Top Five Fridays: April 3, 2026
Hello, and welcome to Top Five Fridays, the April 3, 2026 edition! We’re getting more and more information about ski areas out west closing for the season after largely disappointing snow years, unfortunately
#1: More Colorado resorts are closing this weekend, leaving just 7 in operation:
We’re getting word that more and more ski areas in Colorado will be shutting down operations after this weekend, with most citing a lack of snow. In most years, these bigger resorts would certainly stay open longer—at least through their land or lease agreements, but with a low snow year combined with a warm spring, many of these ski areas simply cannot support, well, skiing. Wolf Creek, Eldora, Snowmass, Crested Butte, Keystone, Telluride, and Steamboat are all calling it a wrap on Sunday, even though most of these areas are picking up measurable snowfall this week. Vail and Aspen are scheduled to close on April 19th, with Vail offering skiing on the upper mountain only, so downloading via gondolas is required. This leaves Copper (April 26th), Breckenridge, Winter Park, and Arapahoe Basin (will stay open as long as possible) as the final few.
#2: Last week we talked about one type of Desert skiing halting, while this week, another one is growing!:
-Image: Lee Canyon Las Vegas’s Ski Resort Announces Terrain Expansion
It didn’t come as a huge surprise that Saudi Arabia’s Trojena ski area concept wasn’t really going to work out the way that they thought, but this week, we’re seeing another somewhat unlikely desert-based ski zone come to life. Just outside of Las Vegas in Nevada, the Lee Canyon ski area is getting a big influx of money to expand and grow over the next season or two. Recently, Lee Canyon announced that they’re getting $5 million in off-season investments to expand in their West Bowl area serviced by a new fixed-grip quad. While most people don’t think of Las Vegas as a ski town, it’s most certainly very close to big mountains, and those mountains support snow and winter-based activities. They are expecting the work to be done this summer and open for business in the 2026/27 ski season. Since 2019, Lee Canyon has made $23 million in investments, including a new base lodge and terrain expansions. The canyon is also home to Southern Nevada’s only lift-served mountain biking with a vast network built by Gravity Logic.
#3: Freeride World Tour concludes at Verbier’s Bec des Rosses:
Image: FIS Freeride World Tour by Peak Performance concludes with a perfect final show at the 30th anniversary of the YETI Xtreme Verbier. Whatch the full 2026 Yeti Xtreme Verbier here!
In the 30th Anniversary of the first Xtreme Verbier in 1996, this season’s finale was held in perfect conditions and in obviously amazing terrain. Ben Richards of NZL capped off a perfect season with a third victory. Toby Rafford of US 2nd with Tiemo Rolshoven of GER third. For the women, Lou Barin of France won the event and the FWT Title in her rookie season. Justine Dufour-Labointe of Canada 2nd with Sybile Blanjean of Switzerland in third.
#4: Corbet’s Cam gains worldwide traction:
We featured this in our Edits of the Week a while ago, and now there’s a story to go along with the immensely popular Corbet’s Couloir livestream at Jackson Hole, Wyoming. If you want to be fast famous, just have a recording of your Corbet’s slam at the ready, post it to the internet, and off you go. The resort’s brand director, Henrik Lampert notes that it’s a way “to keep the sense of possibility and adventure alive with people wherever they are.” Is this a thing of the future, installing web cams in extreme places or in terrain parks, or maybe even parking lots?