Merely 129 days after closing for the summer, Arapahoe Basin ski area on Wednesday will become the first resort in the nation to re-open.
“We’re all very excited. We’re champing at the bit,” said spokeswoman Leigh Hierholzer.
A string of sub-freezing nights allowed snowmakers to generate enough snow to cover the intermediate High Noon run from mid-mountain to the bottom. There will be no beginner skiing.
The lifts will open at 9 a.m. Adult lift tickets will be available for $45.
The date marks the earliest opening in the 61-year history of Arapahoe Basin, which last year also won the race to open first, beating out neighboring Loveland ski area by a day.
“We’re getting close,” said Kathryn Johnson, marketing and communications manager with Loveland. “We have been making snow for two weeks now, but right now we don’t have our 18-inch base.”
A-Basin first entered the early-opening race three years ago with the installation of a snowmaking system, and its high elevation – 10,780 feet at the base and 13,050 at the summit – helps hold the snow.
Last year, the ski area opened Oct. 13.
The state’s destination resorts, which depend on pre-booked tourist traffic, target specific opening dates. Among those:
Aspen: Nov. 22
Breckenridge: Nov. 9
Copper Mountain: Nov. 2
Steamboat: Nov. 21
Telluride: Nov. 22
Vail: Nov. 16
Winter Park: Nov. 14
Coming off a second consecutive record year for skier visits, with 12.56 million lift tickets sold, the Colorado ski industry looks to generate national and even international publicity with opening day.
“When the first resort opens, it generates a huge buzz,” said Nick Bohnenkamp, spokesman for Colorado Ski Country USA, a trade organization for the state’s resorts. “People get super excited for the start of the ski season.”
