New Opening Day

News Release
November 17, 2006
Loryn Kasten
970-385-2131
lkasten@durangomountain.com

PURGATORY SETS BENEFIT DAY AND OPENING DAY

Purgatory, CO – Skiers and snowboarders will be able to make their first turns of the season at Purgatory Mountain on Saturday, December 2nd as the resort hosts the 14th annual Benefit Day. The official Opening Day for the 2006-07 winter season will be Sunday, December 3rd.

Benefit Day offers $10 lift tickets for children and $15 lift tickets for adults with all proceeds from the event going to a local non-profit organization. This year’s benefactor is the newly formed Durango Winter Sports Foundation. Benefit Day tickets are available through the Winter Sports Foundation; other pre-event sales locations will be announced shortly. Benefit Day tickets/vouchers that have already been purchased will be valid on the new Benefit Day.

A storm earlier this week dumped 20 inches of fresh snow on the resort, and allowed snowmaking crews to turn on the guns during cold nighttime temperatures. A warm front that is currently situated over the Four Corners region will prevent snowmaking for the next couple of days, which prompted the decision to push Benefit Day and Opening Day back a week and a half. Optimal conditions for snowmaking, according to Mike McCormack, Vice President of Mountain Operations at the resort, consists of temperatures around 18 degrees with minimal humidity.

"The decision to push back Benefit Day and Opening Day will allow us to have more terrain with better conditions available for our guests," says Hank Thiess, President of Resort Operations. "We think Mother Nature will cooperate with us later next week and help our snowmaking efforts with additional snowfall."

Over the past ten years, Purgatory has delayed opening day only three times, with two seasons opening earlier than planned and the remaining years opening as scheduled on Thanksgiving Day. This year the resort has received 55 inches of snow since September, well above last year when less than a foot of snow was recorded during the same period of time.

Reservations that fall Thanksgiving Day through December 1st will be eligible for a credit to be used during the remainder of the 2006-07 winter season. Guests should call the Durango Mountain Resort Call Center at 800-525-0892 for more information on changing their reservations.

For more information on Benefit Day and Opening Day including lifts and terrain open, weather forecasts and on-slope conditions, please visit www.durangomountainresort.com