The first snows have dusted Independence Pass and the Maroon Bells, sure indicators that summer - and fall - is fading. For many October is a month to lament; the height of autumn off-season when it's too cold to indulge in typical summertime recreation and still more than a month away from the lifts opening at Ajax or Snowmass. Yet for the skiing and snowboarding communities just a few passes away, October marks the official beginning of the ski season in Colorado - a time to rejoice in the return of those activities for which most vacation (and live) in the mountain communities in Colorado. For two ski areas, the rush is not a pre-Thanksgiving day push, but a pre-Halloween dash to claim bragging rights to be the first Colorado ski area to open. Such is the case for two Colorado ski areas, Arapahoe Basin and Loveland, situated on either side of the Continental Divide just minutes outside Silverthorne.
Lofty snowmaking makes for October skiing
Several factors have whittled the mid-October race down to these two ski areas: elevation and a proximity to the mass market of the Front Range keep the chairlifts full and keep the entire endeavor feasible. The last ski area besides Arapahoe Basin or Loveland to claim opening day bragging rights was nearby Keystone in 1995. A crafty competitor, Keystone used its night-skiing lighting system to open before dawn and edge out Loveland as the first Colorado ski area open for the season. Yet with a 9,200-foot base elevation, Keystone has passed the torch to Arapahoe Basin, which, like Loveland, has an exceptionally lofty base elevation at nearly 10,800 feet. For perspective, the top of Sam's Knob at Snowmass tops out at 10,600, and the top of Buttermilk is a lowly 9,900 feet.
The higher elevation brings earlier and more sustained frosts. Taking advantage of these frosts, both Arapahoe Basin and Loveland have snowmaking systems to produce snow from the top of the lift to the base at times when most are still contemplating baseball playoffs or Halloween costumes. In terms of snowmaking, Loveland is a pioneer, when in 1967 it became the first ski area in Colorado to make snow using modified diesel compressors leftover from the construction of the Eisenhower tunnel. Having a hand in developing the technology, Loveland has fine-tuned the practice to an art, taking opening day bragging rights for six consecutive seasons between 1999 and 2005. In contrast to Loveland, newcomer Arapahoe Basin, which only recently added snowmaking capabilities in 2002, has fared well in recent races. Arapahoe Basin is the current title-holder for the previous two seasons, last year setting its own opening day record Oct. 10. However, the earliest Colorado opening day was set by Loveland on Sept. 30th, 1951, a pre-snowmaking record.
JUST PASSING THROUGH ...
When asked about the rivalry, Kimberly Trembearth, marketing and interactive coordinator for Arapahoe Basin, admitted, "We might drive over the pass and have a look at what [Loveland] is doing." Trembearth admits that there may be some strategy in the cross-Continental Divide poker game.
"[Loveland] may pile their snow, leading us to think we have the lead, until spreading it at the last minute," she says.
John Sellers, director of marketing for Loveland, shared a similar tactic, "I may drive over [Loveland] pass instead of taking the Eisenhower tunnel home ... just to see what sort of activity A-Basin is up to. However [Arapahoe Basin] is just far enough away that conditions can vary dramatically, so much so that conditions on one side of the pass may be frigid and ideal, while temperatures are much milder on the other side, or vice versa."
"It just comes down to temperature," says Trembearth. "We can't control mother nature. We open when we can and only when we can offer the best conditions for boarders and skiers. If we happen to be first, all the better."
And Sellers agrees.
"We at Loveland aim for an opening day product that will please every rider, from professional to novice. We strive for a minimum 18-inch base, tree-to-tree coverage from top to bottom. Our snowmaking crew, with traveling experts from New Zealand, are some of the best in the world and we are confident that not only can they produce a quality skiing and boarding experience opening day, but that we have a good shot at being open first."
The white ribboncof death
When open, Arapahoe Basin and Loveland offer similar conditions, both in terms of snow and terrain availablity. Both typically offer a single run, ranging in width from 15 to 65 feet with a base anywhere from 18 to 24 inches. Arapahoe Basin opens approximately 800 vertical feet of terrain on the intermediate High Noon run, serviced by the Exhibition Chair. Loveland opens with slightly more vertical terrain, 990 vertical feet along the beginner and intermediate Cat Walk, Mambo and Home Run trails serviced by Chair One. Both ski areas also install several rails and boxes in designated areas along the trail for skiers and boarders to reestablish and hone their jibbing and rail-sliding skills.
Some may disparage the sub-20 inch base or the single skiable run bordered by rocks and grass as nothing more than "an icy ribbon of death." There may be some truth to the description of the conditions, but the opportunity to get back on snow is the real draw, a time to rejoice in the return of ski season.
Look no further than the ski areas within the Roaring Fork Valley. While not typically in the race to open first, Aspen Skiing Co. resorts have been known to push the ski season at the closing date well into May and June. According to SkiCo spokesman Melissa Rhines, the ski areas under SkiCo "will open whenever it's possible." This is the same mindset that lead to reopening the lifts on Ajax from June 13-15, and that prompted the earliest opening at Snowmass on Halloween in 1996.
So whether you're looking to pad your yearly ski-day total, get the ski muscles moving again, or are just looking for a beautiful fall drive over Independence Pass that happens to include a day on the slopes, in the race to open first, everybody is a winner.
