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Update on Damaged Water Supply System and Next Steps: 2.03.2025

Yesterday, we informed you that our water supply system has broken, and this is not like past water system issues – the impact on our pump station is catastrophic. As a result, our water station is currently inoperable. The damage to the water supply system was a result of an equipment accident caused by unstable snow conditions. Thankfully, the operator was not harmed in the incident. Several Mountain crew members devoted the majority of Sunday to extracting the equipment involved in the accident and assessing damage.

Upon receiving the update the morning of February 2nd, the Mt. Ashland team sprang into action. With over 2,000 guests expected on a powder day, and no water flowing through the station, we needed to quickly develop a plan to remain open for the day. Legally, Mt. Ashland Ski Area is required to have available toilets in order to operate.  

Our staff worked diligently to assess whether the water reserves in our tank would be sufficient to carry us through the day. After gathering estimates, we immediately briefed our 200 team members already on the mountain and implemented adjustments to our operations. This included conserving water in areas like the kitchen, managing guest access to Lodge bathrooms, and directing guests accordingly. 

While managing current operations, we were also searching for longer-term solutions to ensure we could continue operating. Given the uncertainty around whether our water reserves would last through the day, we contacted plumbers, porta potty companies, water delivery services, etc. to explore all options for keeping the mountain open.

Ultimately, we determined that the quickest solution was to bring in porta potties. However, due to challenging road conditions and the weather forecast, it was not possible to have 15 porta potties delivered and set up in time for opening today.

As a result, we made the difficult decision to close for the day. Like all of you, the Mt. Ashland team loves a powder day, and the joy we feel sharing the mountain with our guests is what drives us each day. Closing was not a decision we took lightly, and it came only after exhausting every possible option.

What’s Next:

We have hired a professional plumbing service to expedite extensive repairs to our pump station. Immediate needs are just as important as finding a long term solution that will keep us operable for the remainder of the season. 

We have now finally secured a porta potty company capable of delivering 15 units up the Access Road who have also committed to the regular servicing of the toilets. 

Additionally, we are actively working on a plan for reopening, and we will keep you updated on Thursday and beyond. Although the mountain is closed today through Wednesday, our team will continue working to resolve the issue today through Wednesday, and we will provide you with more updates as soon as we can.

Our goal is to reopen and remain open for the rest of the season. We are committed to supporting our dedicated staff and keeping them employed, and most importantly, staying open to provide you, our guests, with an incredible alpine experience. 

Thank you all for your patience and understanding.

Update 2/5 @ 11:15am:

Mt. Ashland is now going on 45 hours without power and counting. Plumbing work is progressing, but we cannot operate in general without power. This also means webcams are down, communication with crews are spotty and updates are sporadic. The primary power to all of our lifts is main line electrical so a generator will not work to run them. Throw in the road closures to complicate matters further. We are working on multiple solutions to the water simultaneously, but the lack of power is making the work much more challenging.

Yesterday’s grooming work was suspended due to several near misses with Uphillers ignoring closures and rules. This put us behind on work needed to open at our next opportunity.

We will give you an update as soon as we can, but we will likely not have an opening update until this evening.

Thank you all for your patience. We are doing everything we can to get our Mountain open!

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