Less than an hour's drive from the Las Vegas Strip is the Lee Canyon ski resort, which in January opens Hillside Lodge, a two-story, 10,000-square-foot building developed primarily for skiers and snowboarders.
Amid the breathtaking mountain scenery, Hillside Lodge features a heated terrace and patio; a ski-in, ski out bar; and a bistro with food and beverage options; and ample restroom facilities. The lodge also includes a new indoor-outdoor event space that can accommodate up to 120 people for private meetings, special events and weddings, giving Lee Canyon year-round versatility. Construction of the $6 million lodge started at the close of the last season in May.
"It gives the base area different zones and different options that can cater to different customer experiences and how they want to use the base lodge area when they're coming off the slopes or right before going onto the slopes as far as where they want to sit and what kind of meal they want to enjoy," said Jim Seely, Lee Canyon's marketing director.
"This building was to catch up to the capacity need that we have witnessed over the last few years," he said. "We're really excited at this transformation this year because we haven't had any type of facilities upgrade around the base lodge area since about 1969. This is a great improvement for us."
Lee Canyon, which has operated on U.S. Forest Service land through a special operating agreement since 1964, is in the process of getting approval for another project that would improve the parking area, add mountain biking in the summertime, develop 20 more ski trails and construct two ski chair lifts.
About 130,000 people visit Lee Canyon annually. According to Seely, 70% are local. Among the other 30% are visitors from California, Hawaii, the Midwest, Texas, Florida, Mexico and South America.
"They're adventure-seekers," Seely said, describing the typical out-of-state visitor. "They have a bucket list of things they're going to do: They're going to see a show, they're going to go shopping, obviously they're going to gamble, maybe they'll do a helicopter Grand Canyon tour, and one of the things on the bucket list is Lee Canyon."
For many, a visit to Lee Canyon may not only be their first time skiing but their first time seeing snow at all, Seely said. The venue strives to make it as easy as possible for beginners to ski, he said, even offering complimentary coaching.
"Anyone who has a lift ticket or season pass can approach our ski instructors with red jackets on the bunny hill," Seely said. "They can go to them, and they'll get them started right away. They can experience in a couple of hours skiing or snowboarding and get the coaching they need to get down the hill.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony for Hillside Lodge is set for 10 a.m. Friday, Jan. 10. Live music and the fifth annual Chris Ruby Cup are scheduled from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 11. The cup, a banked slalom fun run, raises money and awareness for organ and tissue donation. There will be more live music from noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 12.
Lee Canyon officials anticipate its winter season to last through March. Visit LeeCanyonLV.com for more information and to purchase passes, lift tickets and lessons.