Snow Business: What’s New at Colorado Resorts This Winter

“We’re just excited to be back on snow,” says Shannon Buhler, vice president of Keystone Resort. The Colorado ski area outpaced all others in North America when its lifts started spinning on October 25. Additional slopes across the state have since opened, and most resorts should be open for the season before December — although Beaver Creek postponed its opening to November 30, and Telluride is now looking at a December 6 start.

Once the mountains are open, here’s what skiers will find that’s new:

Monarch Mountain, one of Colorado’s few independent ski areas, claims the most notable expansion this winter…but since the resort is not yet open, you’ll have to wait to see it. With the debut of No Name Basin, visitors can now ski both sides of the Continental Divide and explore 50 percent more terrain across 377 acres. Best for intermediate and advanced skiers, this zone offers a thousand-foot vertical fall line and eleven runs serviced by the new three-person Tomichi lift. The basin also features two gladed sections, with one reserved for intrepid hikers.

Meanwhile, Snowmass has replaced its Elk Camp quad chair with a six-pack lift. The resort also updated one of the highest lifts on the continent, exchanging its rare Cirque platter lift for a T-bar leading up to 12,510 feet above sea level. “The areas of terrain served by these lifts are some of the most popular on our mountain,” says mountain manager Susan Cross, noting smoother access to the slopes this season. 

Once stationed in Aspen, the Segundo lift at Sunlight Mountain Resort had been the oldest operational lift in Colorado. After 71 years, it was retired as part of the independent resort’s largest capital project in history. This winter, an upgraded triple chair will carry guests to the west side of the mountain; the central Primo lift, formerly a double chair, has been replaced with a modern quad lift.

Indie ski areas remain in the spotlight this season, with Lift 4 work underway at Cuchara Mountain Park and Lift 7 upgrades within the Loveland Ski Area learning zone. Formerly fixed with a double chair, Loveland’s lift now has the capacity to carry four people, but Loveland will intentionally load it with no more than three. Explains chief operating officer Rob Goodell, “By giving beginners more space to get comfortable loading, we’re helping families and new skiers feel confident from their very first run.”

Loveland has also regraded and widened its learners’ area, Zig Zag trail, allowing for an easier experience. Trees were also cleared throughout Granby Ranch to broaden the west mountain’s most popular run, Jackpot Trail, as well as Renegade Ridge, previously known as C-Note. Forested terrain on its east mountain has also been thinned to improve skiers’ descents. Other glading projects have taken place at Alpine Springs on Aspen Snowmass, Temerity on Aspen Highlands and Hero’s on Aspen Mountain. 

All four Aspen resorts, including Buttermilk, have enhanced their snowmaking systems by improving energy efficiency and expanding reach, granting more skiable terrain during early and late-season periods. Other areas have also upgraded snowmaking infrastructure: Copper Mountain installed fan guns and semi-automatic hydrants, Telluride Ski Resort established new equipment near the Village Express lift, and Purgatory Resort extended its snowmaking to the popular backside terrain beneath the Legends Express chair.

Tickets and Passes

Lift tickets to Purgatory started at just $9 this season. While prices have risen slightly due to demand-based pricing, select dates include a $20 resort credit — effectively paying guests to ski on certain days. Eldora Mountain also has new buying incentives, with families of three to six members receiving a 15 percent discount on season passes. Additionally, a flexible four-pack with no blackout dates is now available from the ski area, which the town of Nederland plans to purchase from industry giant Powdr. 

Acquired by Alterra Mountain Company last year, Arapahoe Basin is offering full access via the Ikon Pass for the first time this winter. The limited Ikon Base Pass grants unlimited skiing through December 19, plus five days through the remainder of the season. Both options also provide early ups every second Friday of the month between December and April. Ikon passholders can also enjoy complimentary night skiing at Steamboat Ski Resort.

Meanwhile, the Epic Pass and Epic Local Pass include up to ten discounted tickets for friends this season. These grant 50 percent off day rates at more than thirty destinations throughout North America, including Keystone, Breckenridge Ski Resort, Crested Butte Mountain Resort, Beaver Creek Resort and Vail Ski Resort. 

Dining Deals

Vail further incentivizes guests to bring a friend with new dining options portioned for two. Visit on-mountain restaurant The 10th to toast martinis over a large Caesar salad and truffle fries, or pair brats and dessert with lagers from Two Elk Biergarten. If you and your partner are seeking scenic ambience, head to the newly reimagined sun terrace at Mid Vail.

Similarly, Snowmass has expanded the deck of its restaurant atop the Elk Camp Gondola, arranging 120 seats within the weather-protected space. The heated outdoor lounge at The Cabin will offer street tacos and champagne, while the adjacent Spider Sabich picnic area will host The Hot Dogger, a Japanese-inspired pop-up featuring Los Angeles-based Sumo Dog. Slopeside diners will discover a new rotating international cuisine concept within High Alpine and a French fine-dining emphasis at Alpin Room. 

