The Colorado ski season bounded to one of its earliest starts ever this season with Loveland Ski Area opening its chair lifts to skiers and riders on October 7th and Arapahoe Basin opening on October 9th. Loveland’s opening day of October 7th is the earliest the resort has opened in 40 years and Arapahoe Basin’s opening on the 9th is the earliest on record that resort has opened.
At 9am on October 7th, just 17 days after they started making snow, with its lifts in motion and an 18-inch base, Loveland became the first ski resort in North America to open for the 2009-10 season. Loveland skiers and snowboarders enjoyed a top to bottom run consisting of 1,000 vertical feet via Chair 1. The trails Catwalk, Mambo and Homerun made up this opening day run, which is longer than a mile.
Shortly after Loveland announced that they would be opening, Arapahoe Basin ski area officials announced that their opening day for their 2009-2010 ski season would be Friday, October 9, the ski area’s earliest opening in history.
At A-Basin, the Exhibition chairlift will open to the public at 9:00 a.m. on Friday. Skiers and riders can look forward to an 18-inch base on the intermediate High Noon run and six features in the High Divide Terrain Park.
These early openings, combined with recently announced pass deals and new improvements at Colorado resorts, has skiers salivating about the turns that await them this season. For Colorado Ski Country USA (CSCUSA), these early openings signal the beginning of an exciting season for Colorado skiing. Resorts across the state are focusing on what makes Colorado the best place to ski and ride. From top quality conditions to top notch guest service, Ski Country resorts are incorporating lots of value this season.
The excellent early-season conditions brought an enthusiastic crowd to Loveland on opening day, demonstrating that skiers and riders are eager to enjoy Colorado’s official winter sports. Resorts are renewing their efforts this season to ensure that skiers get maximum enjoyment from all aspects of the sport whether that means new deals on lift tickets and passes, lodging specials, on-mountain improvements, or the emphasis on guest service that has become synonymous with Colorado skiing.
The competition to be Colorado’s first ski area to open is a Colorado Ski Country tradition. For many years, the bragging rights have been claimed by either Arapahoe Basin or Loveland. These two resorts are generally the front runners in the race due in part to their high elevations, which bring colder temperatures and earlier frosts.
Loveland won the race to open for six consecutive seasons, from 1999 to 2005. Arapahoe Basin took the title in 2006 and 2007, and both resorts tied last season.
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