Barbara Lawlor. Nederland. Eldora Mountain Resort lift operator Tim Lahey strummed his ukelele as skiers and snowboarders scurried to grab one more ride up the hill before the Lift Closed sign ended the season.

Guests pleaded with the operators to let them up “just once more.” The end of the season is always bittersweet.  The employees are ready to get on with their summer jobs and the skiers and riders hate to see the lifts stop and the snow go.

But before the lift would end its circuitous journey, a large mob of snowsports instructors gathered, minus their EMR jackets, some of them in shorts, to take a last run together.

At the Nordic Center and the race shack area, a Noralp took place. The University of Colorado ski team, national champions for the eighth time as of  two weeks ago in Lake Placid, New York, didn’t want to let the end happen without one more competition. The CU Nordic Skiers slammed gates on the alpine course and the alpine skiers took to the Nordic trails.

CU sophomore Camilla Brautaset, from Norway, said she was enjoying the event. “Last year it was snowing so hard. It is beautiful, but I will miss the team members over the summer.” Camilla said that the Nordic skiers did better in the alpine race than the alpine racers did in the Nordic race.

Eldora residents Jeanne and Bob Fosse watched the CU students celebrate and smiled fondly. Bob has been the team mascot for 30 years and Jeanne has been the grandmother, having the kids over breakfast now and then.

The end grew closer. The tension mounted.

John Marcotte of Boulder put up a good fight to be the “public” person to ride the last chair for the 10th time in the last 14 years. He eyed everyone in line as the clock moved past 4 p.m. but he stood his ground.

Riding the last chair has become an annual badge of honor, a prize to be fought for and won. He and Dennis Nicely of Lakewood waited patiently until the lift operators gave them the nod and then they pumped the air in triumph as they were swept up the mountain. In the last chair. Another year of boasting rights.

The ski patrol took the LAST last chair, the lift operators began the shutdown process, and the mountain sighed, ready to rest.