‘Powder on top of powder on top of powder’ at White Pass Ski Area

Ski area now open daily with slate of winter events planned

By The Chronicle staff
Posted 12/30/24

Skiers and snowboarders can now fully explore the White Pass Ski Area as all lifts and runs are now open daily.

Additionally, the tubing hill is also open, along with the White Pass Ski Area …

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‘Powder on top of powder on top of powder’ at White Pass Ski Area

Ski area now open daily with slate of winter events planned

Posted

Skiers and snowboarders can now fully explore the White Pass Ski Area as all lifts and runs are now open daily.

Additionally, the tubing hill is also open, along with the White Pass Ski Area Nordic Center for those looking to go snowshoeing or cross-country skiing.

As of Monday, Dec. 30, the snow-base depth at the summit was 97 inches and 68 inches at the resort’s base area Day Lodge, with the area receiving 13 inches of new snow within the previous 36 hours.

“Low clouds with light snow and a western breeze this morning,” the ski area wrote on its website Monday. “Temps have cooled, especially at upper elevations. We have powder on top of powder on top of powder. It’s hard to go wrong when there is fresh snow in all directions! Forecasts are showing a few more inches of snow possible today.”

Tickets for Monday and Tuesday were sold out, but limited tickets remained available for Wednesday, New Year’s Day, as of Monday morning. 

The ski resort also has plenty of events coming up over the next four months during the winter season, including:

• New York New Year’s Eve, where night skiing will be available from 2 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 31. Following that, the ski lodge will ring in the new year simultaneously with New York City at 9 p.m. Pacific time with a party featuring DJs from Genesis Entertainment. Lift tickets must be purchased for night skiing, but the ski lodge will be open to the public.

• Adult skiing and snowboarding workshops, every Thursday from Jan. 9 to Jan. 30 from 10 a.m. to noon.

• Beers with Friends, every Friday from Jan. 24 to Feb. 28 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., where each Friday a different regional brewery will be offering beers at the High Camp Lodge, located at the intersection of the Basin Boulevard and This Way ski runs, until 1 p.m. Then, people will make their way down to the Day Lodge to continue sampling until 4 p.m. Breweries include Fort George Brewery from Astoria, Oregon, on Jan. 24, Single Hill Brewing from Yakima on Jan. 31, Georgetown Brewing Company from Seattle on Feb. 7, pFriem Family Brewers from Hood River, Oregon, on Feb. 14, Dru Bru from Snoqualmie on Feb. 21 and Bale Breaker Brewing Company from Yakima on Feb. 28. 

• Retro Ski Night!, where night skiing will be available from 2 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 25, and skiers and snowboarders are invited to dress in their favorite retro gear while enjoying a prime rib dinner at the Day Lodge while food lasts. Lift tickets must be purchased for night skiing. 



• Dick Kendall Memorial Nordic Race, which features cross-country skiing races ranging in distance from 0.3 kilometers to 10 kilometers starting at 10 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 2, held in honor of White Pass Ski Area ski instructor Dick Kendall. Races begin at the Nordic Center’s Corral Loop and registration — available on White Pass’ website — is required.

• Light Up the Night, where night skiing will be available from 2 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 8, and skiers and snowboarders are invited to repurpose battery-operated Christmas lights to hit the slopes. A rail jam competition will also be held from 6 to 7 p.m. Following the end of the night skiing session a dance party with karaoke and a talent show will be held in the Day Lodge.

• Annual Winter Carnival, on Saturday, March 1, and Sunday, March 2. A giant snow castle will be built by the Day Lodge and will be open on both days at 10 a.m. for tubing and an obstacle course. Night skiing will be available from 2 to 8 p.m. on Saturday only, and on Saturday, starting at 7 p.m., the torchlight parade and fireworks show will commence among other planned events.   

• White Pass Ski Club Bantam Cup, on Saturday, March 8, and Sunday, March 9, featuring slalom and giant slalom races on the Lower Roller Coaster ski run. Registration is required and available on White Pass’ website, and the deadline to register is March 5 at 9 p.m.

• Castle Jam competition, where skiers and snowboarders both take to the remnants of the Winter Carnival snow castle — which is modified with rails and jumps — for a free-style trick competition on Saturday, March 15. Registration to compete is required and will be available soon on White Pass’ website.

• Great White Get Down, where International Free Skiers Association junior athlete members will be participating in a big mountain freeskiing competition, scheduled for Sunday, March 16. More details will be released on White Pass’ website when available.

• High Class at White Pass, a wine tasting and silent auction fundraising event for the White Pass Ski Patrol, scheduled for Saturday, April 5, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. More details will be released on White Pass’ website when available.

• End of Season Pond Skim, where brave skiers and snowboarders are invited to test their luck on a wild ride gliding across the “picturesque WP pond” behind the Day Lodge from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 19.

For more information on all of these events, including registration instructions, prices and trail maps, visit the White Pass website at https://skiwhitepass.com/events

To purchase lift tickets, equipment rentals, lessons and more, visit the ticket booth near the Day Lodge or the White Pass website at https://estore.skiwhitepass.com/