Mountain resort offers cooler summer climes

When considering summer in Las Vegas, most think “hot.” Given its name, most people don’t think of the Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard Resort as a place to retreat in the summer, yet, for its third year in a row, the resort is offering summer activities for people to enjoy the Spring Mountains and cooler summer temperatures at a higher elevation.

“During the summer in Vegas you don’t have to just stay inside in the air-conditioning anymore,” said resort President and General Manager Kevin Stickelman. “There is a place here within 45 minutes of town where you can experience the outdoors and be in 70-degree temperatures.”

According to Stickelman, the resort has been offering summer activities for the past 20 years but has been inconsistent about offering them on a yearly basis due to construction and other ongoing projects.

“Three years ago, after a several year hiatus, we fired back up for summer activities,” he said. “The last three years have been really strong as far as business goes because summer activities have contributed to the year-round success of the resort.”

“I think it is awesome that the LVSSR is open in the summer,” said Las Vegas resident Miguel Davila, who is a patron of the resort during the winter. “It provides a nice getaway from town and is also a different thing to experience it during a time of year when it isn’t snowing. You get to see the mountains in a whole new light.”

While winter is the most profitable season for the resort with more than 90 percent of its business, Stickelman said the resort does not merely break even from overhead costs during summer but is able to contribute to the year-round operations on the mountain.

“Our goal is that the summer season contributes to the bottom line of the resort, and we have been successful with that the last several years,” he said.

The resort has attracted people during summer by establishing hiking trails, scenic chair rides, dining options, and opening its facilities for events such weddings and corporate picnics.

“They have a few different things going on,” Davila said. “But that chairlift has to be the main attraction.”

“People love it because it is low-cost, and they can come up and experience getting on a chairlift,” he said. “The chairlift is important also because it is a popular thing people do for weddings. People like to ride the chairlift, get married at the top, come back down and have a reception in the base area.”

According to Stickelman, the chairlift is so popular that many people buy lift passes, which are available online. Summer season at the resort started July 4 and will continue through Labor Day.

“We are very busy every weekend,” he said. “And we have capacity outside the weekends in the summer to have events such as weddings and corporate groups.”

Additionally, the resort offers a full-service restaurant with a different menu than the wintertime.

“Our chef, who is a culinary school graduate in the Las Vegas area, really puts together a hand-made, locally sourced type of menu for the summertime,” Stickelman said. “It’s upscale compared to what you find here in the winter time, and it’s a full-service restaurant bar.”

Future plans include mountain biking, adding a zip line, and even building a mountain roller coaster — a gravity thrill ride that would enable passengers to view the terrain in the Spring Mountains from a different perspective.

“The Spring Mountains provide a good opportunity to come up, bring your youth groups and family reunions and have a really good experience, with good food and a cool environment,” Stickelman said.

“In Las Vegas, there are very few mellow things people get to do that are family-oriented,” Davila said. “I love that the LVSSR is open in the summer because it allows entire families to go and experience nature in a different way. It also makes us appreciate what we have here in Nevada and that we don’t need to go too far to be cooler and have fun in nature.”

The resort is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays through Sundays and on holidays through Sept. 1. Admission to the resort is free. Chairlift rides are $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 or younger. Winter season pass holders can ride free once a day. Public Wi-Fi is offered at the resort.

For more information, visit skilasvegas.com.

Contact reporter Maria Agreda at magreda@reviewjournal.com or on Twitter at @mjfagre.