Colorado’s resorts prep for ski and snowboard season with new offerings

Denver, CO, Sept. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- When you hit the slopes this winter, you’ll see exciting new changes at all 21 CSCUSA member resorts. The news this season includes more than a gloveful of big anniversaries: Copper’s 50^th, Eldora’s 60th, Steamboat’s 60^th, Sunlight’s 55^th, and Telluride’s 50^th. Not to be outdone, Steamboat’s Howelsen Hill is a spry 107 years old this season, the oldest continuously operating ski area in North America. And CSCUSA itself celebrates 60 years of promoting and growing Colorado’s ski industry. Whether it’s your first season on the slopes or your 50^th (or more!) CSCUSA’s member resorts have #AMountainForEveryone.

Check out what our member resorts and ski areas have been up to over the summer:

Arapahoe Basin Ski Area

Arapahoe Basin’s motto is “Legendary for a Reason” thanks to its elevation, challenging terrain, and traditions. Over the summer, A-Basin replaced the Lenawee Lift (a fixed-grip 3-seater built in 2001) with a high-speed 6-pack. This new lift will alleviate one of the last remaining pinch points on the mountain, giving guests quicker access to the slopes. Also this season, you’ll enjoy new on-mountain dining options, including Steilhang, an alpine hut located just below the top of the Lenawee Lift that serves Colorado-made German sausages, beer, and pastry.

For more information, visit www.arapahoebasin.com.

Aspen Snowmass

Aspen Snowmass is putting the final touches on a 9,300 square foot skier services building at the base of Buttermilk. The new all-electric building will house a ticketing office, a Four Mountain Sports rental and retail shop, Ski and Snowboard School services, and a guest lounge and locker rental space. Skiers and riders can also treat their tastebuds at the renovated Buttermilk Mountain Lodge restaurant (formerly known as Bumps) with its expanded bar and outdoor patio called The Backyard.

For more information, visit www.aspensnowmass.com.

Cooper

If you’re looking for soft, natural snow and wide-open runs in the heart of the Rockies, Cooper & Chicago Ridge is your ski area. New terrain in the Tennessee Creek Basin & Chicago Ridge is just made for expert skiers. First-timers, families, and adventure-seeking intermediate skiers will find plenty of magnificent terrain on Cooper’s front side, with short-to-nonexistent life lines, friendly faces, and an authentic Colorado skiing experience.

For more information, visit www.skicooper.com.

Copper Mountain – celebrating 50 seasons!

Copper Mountain is gearing up for its 50th anniversary season this winter and it’s kind of a big deal. In honor of the major milestone, the Athlete's Mountain will be celebrating its history of supporting athletes throughout the season. In early December, the resort will host a 50th anniversary party to celebrate legendary figures and unforgettable moments from years past. For a resort that’s been doing the most for the past 50 years, it’s guaranteed they’ll be celebrating big this season, and going full send into the future.

For more information, visit www.coppercolorado.com.

Echo Mountain

Echo Mountain gives skiers and riders the chance to grab a handful of turns at the end of a weekday thanks to its location closest to metro Denver, just 36 miles west of downtown. Guests will enjoy the results of tons of summer trail maintenance and improvements during the off-season including a re-route for beginner guests to more easily get to the bottom of the mountain. And, Echo offers night skiing for people who just want a few runs after work or school.

For more information, visit www.echomountainresort.com.

Eldora – celebrating 60 seasons!

Eldora is celebrating its 60^th season as Boulder’s Backyard Mountain in 2022/23. Updates at Eldora include a $7 million parking expansion that will add nearly 800 parking spaces. Snowmaking improvements include the areas around Alpenglow Lift and Little Hawk learning area. And Eldora has replaced its entire rental fleet and will have brand-new gear available for both daily and seasonal rentals. If you’re looking for a little well-appointed ski lodge time, check out the upgraded Timbers Lodge kitchen that has doubled the cooking and serving capacity, and upgraded on-mountain internet to better serve guests.

For more information, visit www.eldora.com.

