PURGATORY RESORT News:DURANGO, Colo. ― Purgatory Resort is re-opening for the weekend with Plaza activities 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Activities include the bungee trampoline, zipline, ropes course, climbing wall, gyro chair, treasure panning and bounce house. Purgatory is offering a discounted Total Adventure Ticket for $29 which includes five activities, that can be purchased at the mountain Ticket Office and Purgatory Sports at 2615 Main Ave. Purgatory’s operating schedule after Sunday will be announced at a later date.
Paddle boarding, kayaking and other water sports will be open this weekend on Twilight Lake, which is across the highway from Purgatory Resort.
Buck’s Livery will offer pony rides and horseback riding also.
Restaurants will be open, including Paradise Pizza and Village Market and Deli. Purgatory Sports in the Village Plaza and the Burton Shop also will be open.
Purgatory Resort has been closed since June 1 when the 416 Fire was reported. The Rocky Mountain Blue Team Type II located its Incident Command Center at Purgatory Resort June 2, and has been managing the efforts to fight the wildfire from that location.
“Purgatory is proud to host the firefighters and management team at the resort,” said Colin McBeath, general manager at Purgatory Resort. “We’ve made our facilities available to them and are committed to supporting them with whatever they may need. We appreciate all that they are doing to keep our community safe.”
The resort’s management team has been working closely with officials involved with the wildfire, including the Forest Service, local law enforcement, county officials, CDOT and others to determine a re-opening schedule.
“Purgatory’s number one priority is the safety of our guests and employees,” McBeath said. “We have a commitment to our 250 employees, and our goal was to get them back to work so they could support their families and livelihood.”
Should conditions change, Purgatory’s operations may be suspended at any time.
“We are actively monitoring the wildfire to the south of the resort and are in direct communication with wildfire officials,” McBeath said. “The health and well being of our guests and staff are paramount, and we will continue to monitor the situation and adjust our operations as necessary.”
Purgatory’s mountain activities, including mountain bike trails, scenic chairlift, hiking trails, and alpine slide are temporarily suspended. The US Forest Service announced on Monday that the forest service land within Purgatory’s permitted area is presently closed to all activities because of the 416 Fire.
The closure remains in effect through July 9, or until the closure is rescinded.
The resort has also temporarily suspended PACK – or Purgatory Adventure Camp for Kids – through June 8 due to the fire.
Purgatory suggests that guests check the La Plata County Government Facebook and Twitter feeds, and the Colorado Department of Transportation updates on the status of Highway 550. Purgatory Resort will provide updates on its website and Facebook and Twitter pages on its operations and schedule.
For more information, log on to www.PurgatoryResort.com.
