Skiers line up this morning at Arapahoe Basin's Black Mountain Express chair. (photo: Arapahoe Basin Ski Area)

PHOTOS: Opening Day of Colorado Ski Season

Dillon and Georgetown, CO – Colorado’s 2015-16 ski and snowboard season started today when eager snow riders gathered at not one, but two of the state’s ski resorts to load lifts for the first time this winter.

The season kicked off simultaneously at Loveland Ski Area and Arapahoe Basin, on opposites sides of the Continental Divide. At 9 a.m. Loveland’s Chair 1 began delivering riders 1,000 vertical feet to the top of the Catwalk, Mambo and Home Run trails for their first lift-served turns of the season on a mile-long descent on 18 inches of base. Simultaneously at Arapahoe Basin Ski Area, the Black Mountain Express high-speed quad chairlift began delivering eager snow riders to the top of the intermediate High Noon run to inaugurate their 2015-16 ski season.

Several resorts in Colorado have taken advantage of cold nighttime temperatures to commence snowmaking operations over the past several weeks. Copper Mountain began making snow on the morning of Sunday, October 4, and Aspen Mountain, Eldora Mountain Resort, Loveland Ski Area, Arapahoe Basin Ski Area, and Steamboat  have made snow since then as well. Thanks to more than 21 inches of natural snowfall and the welcome arrival of snowmaking weather in the last several days, Loveland and Arapahoe Basin tied the friendly annual race to be the first to open for the season, the first tie between the resorts since 2008-09.

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“In the last several days, many Colorado snowmakers and slope groomers have been working alongside Mother Nature to prepare for what is sure to be an exciting ski and ride season” said CSCUSA President and CEO Melanie Mills.  “We’re always thrilled to get another Colorado ski season underway and this year is no exception.”

Here are a few photos from today’s festivities to feed the stoke:

 

COLORADO SKI RESORT OPENING DATES
(subject to change)

Listed by Resort Name
Arapahoe Basin October 29, 2015 2015 – early June 2016
Aspen Highlands: December 12, 2015 – April 10, 2016
Aspen Mountain: November 26, 2015 – April 17, 2016
Buttermilk: December 12, 2015 – April 03, 2016
Cooper: December 12, 2015 – April 10, 2016
Copper Mountain: November 13, 2015 – April 17, 2016
Crested Butte: November 25, 2015 – April 3, 2016
Eldora: November 20, 2015– mid April 2016
Howelsen: Late November 2015 – mid March 2016
Loveland: October 29, 2015 – early May 2016
Monarch: Late November 2015 – mid April 2016
Powderhorn: December 17, 2015 – April 3, 2016
Purgatory: Late November 2015 – April 2016
Silverton: December 19, 2015 – April 10, 2016
Ski Granby Ranch: December 17, 2015 – early April 2016
Snowmass: November 26, 2015 – April 10, 2016
Steamboat: November 25, 2015 – April 10, 2016
Sunlight: December 11, 2015 – April 3, 2016
Telluride: November 26, 2015 – April 3, 2016
Winter Park: November 18, 2015 – April 25, 2016
Wolf Creek: November 6, 2015 – April 13, 2016
Listed By Open Date
October 29: Loveland, Arapahoe Basin
November 6: Wolf Creek
November 13: Copper Mountain
November 18: Winter Park
November 20: Eldora
November 25: Crested Butte, Steamboat
November 26: Aspen Mountain, Snowmass, Telluride
Late November: Monarch, Howelsen, Purgatory
December 11: Sunlight
December 12: Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk, Ski Cooper
December 17: Ski Granby Ranch, Powderhorn
December 19: Silverton
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