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The opening of Arapahoe Basin last Friday marked the official start to ski season. Here’s a look at some of the latest improvements you’ll find at Colorado resorts.
Arapahoe Basin | Opened October 17
This spring, A-Basin debuts a 7,000-square-foot Kids Center to house its ski school that’s partially powered by solar energy.
Loveland Ski Area | Opens mid-October
Loveland Valley gets a second Magic Carpet surface lift, a new warming hut (the Ginny Lee Cabin off Chair 8), and a remodeled cafeteria.
Copper Mountain | Opens October 31 November 7
Copper opens up its audio intelligence app, Sherpa, to everyone this year, so skiers and boarders can share their own favorites and mountain tips—and the best contributors can win passes and other prizes.
Keystone Resort | Opens November 1 November 7
Camp Keystone, the resort’s ski school, gains a fun indoor-outdoor, 24-foot-long slide that kids ride down to start their day on the slopes.
Breckenridge Ski Resort | Opens November 7 November 14
Peak 8’s Colorado SuperChair goes from a quad to a six-person express this year; the renovated Overlook reopens; and the Snowdrifter adds mobile meals to the mix (the snow cat will service different parts of the mountain, but it will hover mainly around Peak 6).
Wolf Creek Ski Area | Opens November 7
Wolf Creek adds a refurbished Elma Lift, a fixed grip triple chair, eliminating a long traverse to get from Park Avenue to the base area.
Winter Park Resort | Opens November 12
Lunch Rock Restaurant opens with seats for 400: 250 inside the new 16,000-square-foot restaurant, and another 150 outside on the heated deck, where patrons can savor their lunch and views of Parry Peak, James Peak, Parsenn Bowl, and the Fraser Valley.
Eldora Mountain Resort | Opens mid-November
This Nederland gem adds two Kassborher grooming machines to its fleet of five groomers.
Vail Mountain Resort | Opens November 21
Just steps from Gondola One, the Lodge at Vail gets a facelift with 56 rooms, plus the hallways and lobby, having undergone renovations.
Beaver Creek | Opens November 26
The home of the 2015 World Championships replaces the old Centennial Express Lift with a new high-speed lift that alternates six-person chairs with 10-person gondola cabins. Beaver Creek also adds 24 new snowmaking guns and 17 acres of terrain as part of the new Raptor ladies speed course.
Crested Butte Mountain Resort | Opens November 26
The Butte adds a Magic Carpet for the tubing hill and a fleet of 10 snow bikes for rent, making them one of only a few Colorado resorts that offer rentals for the growing sport.
Snowmass | Opens November 27
Snowmass debuts four lift-served snow tubing lanes at Elk Camp.
Steamboat Springs | Opens November 27
The land of champagne powder adds Thursdays and Mondays to its night skiing offerings. The resort has also redone Thunderhead Lodge at the top of the gondola, including a redesigned Red’s Bar that doubles its size.
Telluride Ski Resort | Opens November 27
Telluride adds 38 Snowlogic snow guns to its snowmaking arsenal this year.
Purgatory Durango Mountain Resort | Opens November 28
Besides adding 11 new snowmaking tower guns, Purgatory debuts Burton Ringlet Park, a terrain park for tots, as part of a large multi-faceted ski-and ride development.
Ski Cooper | Opens December 13
Consider the new Cat Trax snow cat a mobile mountain food cart that will deliver hot eats to different locations on the mountain throughout the season.
Buttermilk | Opens December 13
Buttermilk adds a multimillion-dollar ski school base at Buttermilk: the 7,500-square-foot Hideout.
Ski Granby Ranch | Opens mid-December
Granby gets more ski terrain with two new runs on West Mountain and a new gladed area off Bronc Rider on East Mountain. Plus Pomo Lift reopens, giving access to Lone Pine Bowl.
Silverton Mountain | Opens December 20
Silverton replaces its old helicopter ski basket with one specially designed to handle the deep powder (the old one would regularly get buried in pow-pow upon touch down).
Follow senior editor Kasey Cordell on Twitter @KaseyCordell.
