As the ski season wound down in Vail over the weekend, Vail Resorts noted a less-than-stellar year. Skier visits were down by 6.2 percent compared with the year before; lift ticket revenues were off by 8.7 percent; and there were 12.8 percent fewer room bookings, according to the Vail Daily. Although the big snow over the weekend brought many to the slopes one last time, some people might wonder why the resorts simply didn't stay open a few more weeks. The answer, according to 9News, is that most resorts sign leases with the federal government prior to the start of the season and most of those leases ended over the weekend--although Loveland Pass, Arapahoe Basin, and Echo Mountain Park are still open. But Winter Park, Copper, Silverton, and Breckenridge--to name a few--all closed, as The Steamboat Pilot & Today reports.