| Stevens Pass Ski Area | |
| Location: | King County, near Skykomish, Washington, U.S. |
| Nearest City: | Leavenworth 37miles east |
| Pushpin Map: | Washington#United States |
| Pushpin Relief: | 1 |
| Coordinates: | 47.7447°N -121.0889°W |
| Pushpin Map Label: | Stevens Pass |
| Status: | Operating |
| Owner: | Vail Resorts |
| Vertical: | 1800feet |
| Top Elevation: | 5845feet Cowboy Mountain 5600feet Big Chief Mountain |
| Base Elevation: | 4061feet main base area 3821feet Mill Valley |
| Skiable Area: | 1125acres |
| Number Trails: | 37 - 11% easiest - 54% more difficult - 35% most difficult |
| Liftsystem: | 10 chairs |
| Lift Capacity: | 15,763 per hour |
| Terrainparks: | Yes, 1 |
| Snowfall: | 450inches |
| Snowmaking: | Yes |
| Nightskiing: | Yes |
The Stevens Pass Ski Area is a ski area in the Cascade Range of Washington in the United States. It is located at the crest of Stevens Pass at a base elevation of above sea level and peak elevation at . The Mill Valley "backside" of the resort drops to a minimum elevation of . Total skiable terrain includes 37 major runs covering 1125acres. The ski area is accessed via U.S. Route 2, which connects to nearby Leavenworth.
Stevens Pass offers a variety of alpine ski runs ranging from beginner to advanced. Without lodging at its base, Stevens is a day resort, drawing heavily from the Seattle-Everett metropolitan area, via U.S. Route 2. Night skiing is offered until 10 pm most days (except Mondays and Tuesdays)[1] during mid-season.
The area is divided into front (north and east facing) and back (south facing) sides.
From the base area, there is direct access to the chairlifts Daisy, Hogsback, Brooks, Skyline, and Kehr's:
There are also 3 higher chairlifts on the front side:
The backside (named Mill Valley) provides a more natural environment with many sparsely treed runs. The backside features two lifts loading from the same immediate area:
The Stevens Pass Nordic Center provides access to 28 km of groomed cross-country ski trails of varying difficulty.
The ski resort was started in the winter of 1937–38 by Don Adams and Bruce Kehr, both passionate skiers who had acquired rights to develop a ski area on Big Chief Mountain.[2] The chambers of commerce for Everett and Wenatchee, who sought to promote the use of the Stevens Pass Highway, also purchased land owned by the Northern Pacific Railroad near the pass and transferred it to the U.S. Forest Service for use by a ski resort.[3] The original lodge was constructed in 1937, burned down in 1939, and was rebuilt the next year by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), a federal New Deal jobs program.[3] [4] By 1963, the Stevens Pass Ski Area had expanded to three chairlifts and twelve rope tows with a ski lodge and ski shop.[3] The Big Chief chairlift was renamed for Kehr in 2009, a year after his death.[2]
In 2011, Harbor Resorts after 35 years of ownership sold Stevens Pass to CNL Lifestyle;[5] operations were turned over to the operator of Mountain High in California. In 2016, CNL sold Stevens Pass to Och-Ziff Capital Management.[6] On August 15, 2018, Vail Resorts completed its acquisition of Stevens Pass.[7] The acquisition had been announced two months prior; Vail planned to include Stevens Pass in its Epic Pass program as well as opening access to Whistler Blackcomb Edge Card holders.[8]
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Vail Resorts implemented a pre-reservation requirement to control crowds at Stevens Pass and mandated the use of face coverings and social distancing for the 2020–21 season.[9] The ski area's employee accommodations were also reduced in half to a capacity of 65 people. Several lifts were inoperable for part of the season, which drew criticism from patrons alongside the shortened hours and overcrowding.[10] The restrictions were lifted for the following season, but staffing shortages and high avalanche risk caused only five lifts and 40 percent of terrain to be open, leading to longer lines.[11] An online petition was started on Change.org, which garnered nearly 40,000 signatures in two weeks, and over 80 consumer complaints were submitted to the Washington Attorney General's office.[12] Vail announced discounts for renewing passholders in response to the criticism and the ski area later opened more backside terrain areas.[13] [14]
A new general manager was hired from the Heavenly Mountain Resort in California ahead of the 2022–23 season, which opened with full staffing and additional capacity in employee housing, as well as pay raises.[15]
See main article: 2012 Tunnel Creek Avalanche. The area around Stevens Pass is known to be avalanche prone, having experienced the deadliest avalanche in U.S. history in 1910, when two trains, stationary due to heavy snowfall, were swept off the tracks and buried, killing 96 people.[16]
More than a century later in 2012, another notable avalanche occurred. Out of a group of 16 experienced skiers, three men, Chris Rudolph, age 30; Johnny Brenan, 41, and Jim Jack, age 46; were killed in an avalanche at Stevens Pass on February 19.[17] The avalanche occurred in an unmaintained back-country area known as Tunnel Creek, which was described as "ski at your own risk," after 3feet of fresh snowfall.
The growth of population in the Seattle area has led to increased use at all the Cascades ski areas in Washington, and Stevens pass frequently reaches capacity on weekends during January and February. In June 2007, a master plan was submitted to the Forest Service describing proposed future expansions and upgrades over the following ten years.
A northern exposure area is planned to the left (east) of the current Big Chief lift, with a Northern Exposure detachable quad providing access to runs and glade skiing. This expansion would add 115acres of total terrain.
Brooks has been upgraded from a double to a high speed quad, opening fall of 2019.
Daisy has been upgraded from a triple to a fixed grip quad, also opening fall of 2019.
A Grace Lakes area is planned to the right of the top of Brooks, heading off downhill to the right (north), consisting of groomed cruisers and gladed runs. The area would be served by a fixed quad lift, and add 80acres of total terrain. Additionally, there would be new adventure runs from the top of skyline down into the Grace Lakes area.
Big Chief was upgraded to a fixed quad, and the loading area was moved slightly down the mountain to improve access for the 2023-2024 season.
A new fixed quad "The Katz" would be added to the right of Big Chief, extending up and to the right.
Backside improvements happen at the right (east) side. To the immediate right of Southern Cross, new trails and glades provide expanded area, and a proposed permit expansion into Highlands Bowl to the right of that would provide a backcountry experience for those willing to do some hiking. A catch trail at the bottom would return to Southern Cross. This expansion would add 75acres of terrain.
There are no lift changes planned on the backside, other than the installation of the Jupiter Express [18] which was carried out in 2013.[19]
A "Solitude lodge" would be constructed near the top end of Skyline. Smaller yurts would be constructed at the top of Tye mill, at the top of the terrain park, and at the base of the lifts in the back. The base lodges would be expanded and reconfigured, while a new mini-lodge and ticket area would be constructed at the base of the Northern exposure lift. 470 new parking places would also be added.