Ski season is just around the corner and Monarch Mountain has geared up to allow guests to have a safe time while they hit the slopes. Monarch Mountain has become one of the first two Colorado ski resorts ( the other being Arapahoe Basin) whose reopening plan has been approved by the Colorado Dept. of Public Health and Environment, to meet COVID-19 pandemic public health standards.
Monarch officials say they have been hard at work preparing for the upcoming season and have made many changes to the base area to deal with the realities of COVID-19 and resulting public health requirements. They have remodeled several rooms to comply with health guidelines and allow them to more easily gage capacities.
The restaurant has been remodeled and in preparation for the upcoming season, has changed the way it operates, by having guests check in with a host and wait to be seated. The number of seats has been reduced to allow for social distancing.
“People are going to have to help and not come during the peak times if they want to get a seat in the Sidewinder,” said General Manager and COO of Monarch Mountain, Randy Stroud. They have also added a new burrito cart called fly-by burrito that will allow people to grab and go.
Stroud says that the cafeteria at the resort will be open all the time so people can spread out. All of the items will also be ‘grab and go’.
The resort will accommodate any size vehicle in its parking areas since what formerly happened inside the lodge will now need to be done elsewhere. Guests can bring campers, trailers, and larger vehicles, but are not allowed to camp overnight due to Forest Service policies. “Most folks are referring to cars as the lodge,” said Stroud.
A bluebird ski day; photo taken from a Monarch Mountain Ski Lift (Photo by Taylor Sumners)
Monarch asks that local community members become “Weekday Warriors” to allow other visitors on weekends.
When asked if there was anything else the community could do Stroud said “We’re in a precarious era. We’re all going to have to participate ensuring that we can keep ourselves open. I think I stated in one of my blogs that it takes two to tango and what I mean by that is we may be able to comply with all of the state and local requirements but if our guests don’t, then it makes it more difficult for us.”
“So there are those out there in our community that don’t necessarily agree with the policies that are out there, face mask-wearing or social distancing, or they think that maybe this COVID-19 thing is fake news but that mindset needs to go away for now,” said Stroud. “If you want to recreate outdoors during the winter, you’re going to have to get past that and comply. Otherwise, we’re not going to be able to make it.”
Monarch has set November 20 as its potential opening day, but with COVID-19 cases on the rise and potential storms on the horizon, the date is subject to change.
Recent Comments