Mission Ridge, WA Expands Night Riding

Michael FultonMichael Fulton

TL;DR

Mission Ridge announced the expansion of the night light system to the top of the mountain and the addition of new terrain for night skiing this coming season. The added night ski terrain will be a 78% increase over last season.

Level Up Your Ski Day — Download SnowStash on the App Store

Some excellent news coming out of Mission Ridge Ski Resort in Washington. With the expansion of their night riding this coming season they will be home to the second longest night riding vertical drop in the country and one of the longest vertical drops in the world.We went night riding in the USA for the first time at Brighton Mountain Resort and it was an incredible experience which has us totally hooked. Full details below from the resort. We are excited to announce the expansion of the night light system to the top of the mountain and the addition of new terrain for night skiing this coming season. After years of planning and preparation, 42 new light poles have been added in the Upper Basin of the resort to open several runs off of the Wenatchee Express chairlift. Topping out at 6,820 feet at the summit of the ski area, the Wenatchee Express will be open during night ski operations this season in addition to Chair 1, Chair 4 and several surface lifts. The increased vertical rise to a total of 2,250 feet will make our night ski operation the second tallest in the country that we’re aware of.On clear nights, you'll have one of the most amazing night views in the state. From the summit, you will see the city lights of Ellensburg to Ephrata and many points further in all directions. This project will offer our night skiing guests more advanced terrain to ski and ride on, as well as provide one of the longest vertical drops for night skiing in the world.The added night ski terrain will be a 78% increase over last season. When combined with a 2019 night ski expansion, we’ve increased terrain open for night skiing by over triple what was available for several decades prior. Skiers and snowboarders can now enjoy turns under the lights on 40 nights this coming season starting December 26th. The standard night schedule will run Wednesday through Saturday from 4 pm to 9 pm through the end of February. In total, 11 runs on over 70 acres of terrain will be lit. Night terrain will now be served by 3 chairlifts and 3 surface lifts. View fullsize

Mission Ridge trail map night skiing

About the author

Michael Fulton

Michael Fulton

Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.

50+ resorts visited15 years skiing

Keep reading

More from the SnowStash desk

Thredbo to Replace Ageing Gunbarrel Quad With New Six-Seat Chairlift for 2028

Thredbo to Replace Ageing Gunbarrel Quad With New Six-Seat Chairlift for 2028

Thredbo Alpine Resort has confirmed plans to replace its 37-year-old Gunbarrel quad chairlift with a new six-seat Doppelmayr D-Line, targeting winter 2028. The AUD 35 million project will keep travel time roughly the same but lift capacity from 2,800 to 3,000 skiers per hour. It's part of a broader investment push that also includes doubled snowmaking capacity at Friday Flat for 2027, with the ageing Kosciuszko Express now flagged as the resort's next major lift replacement after Gunbarrel.

31 Aug 2026
Aerial Tram Collides With Crane at Alpe d'Huez: 23 Injured

Aerial Tram Collides With Crane at Alpe d'Huez: 23 Injured

An aerial tram carrying around fifty passengers struck the boom of a construction crane on the route to Pic Blanc at Alpe d'Huez on Wednesday morning, injuring 23 people, three seriously. The cabin tipped on impact before the operator reversed it to right the car. Most of the injured were treated on site, with five taken to hospital in Grenoble, including a pregnant woman assessed as a precaution.

28 Aug 2026
Why Glaciers Are Collapsing - And What Happens When They Do

Why Glaciers Are Collapsing - And What Happens When They Do

A deadly flood on the Nepal-China border, a decade-old tragedy on Italy's Marmolada, and an unstable glacier right now above a village near Zermatt - three very different mountain ranges, the same underlying story. Warming ice is destabilising terrain that was considered settled for generations, and the results range from catastrophic floods to slow-motion monitoring situations that could go either way.

27 Aug 2026
Pitztal Glacier Set to Reopen for the 2026/27 Ski Season on 26 September

Pitztal Glacier Set to Reopen for the 2026/27 Ski Season on 26 September

Tyrol's highest ski area is gearing up to open a full month ahead of most of the Alps. The Pitztal Glacier is scheduled to start its 2026/27 season on Saturday 26 September, running through to 2 May 2027, with the lower-altitude Rifflsee area following in December. High-altitude terrain up to 3,440 metres gives the glacier a head start on snow, though as always, the actual opening extent will depend on how September's weather plays out. Early online ski pass bookings can save up to 30%.

26 Aug 2026
Unstable Glacier Above Randa Puts Zermatt-Area Village on Alert

Unstable Glacier Above Randa Puts Zermatt-Area Village on Alert

A hanging glacier above the Swiss village of Randa, just south of Zermatt, has been shedding large chunks of ice for weeks, with authorities warning more break-offs are likely. A danger zone has been closed off since June, though officials say the village's 479 residents aren't at risk. It's a familiar pattern for this glacier - it's done this before, in 1819, 1972 and 1973 - but a reminder of how closely Alpine authorities now watch terrain once considered stable.

26 Aug 2026
Thredbo Is 'On the Table' as EVT Reviews Its Whole Business

Thredbo Is 'On the Table' as EVT Reviews Its Whole Business

Thredbo is officially 'on the table.' EVT Limited, owner of Australia's most decorated ski resort, has hired Rothschild & Co to review its entire corporate structure - and confirmed Thredbo isn't off limits, even as it books a stronger year of earnings. The resort's own valuation has nearly halved after a brutal 2026 season, and speculation is already running toward Vail Resorts, Alterra, or a New Zealand operator picking it up. Here's what EVT actually said, and who could buy it.

25 Aug 2026
Ski-E-O! Is the Ski Resort Tycoon Game We Didn't Know We Needed

Ski-E-O! Is the Ski Resort Tycoon Game We Didn't Know We Needed

I'm not a gamer. I'm a skier and snowboarder who happens to have a laptop. So when a ski resort management game called Ski-E-O! landed on Steam, I wasn't expecting to lose an afternoon to it - but here we are. Real mountain terrain, a full weather system, storms that roll in and wreck your snow base, avalanche danger, and enough depth to make RollerCoaster Tycoon feel simple by comparison. Early access lands in November. Here's what a few hours in the free demo actually looks like.

23 Aug 2026
Sugar Bowl, California, Rebuilds Its Historic Village Gondola

Sugar Bowl, California, Rebuilds Its Historic Village Gondola

The rumours are true: Sugar Bowl is tearing out its Emerald gondola, in place since 1983, and replacing it with a new 8-person Doppelmayr system - nearly doubling uphill capacity to 1,800 people an hour. It's the fourth generation of a gondola line that dates back to 1953, when Sugar Bowl became the first resort on the West Coast to run one at all, and it's just one piece of a $100 million overhaul touching lodges, parking and snowmaking. Here's what's changing, and what's staying the same.

23 Aug 2026