Hello reader! Though we’re already two days into the workweek, I’m still recovering from a packed weekend of social activities, including celebrating the end of the season at Whitefish Mountain Resort. With all this sunny weather, I’ve been wrenched in different directions as a range of activities, from paddling to skiing, compete for my attention. But catching some rays on the slopes this past weekend was medicinal. Adding to the magic was the contagious, go-for-broke energy that permeated the air, with kaleidoscopic outfits to match (if you have yet to see some of the ‘fits that graced Saturday’s pond skim, check out Media Director Hunter D’Antuono’s photo gallery here).

Here to share some end-of-season stats, I’m Zoë Buhrmaster. Maybe the numbers will encourage some final reflection to ponder the skiers we were, who we became in the face of weird winter conditions, and who we seek to become next year. Or maybe they’ll remind you to check your bank statements to see how much you spent on french fries at the Bierstube. Whatever serves you.

Big Mountain’s summit saw 207 inches of snowfall by the end of the season. On average, the mountain receives around 300 inches, though the last few winters have produced snowfall under 300 inches — the summit tallied about 282 inches last year and 255 inches the year prior.

Still, spokesperson Chad Sokol said more than 90% of the resort’s roughly 3,000 acres of terrain stayed open most of this season. And to help distract from the lack of fresh pow, skiers and riders got to enjoy a fair share of bluebird days.

All told, the resort had around 457,000 visitors on the slopes, “better than we could have hoped for,” Sokol said. While that’s about 8% behind last season’s visitation numbers, it still made for the mountain’s fifth-busiest winter. Ski school instructors taught a record number of private lessons, and food and beverage workers served a steady flow of patrons throughout the season.

“We thank our passholders and visitors for spending their time here, and we’ll be rooting for more snow next season,” Sokol said.

Graciously, the end of one thing is often, if not always, the start of another. That remains true as the resort prepares for mountain biking season at the Whitefish Bike Park. The opening day is May 23 for weekend operations, with trails opening as conditions allow. Season passes for the park’s 20 miles of lift-accessed downhill trails are available for purchase at skiwhitefish.com.