Dodge Ridge will open to skiers, snowboarders near Pinecrest. It’s close to earliest ever
The Dodge Ridge Mountain Resort will open to skiers and snowboarders Friday, thanks to this week’s storm.
Dodge will have limited terrain and hours to start and will expand both as conditions allow, a news release said. It is the closest such resort to the Modesto area, off Highway 108 near Pinecrest.
The opening is on Veterans Day, prompting Dodge to offer free lift tickets to current and former service members who show IDs. Tickets in general will be reduced to $89 for adults and teens, $69 for seniors and $32 for younger kids. That’s up to $10 off regular prices.
The schedule calls for weekends only for now, on about 40% of the terrain. The opening will feature the new Triple Nugget Chairlift 1 and some other lifts.
All services will be available from the start, including lessons, equipment rentals, shopping and the Creekside Cafe and Boulder Bar. Details are at www.dodgeridge.com.
The season usually runs from December to April, but about 50 inches of snow allowed the Nov. 11 start this year. It’s a couple of weeks later than the earliest opening ever, which was Oct. 30, 2004. Last year, the resort opened in mid-December.
Dodge has an off-season that includes chairlift rides for hiking and picnics in this part of the Stanislaus National Forest. For the first time this year, mountain bikes could be carried on the lift.
