Ski Season starts in Colorado

[superstorm93]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15251145

[bob rulz]

Is this early or not? Here the ski resorts don't open until mid or late November, and only a couple of times have they opened this early. Is it different for Colorado?

[superstorm93]

Well one of the reason's it is open so soon in colorado is because alot of it is man made snow.

[Scott Patterson]

Well one of the reason's it is open so soon in colorado is because alot of it is man made snow.

Yes, true. Utah ski resorts average something like 2-3 times the amount of snowfall than the Colorado ones, especially the ones in the Cottonwoods.

[bob rulz]

Yeah, but I know at Utah's resorts they only start to make man-made snow if they're not going to be open by Thanksgiving, which is when they're expected to be open by. What time do they usually open in Colorado? Do they make man-made snow so they can open earlier or so they can open on time?

[Scott Patterson]

Do they make man-made snow so they can open earlier or so they can open on time?

A Basin and especially Loveland are usually first to open. They usually race to be the first to open in the country. It's just a promotional scheme more than anything else. This year is really early and they usually don't open this early.

If you are curious, the earliest ski resports have actually opened where you live, it was Powder Mountain on October 1, 1986.

[bob rulz]

Really? October 1?

I remember 2 years ago the ski resorts opened in mid-October because they got so much early-season snow, and I remember them saying it was the earliest any had opened. Maybe it's just the earliest the main ski resorts opened (Powder Mountain isn't one of the real popular ones). And the early and mid 80s were very wet and unusual weather-wise.

[Scott Patterson]

Really? October 1?

Yes, and more so, it was natural snow.

[craptacular]

A-Basin charged $43 for having one run open?? I know there are plenty of nuts (a good friend of mine in the Denver area included) who would pay for it, but since this is really a PR gimmick, you'd hope they would charge a little less.

I got my PEAKS magazine in the mail yesterday ... too bad I have zero chance of heading out west this winter.

[Scott Patterson]

A-Basin charged $43 for having one run open??

Yes, but keep in mind prices went way up this year, at least in CO. Most resorts are charging $80-100 for a lift pass now. Steamboat Springs near where I live charges $81.

Ski resorts don't get any of my business anymore.

I used to ski at Park West (Utah) for $5. Lest anyone think I'm old, that was in the early 1990's. You used to bring a can of Chili for the food banks and a lift ticket was $5. The normal price at Alta was $17.