For those craving a quick, casual bite, Granby Ranch will debut a snack hut at the top of its east mountain, while Purgatory has refreshed Paradise Pizzeria in its base area. The base of Winter Park Resort will premiere a seasonal concept, Ptarmigan Kitchen and Bar, while Mary Jane Cafe, Sunspot and Moffat Market will feature updated stations. Satisfy your sweet tooth within the Cookie Cabin at Beaver Creek or visit the build-your-own gourmet hot chocolate bar inside Loveland’s Basin Lodge. 

Steamboat offers the season’s most impressive dining opportunity, allowing guests to enjoy dinner with a local Olympian at Crooked Antler, the Steamboat Grand’s re-envisioned signature restaurant. Alternately, guests can book a full-day guided tour to ski with the likes of Ann Battelle, Mick Dierdorff, Johnny Spillane and other Olympic legends.

Events This Season

Several new events will also spotlight professional athletes in action. These include the Stifel Copper Cup, happening at Copper Mountain November 27-30, and the Rockstar Energy Open, which will occur alongside Ullr Fest in Breckenridge December 19-21. 

Prefer to compete rather than stand on the sidelines? In addition to a fiftieth-birthday bash for Mary Jane mountain, Winter Park will host a mogul showdown on November 22, while A-Basin challenges skiers to its Thanksgiving Uphill Turkey Trot Race on November 27.

Expect plenty of other après experiences this season. Exclusive parties will take place at Silverton Mountain during its first-ever Winterfest January 9-11. On a regular schedule, Breckenridge’s Overlook Lodge at the top of Peak 9 will host mountaintop jams, while Vail has more than fifty music events scheduled across the resort and throughout its villages. “This season is all about creating unforgettable moments for our guests,” notes Beth Howard, vice president of Vail Mountain. 

With so many reasons to visit Colorado’s slopes this winter, don’t be surprised by weekend crowds. Avoid the notorious I-70 traffic by boarding the Winter Park Express, now offering special train trips during the holidays and four-day weekly service from January 8 through March 29. Or have someone else do the driving with Uber Ski, a new service from the rideshare app that allows advanced booking and guarantees vehicles large enough for all your gear. 

Skiers can also prolong their mountain getaway at Kindred Resort, a premiere luxury development within Keystone’s River Run Village, or with the “Ski, Stay & Soak” package from Purgatory, which includes a lift ticket, on-site lodging and access to Durango Hot Springs. Sunlight is offering a similar promotion, with a $120 weekday ticket granting access to both its slopes and Iron Mountain, one of the state’s best hot springs.

Colorado’s Mountains

Arapahoe Basin
Open now/closing TBD
888-272-7246
arapahoebasin.com

Aspen Highlands Ski Resort
Opening December 13/closing April 12
970-923-1227
aspensnowmass.com

Aspen Mountain Ski Resort
Open now /closing April 19
970-923-1227
aspensnowmass.com

Beaver Creek Resort
Opening November 30 /closing TBD
970-754-4636
beavercreek.com

Breckenridge Ski Resort
Open now/closing TBD
970-453-5000
breckenridge.com

Buttermilk Ski Resort
Opening December 13/closing April 5
970-923-1227
aspensnowmass.com

Chapman Hill Ski Area
Opening/closing TBD
970-375-7321
durangoco.gov

Copper Mountain Resort
Open now/closing TBD
970-968-2318
coppercolorado.com

Crested Butte Mountain Resort
Open now/closing TBD
877-547-5143
skicb.com

Cuchara Mountain Park
Opening/closing TBD
719-695-0585
cucharamountainpark.org

Echo Mountain
Opening/closing TBD
720-615-0019
echomtn.com

Eldora Mountain
Open now/closing TBD
303-440-8700
eldora.com

Granby Ranch
Open now/closing TBD
888-850-4615
granbyranch.com

Hoedown Hill
Opening/closing TBD
970-833-1720
hoedownhill.com

Howelsen Hill Ski Area
Opening TBD/closing March 29
970-879-8499
steamboatsprings.net

Kendall Mountain Ski Area
Opening/closing TBD
970-759-5557
skikendall.com

Keystone Resort
Open now/closing TBD
970-496-4386
keystoneresort.com

Loveland Ski Area
Open now/closing TBD
303-571-5580
skiloveland.com

Monarch Mountain
Opening/closing TBD
719-530-5000
skimonarch.com

Powderhorn Mountain Resort
Open now/closing TBD
970-268-5700
powderhorn.com

Purgatory Resort
Open now/closing TBD
970-385-2100
purgatory.ski

Silverton Mountain Ski Area
Opening December 27/closing April 12
970-387-5706
silvertonmountain.com

Ski Cooper
Opening December 10/closing TBD
719-486-2277
skicooper.com

Snowmass Ski Resort
Open now/closing April 12
970-923-1227
aspensnowmass.com

Steamboat Ski Resort
Open now /closing TBD
800-922-2722
steamboat.com

Sunlight Mountain Resort
Opening December 12/closing TBD
970-945-7491
sunlightmtn.com

Telluride Ski Resort
Opening December 6/closing April 5
800-778-8581
tellurideskiresort.com

Vail Ski Resort
Open now/closing TBD
970-754-8245
vail.com

Winter Park Resort
Open now/closing April 19
970-726-5514
winterparkresort.com

Wolf Creek Ski Area
Open now/closing TBD
970-264-5639
wolfcreekski.com