Colorado’s ski season to begin tomorrow

Aspen Daily News Staff Report
The Arapahoe Basin ski area plans to open for the season Wednesday, with one lift running.

This would be the third year in a row that the Colorado ski area is the first in the nation to open, if no one else beats it.

The lift is set to begin running for the public at 9 a.m. The ski area says skiers and snowboarders will have access to an intermediate run with an 18-inch base, plus some terrain park features. A-Basin’s arsenal of 18 snow guns have been firing since Sunday, Oct. 5.

 Zach Ornitz/Aspen Daily News
Snow dusted Aspen Mountain over the weekend. While other resorts in the state open earlier, Aspen Skiing Co. doesn’t plan on cranking up its chairlifts until Thanksgiving. 

Nearby Loveland ski area hasn’t said when it will open yet. It traditionally tries to open in October.

Tickets for opening day at A-Basin are $49 for adults, $44 for riders between the ages of 15 and 19, and $25 for children. The ski area’s “Bonus pass” sells for $379 and includes unlimited skiing at A-Basin all season plus five nontransferable days that can be used at Keystone and Breckenridge, or one of those days can be used at Vail or Beaver Creek.

Aspen and Snowmass are scheduled to open on Thanksgiving, Nov. 27. Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk aren’t slated to open for the season until Dec. 13.