Loveland Ski Area could open for business as early as Friday, thanks in part to the early-season storm that dumped more than a foot of fresh snow on Colorado’s mountains.
“It looks like the middle of December up here,” Loveland marketing director John Sellers said. “This will definitely help get people excited about the season.”
Arapahoe Basin plans to open Oct. 21, and most Colorado ski areas are scheduled to open next month. The state’s first ski area typically opens in mid- to late October.
Last winter, Colorado hosted 11.81 million skiers, its third-best ski season ever, according to Colorado Ski Country USA. Monday’s storm and strong season- pass sales have given the state’s resort operators a reason to hope for even bigger crowds.
Advance season-pass sales have been brisk across the board – up 11 percent over last year at Crested Butte Mountain Resort, 15 percent at Aspen Skiing Co., 22 percent at Vail Resorts and 40 percent at Monarch Mountain.
“We’re all really optimistic right now,” said April Prout of Crested Butte Mountain Resort.
The state’s $2.5 billion ski industry is keeping a close watch on rising energy costs, however. Fuel bills likely will drive up operating costs and may discourage Front Range and destination skiers from venturing into the high country.
“When people have less discretionary money, there are less discretionary vacations,” said Ralf Garrison, managing director of the Mountain Travel Research Project, an industry database known as MTRiP.
While advance hotel bookings were strong through August, the pace slowed significantly in September because of increasing concerns about the economy after Hurricane Katrina, he said.
International skier visits jumped 28 percent last season, thanks mainly to the weakened U.S. dollar. To capitalize on that momentum, representatives from Colorado Ski Country and seven ski areas – including Arapahoe Basin, Telluride and Steamboat – are in London and Munich, Germany, this week promoting the upcoming season to the foreign media.
“The U.K. is the No. 1 international market for us,” Colorado Ski Country spokeswoman Molly Cuffee said. “This trip is about strengthening those relationships. We wanted to say, ‘You’re so important to us, we’re going to come to you to tell you our story.”‘
Arapahoe Basin, which saw a record 326,165 skier visits last season, is reaching out to international skiers and riders for the first time.
“Our business has grown substantially in the past few years, so we’re putting more effort into our public relations,” spokeswoman Meisha Lawson said. “We want to increase awareness in other markets.”
Aspen Skiing Co., which sees 80 percent of its winter traffic arrive by air, said it is watching to see if high fuel prices will push up commercial airfares.
“We’re very dependent on air travel, so our biggest concern is how rising fuel costs are going to affect the already-battered airline industry,” said senior vice president David Perry.
High prices at the pump have helped Loveland Ski Area boost its season-pass sales, Sellers said.
“Our proximity to Denver is definitely one of our biggest selling points,” he said.
Loveland will be getting some competition this year when Echo Mountain Snowboard and Ski Park opens.
Formerly known as Squaw Pass, the 30-acre spread south of Idaho Springs will be the state’s first dedicated terrain park. It will be the first new ski area to open in Colorado since Silverton opened in January 2002.
Staff writer Julie Dunn can be reached at 303-820-1592 or jdunn@denverpost.com.
