Snowbird’s parking lot was a bustling scene this Monday, filled with SUVs and at least one sunburned Tesla as skiers and snowboarders unloaded their gear to enjoy the final day of the ski season.
Despite the somewhat dingy snow coating the mountains, the atmosphere felt lively and spirited.
It wasn’t just another ordinary day on the slopes; a Yeti, an astronaut, and a host of revelers in shorts contributed to an unusual vibe marking the end of the 2024-25 ski season in Utah.
Among the crowd was Austin Reed, a 21-year-old University of Utah student from Georgia, who, along with his friends, embraced the quirky nature of the day with their red-white-and-blue shorts and tutus, topped off with a cowboy hat featuring an American-flag theme.
As a snowboarder, Reed expressed his envy for the boisterous closing-day events typically held at nearby Alta Ski Area, a ski-only resort.
He aimed to infuse Snowbird with the same festive celebration, saying, “Everyone’s coming in their funny clothes. They’re saying, ‘What’s up?’ Complimenting… Great time. I can’t ask for anything more.”
In Utah, most public ski areas had already shuttered their lifts in April, with 16 resorts, including the likes of Alta, finishing their seasons.
However, Snowbird’s determination to stay open until Memorial Day weekend secured its reputation as the last operational ski area in the state, albeit narrowly.
Solitude considered extending its season for another weekend, but ultimately decided to close on May 18 due to deteriorating conditions. Brighton, another resort in Big Cottonwood Canyon, also wrapped up the season on the same day.
Despite its early closure, Solitude can take pride in having the longest ski season in Utah this year, running for 183 days since its season opener on November 7.
Snowbird, which opened on November 28, counted a total of 170 days of skiing and accumulated 542 inches of snow throughout the season.
Megan Broadbent, a 19-year-old who proudly identifies as having been “born at Snowbird” as a skier, was part of the close-out festivities for the first time in a decade.
She seized the moment, showcasing her skills by gliding over a natural pond formed in Peruvian Gulch, successfully skimming across it three times without a drop hitting her striking cardinal-red blazer.
Others, however, faced a bit of a challenge, as some didn’t pick up enough speed and submerged into the icy water.
A few skiers even lost their skis and sunglasses during their attempts but emerged with smiles on their faces, ready to embrace the festive spirit of closing day.
“It’s such good vibes,” Broadbent remarked about the atmosphere, noting the sight of so many in shorts and T-shirts.
While many were jubilant in celebration, not everyone was eager to conclude the ski season just yet.
Josh Keller from Sandy has already skied 119 days this season and has no plans to stop. He intends to keep skiing at least once each month, regardless of it’s lift-served or just hiking up into the remaining snowfields.
“It’s happy and sad both,” Keller reflected on the closing day.
Having attended the last 30 closing days at Snowbird, he recognizes the bittersweet nature of ending the lift-served season.
His thoughts shifted toward the future, as he stated, “Because I want to ski the lifts, but now I’ve got to earn my turns.
But there’s always next year.”
As the snow melts and thoughts of next ski season linger, just like the revelers in shorts, the countdown to the mountains reopening is already underway.
image source from：https://www.sltrib.com/news/environment/2025/05/26/snowbird-closes-out-utahs-2024-25/
