‘Epic’ snow conditions boosting visitors to Mount Charleston ski resort

By Erin Dostal

Thursday, Dec. 23, 2010 | 2:39 p.m.

While residents are being asked to voluntarily evacuate one area of Mount Charleston because of the threat of snow slides, hundreds of skiers and snowboarders have turned up in a different area of the mountain to hit the slopes, enjoying the aftermath of one of the more powerful winter storms in memory.

Curt Sheffield, director of business affairs at the Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort on Mount Charleston said the resort has been open all day, and has served about 1,000 customers which is a lot, he said.

And it was a good day for skiing: The resort got 8 feet of snow in just four days.

Sheffield said he has worked at the resort for five years, and had never seen so much snow fall in such a short period of time.

“The conditions here are epic,” he said, adding that although he hasn’t skied yet today, he was getting ready to “boot up” Thursday afternoon.

“Mother Nature delivered the ultimate Christmas present for snowriders,” the resort’s website says. “Pure white bliss awaits.”

Although avalanches are a threat in Kyle Canyon, Lee Canyon, where the resort is located, is safe, Sheffield said.

“We’ve been doing control work for four days,” he said. “We’re just having an amazing day today.”

President and general manager, Kevin Stickelman, told the Sun Wednesday that the resort’s crews were doing avalanche control.

“For being as far south as we are… we’ve got one of the better avalanche programs in the whole country,” Stickelman said.

Sheffield said the roads leading up to the resort are clear and safe.

For more information about the resort, visit www.skilasvegas.com.