Pack your winter woolies because snowstorms at the weekend delivered a welcome cover of powder at several resorts across Colorado that are scheduled to open this week, with a further forecast for heavy snow.
Aspen Mountain and Snowmass’ are now open with top to bottom skiing and riding, whilst locals in Telluride were revelling in a Bluebird Day on Saturday after 15 inches of snow was received from one storm, ahead of opening day on Thanksgiving, tomorrow.
Skiers and boarders everywhere are hopeful this is a sign of another great season to come for Colorado’s 28 ski areas and resorts.
YEWWW!
Aspen Mountain
Aspen Snowmass
Aspen opened on Saturday with 3,200 vertical feet of top to bottom skiing and riding serviced by the Silver Queen Gondola, Ajax Express, and Bell Mountain Chair. Runs include Bellissimo, Upper Copper, Deer Park, Dipsy Doodle, Easy Chair, One and Two Leaf, Pumphouse, Silver Bell, Blondie’s, Pussyfoot Silver Dip and Spar Gultch.
This new terrain will add 88 new acres of skiing and riding, bringing the total acreage to 148 on Aspen Mountain.
Snowmass
Aspen Snowmass
Snowmass, which also opened early at the weekend, offers a total of 60 acres of terrain with skiing and riding from the Village Express midway unload point along Upper Scooper to Lower Hal’s Hollow to the bottom of Fanny Hill, as well as at Elk Camp Meadows accessed by the Elk Camp Gondola.
Steamboat
Steamboat
Steamboat was originally scheduled to open on Saturday 23 November, with the opening day brought forward by one week to 15 November, signalling the resort’s earliest opening in 50 years.
The season commenced with the Christie Peak Express featuring 50 acres, 1,100 vertical feet and 10 trails including Sitz, Sitzback, Jess’ Cut-Off, Vogue, lower Short Cut, Stampede, Boulevard, upper Giggle Gulch and Right O Way, as well as Desperado Carpet and select features in Lil’ Rodeo Terrain Park.
The new Steamboat gondola was also opened on Sunday 24 November, which increases capacities and decreases ride times.
Still craving more?
Vail
Beaver Creek opened on Saturday 23 November, ahead of its scheduled 27 November opening date, with more than 70 acres of beginner and intermediate terrain accessed by two lifts – Centennial Express Lift and Haymeadow Express Gondola.
Telluride is starting the season with 35 inches of snow in the past week, with more on the way ahead of its official opening day on Thursday 28 November.
Vail, which officially opened for the 19/20 season on 16 November, has also announced that trails off Northwoods Express and Sourdough Express are now open for a total of 360 skiable acres, 29 open trails and 5 chairlifts.
This wave of resort openings follows many record-breaking early openings this season, with Arapahoe Basin opening on 11 October; Monarch celebrating its earliest opening since 1969 on 1 November, Winter Park having its earliest opening on record on 2 November following 40 inches of snow in October.
Keystone and Breckenridge both had the snowiest October on record with 48 inches at Breckenridge and 44 inches at Keystone.
It’s going to be an epic season.
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