April 1 has to be the most perilous day for the news media.

April Fool’s Day snuck up on this newsroom this morning, and we were about an inch of fresh powder away from getting hoodwinked by the merry pranksters at China Peak.

China Peak posted a fairly convincing item on its Facebook page this morning that it was partnering with Mammoth Mountain to build a 23-mile gondola line to connect the two resorts.

The China Peak station would sit atop Pincushion Peak, with a state-of-the-art lodge to include fine-dining options, events venue and even limited lodging options, according to the post.

Construction was set to start this summer, with the first crossing to occur in October 2022.

So far, so good. It seemed like a big, albeit plausible, announcement. The post included resort renderings and even a map of the project. A reporter even reached out to Tim Cohee, China Peak owner, for confirmation.

Then we took a look at the last line of the post: “The Pincushion Peak Lodge to be built in the year of 4057. @ China Peak Mountain Resort.”

We’ve heard of slow construction timetables before, but 2,000 years and some change is a new high.

So great job, China Peak, you almost got us. It’s going to be a long day.