- Ian Greenwood
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- powder.com
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- January 2, 2026
As the unionized patrol strike and associated closure of Telluride Ski Resort continue, another Colorado mountain is offering free lift tickets to those impacted.
Monarch Mountain, in a social media post, announced, “Telluride employees and their dependents, guests with a valid Telluride season pass or anyone with proof of a Telluride day-ticket purchased between December 29 and January 8, 2026 are eligible for three complimentary lift tickets.”
“We care deeply about our ski community and are glad to open our doors to help keep winter plans on track,” the ski area continued.
Further details are available on Monarch Mountain’s website.
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Telluride Ski Resort closed on December 27, the same day that its ski patrollers went on strike after both parties couldn’t agree on the terms of a new contract. The strike follows months of negotiations.
“The only way this institution can survive is with a wage structure that promotes attraction, retention and growth. We need a pathway to continue contributing to the community in this way,” the Telluride Professional Ski Patrol Association (TPSPA) wrote in a social media post announcing the strike.
Telluride Ski Resort, in a web post about the closure and strike, said its offer included “industry-leading, livable, and sustainable wages.”
The closure is already raising concerns among local businesses reliant on tourism. 9News reported that, according to the Telluride Tourism Board, short-term rental bookings have fallen 54% year-over-year in just the past week.
Monarch Mountain, which is about a three-hour drive from Telluride Ski Resort, presents an alternative for Colorado skiers, a deal sweetened by the free tickets. The ski area is smaller and less well-known than Telluride Ski Resort, with nine lifts and 1,146 acres of skiable terrain.
Telluride hasn’t publicly announced when it will start spinning its lifts again. But the resort did recently share that it had resumed snowmaking efforts and is working on a plan to reopen as soon as possible.
Nancy Clark, a representative for Telluride, said that “the resort has formed a recruitment team, led by industry professionals. The goal is to hire qualified and experienced personnel to temporarily fill the gaps,” according to Denver7.
Last winter, Park City Mountain, Utah, also faced a ski patrol strike during the holidays. It remained open through the work stoppage, but faced complaints about limited terrain offerings and long lines for its chairlifts.
