Terrain Park is open through April 21 with access from Patsy’s. Groove chair may operate if needed for end of day egress. 
 
April 15 - 21: Final week operating plan - We will operate Gondola, Tamarack, Dipper, Sky, Powderbowl, Patsy’s, Gunbarrel, Tram, with the Gondola open for sightseeing and ski/ride access. Groove Terrain Park is open with access from Patsy’s chair. 

Spring is also when we have the most events of the season for us! Last weekend, we hosted our infamous Gunbarrel 25 event. It's a competition of speed, endurance, and excitement and those of you that have skied Gunbarrel once without stopping can attest to the difficulty of doing it 25 times! 25 laps on Gunbarrel is approximately 40,000 vertical feet... it is one crazy challenge! I wanted to extend my congratulations to all who completed it, and all who gave it a try. This weekend, we’ll be showing our support for the LGBTQIA+ community with our 2nd annual Pride event, and then we’ll break out the swimsuits and sunglasses and enjoy the sun for Pond Skim on April 7th at the bottom of World Cup. 

Finally, I want to introduce you to Blair Davidson in our employee spotlight. Blair is our Sr. Analyst of Mountain Planning here at the resort and does a bit of everything around the resort. We are so lucky to have her!

I hope you all get to enjoy the last few weeks of the season. I will be sure to touch base again with another update before the season’s end. 

See you on the slopes! 

Tom

Blair Davidson Selfie with Jacob Madecky

Team Member Spotlight/Q&A: Blair Davidson

  

Q: Hi Blair! Can you tell us a little bit about your role at Heavenly, and how long you’ve been here?

A: Hi All! I’m the Senior Analyst of Mountain Planning at Heavenly. I’m mostly involved with large project planning and have recently started to help out at Kirkwood with some projects. I have been at Heavenly for 5 years, and prior to that, I was at Kirkwood for 6 years. 


Q: What inspired your career path in the ski industry, and how has your passion evolved over the years?

A: Like most, I planned to move to Tahoe for a season after college to figure out what my next step would be. Here we are 11 years later and I think I found where my career lies! At first, I think I saw working at a ski resort as just a job, but now I have passion and excitement for what I do.

   

Q: What are some of your responsibilities in your role?

A: For projects and planning, I help the resort with coordinating our annual capital request and planning for larger future projects. In the mountain operations side of my role, my responsibilities are helping with permits and licenses to keep the resort running. I also work with the Forest Service on our requirements under our special use permit. In my community outreach role, I’ve helped restart the night time race league with the help of the Heavenly Ski Foundation and I am looking forward to partnering with more of our community non-profits.

 

Q: You wear a lot of hats. What aspect of your job do you love most?

A: The aspect that I love most about my job is helping make a difference at this resort for our guests to enjoy. The skiing is great, too.

  

Q: What unique or special skills are needed to do your job?

A: Mostly being able to type over 60 words per minute and having an inquisitive mind.

  

Q: What or who inspires you most?

A: What inspires me most is knowing that I can make a difference on this mountain and in our community.

 

Q: What is your favorite memory of skiing at Heavenly?

A: I’ve been skiing at Heavenly since I was a teenager. My favorite memories are skiing with family or friends and getting to show them this great mountain.

 

Q: Do you have a favorite lift or run at Heavenly?

A: North Bowl Express is probably my favorite lift. With the replacement project, I spent a lot of time in that area. In the summer, it has one of the most beautiful landscapes on the mountain.