OBSERVER Photo by Sara Holthouse Pictured are the slopes at the Peek’n Peak Resort in Clymer. The Peek made the decision to close down their ski slopes for the season about mid-March.

The area’s two remaining ski resorts both faced challenges during the warmer winter season this year.

Both Holiday Valley and the Peek’n Peak Resort were forced to face a winter season without many cold temperatures and natural snow. This has caused a challenge at both places, specifically how to keep the winter sports section going throughout the season.

“Obviously this hasn’t been the winter we were hoping for but everyone here, from the staff to our amazing guests, has made the most of it,” Dash Hegeman, Director of Marketing with Holiday Valley said. “We can’t control what the weather gives us but we can control how we manage what we are dealt. So all winter long, when we’ve had cold enough temperatures and been able to make snow, our awesome Snowmaking Team has been out there working hard to make as much snow as possible.”

Hegeman said on the good, snowy days people would come out in droves, so the demand was still there but they would have liked more colder weather and natural snow. Even with that, he said that people still came out and had fun at Holiday Valley.

Tom DeKoning, Director of Mountain Operations at the Peek reported a similar struggle.

“Like all resorts we rely on cold and snow, so it has been a challenge without it,” DeKoning said. “It’s been a difficult year to attract skiers and keep the slopes open.”

The Peek’n Peak Resort made the decision to close the slopes for the season about mid-March, announcing it on Facebook on March 14.

Financially, DeKoning said that with fewer skiers coming in there was obviously also less revenue. Hegeman said Holiday Valley still managed to do well.

“Visitation year over year is down but a lot of the East Coast is in a similar boat so that’s to be expected when we’re dealing with such a mild winter,” Hegeman said. “Despite that, we’ve had some areas like our Snowsports Team for example, who have done very well this winter, which is fantastic because it shows that there are still a lot of people out there looking to become skiers and snowboarders and that bodes well for the future.”

While the weather turns towards spring, Hegeman said the rest of the season depends on the weather, with some small potential of still being able to make snow while they can. He added that the resort will do that as long as they are able for the guests, but spring weather is beginning to take over the long-term forecast. When talking with the Post-Journal, the closing date for Holiday Valley was still to be determined.

At the Peek, things are beginning to turn towards warmer weather activities such as golf and the Adventure Park. DeKoning said besides things like weddings and dog shows and other warmer weather activities that the Peek allows for there are many things to look forward to, including adding some new elements to the Adventure Park.

“All we can really do is move forward into our spring and summer events and hope for better weather next winter,” DeKoning said. “We may need to look into changing our snowmaking times next season if the mild winter happens again.”

Spring and summer activities for Holiday Valley include, the Double Black Diamond Golf Course, Sky High Aerial Adventure Park, the Sky Flyer Mountain Coaster, the pool facility and all of their lodging options, promising a “fun-filled summer” for everyone who visits. An early sale is currently going on for 2024-2025 season passes, continuing until April 30. Registration is also open for the 2024 Mudslide on June 15, with registration prices set to increase March 31.

Hegeman thanked everyone who came out this past season to Holiday Valley.

“Holiday Valley wants to thank everyone who has come out to visit us this past winter,” Hegeman said. “We’ve had a lot of fun this season and are looking forward to having some more for as long as the conditions allow. While the weather wasn’t always what we hoped it would be, by and large, everyone made the most of it and made a lot of memories throughout the winter.”

DeKoning also thanked all of the customers and skiers who managed to make it out to the Peek during the mild winter.

“Many understood the weather constraints we were under and we look forward to accommodating everyone again next year,” DeKoning said. “I also want to thank the staff who have had to deal with the most challenging season we’ve had in a while.”