Pajarito Mountain Ski Area/Photo by JoAnna O’Neill

BY TOM LONG
General Manager
Pajarito Mountain Ski Area

It is with a heavy heart that I announce that Pajarito Mountain will not be opening for summer operations. With all the COVID restrictions and social distancing guidelines in place, we can’t make it happen. It’s simply not sustainable for us to be open at a reduced capacity. We are saddened to miss out on Summerfest, but at this time we just can’t find a way to host those big events in a safer way.

But remember, the mountain itself welcomes you. While our facilities may be closed, the mountain is still here for your enjoyment. We invite you to take advantage of our trails for mountain biking, hiking, running, and a breath of fresh mountain air. We’re a community mountain, and we want to invite the community to enjoy Pajarito, even if we aren’t running the lift or opening the cafe.

We’re proud to still be employing all of our year-round staff, the 8 of us. I’d like to thank our employees for their diligence, support, and dedication during this challenging time. While it’s just starting to be summer, we always have winter on our minds, and we’re working on maintenance and preparations for the upcoming winter season.

We’re planning to open for the winter season on November 27 and we hope Mother Nature will cooperate. We are paying attention to all the latest guidelines on COVID-19 and taking notes on best practices for operation. We are drafting contingency plans to accommodate for social distancing and precautions should COVID last a while. In the meantime, get out, enjoy nature, and stay safe.