The temperatures are dropping and the snow guns are in place. This can mean only one thing – ski season is quickly approaching. For those who have been anxiously waiting for the lifts to begin running, the wait is over. It is time to pull out the winter gear and take advantage of what the Rocky Mountains have to offer.
As usual, Loveland and Arapahoe Basin will be opening first. Arapahoe Basin opened Wednesday, October 17, and Loveland is set to open soon. They both began snow-making operations early, but are limited by the weather because overnight temperatures must be around freezing. Still, Loveland is expected to open before October is over. Many other resorts have released their opening dates. The opening dates for some of the more popular resorts are listed below:
November 2: Copper Mountain, Keystone Resort
November 9: Breckenridge
November 14: Winter Park
November 16: Vail, Eldora
November 21: Beaver Creek
Early season conditions at the resorts consist mainly of man-made snow and limited terrain, but that does not discourage ski enthusiasts. As the season progresses and the weather cooperates, the resorts will have terrain for every skier and snowboarder.
Golden is a great location which provides easy access to the mountains and resorts. The Outdoor Recreation Center on campus has ski and snowboard rentals. As the ski season kicks off, take advantage of the highly ranked ski resorts which are just over an hour from Golden.