Granby Ranch

Granby Ranch spent the summer streamlining the guest experience with RFID access control at all lifts so guests can purchase on-line and use a new Pick-Up Box to avoid the ticket window entirely. Internet surfers will notice significantly improved Wi-Fi capability in Base Lodge and the base area and a freshened-up look with new paint and carpet inside the Base Lodge in Granby Ranch Outfitters and the Blue Bird Bistro.

For more information, visit www.granbyranch.com.

Hesperus Ski Area

If you’re looking for a great deal to get on the snow with your kids this season, you’ve got to check out the Power Kids free season pass, which has been expanded to include kids 12 and younger. Ask for the Power Kids Pass at the ticket window for a free season pass that’s good every day at Hesperus and its Colorado sister resort, Purgatory, in addition to resort partners throughout the Mountain West. Also this season, Hesperus allows uphill access in designated areas outside of operating hours with an uphill pass.

For more information, visit www.skihesperus.com. 

Howelsen Hill - the oldest continuously operating ski area in North America!

Howelsen Hill Ski Area & Nordic Center will feature a new tubing hill this season and continue its Ski Free Sundays, where guests can ski or ride for free every Sunday! And did you know that the first one in the lift line gets a hot chocolate and warm chocolate chip cookie fresh out of the oven? Now THAT’S a lift line worth waiting in! Howelsen Hill, the oldest continuously operating ski area in North America, celebrates its 107^th year of operation this season.

For more information visit www.steamboatsprings.net/131/Howelsen-Hill-Ski-Area.

Loveland Ski Area

Loveland Ski Area has completed an expansion of the Valley Lodge and facilities that triples the amount of seating capacity in the cafeteria, significantly expands the Rental Shop, and provides the Ski & Ride School with a new Children’s Center and additional capacity to accommodate more guests during the check-in process. This summer, Loveland Ski Area replaced Lift 6 with a fixed-grip triple from Leitner-Poma of America. This upgraded lift will increase the uphill capacity and serve the same popular terrain as its predecessor.

For more information, visit www.skiloveland.com.

Monarch Mountain

Skiers and riders will notice the changes at Monarch Mountain this season with remodeled the ticket windows, a doubled seasonal locker room, and trail work on tree skiing areas that will make them available earlier in the season. Monarch is an independently owned ski area that operates on all-natural snow. Those in the know go to Monarch on weekdays where you have to bring a friend to form an actual lift line. 

For more information, visit www.skimonarch.com.

Powderhorn Mountain Resort

Western Slope favorite Powderhorn has been working on snowmaking infrastructure improvements all summer, in addition to adding a new beginner area surface lift this season. Powderhorn is a family-friendly resort with a locals' vibe and a commitment to affordable skiing & snowboarding with phenomenal glade skiing, short lift lines, and an unbeatable view.

For more information, visit www.powderhorn.com.

Purgatory Resort

Purgatory's $1.25 million investment in snowmaking upgrades will boost snow production and efficiency by 25 percent, resulting in better early-season snow conditions and a more consistent base throughout the year. Purgatory is one of Colorado’s most family-friendly and affordable ski resorts. Purgatory Snowcat Adventures is Colorado's largest snowcat skiing operation, offering 35,000 acres of guided skiing, scenic tours, and snowcat dining excursions throughout the season that pair exquisite five-course meals with fine wines and breathtaking views.

For more information, visit www.skipurg.com.  

Silverton Mountain

Events return this season to Silverton Mountain, starting with New Year’s Eve! There is no better way to usher in the New Year than surrounded by 13,000’ peaks. For the ladies looking for the next fun challenge look for Silverton’s Big Mountain Women’s Weekend featuring Krista Crabtree. The Big Mountain weekend is a great place to fine tune your skill set and explore Silverton Mountain's extensive terrain and features. Sisters in the Steeps Ski Weekend will be back this year in April. This weekend is known for phenomenal expert-only skiing, networking, inspiration, and education. Another fan favorite spring event is the BrewSki, which offers participants a full day of skiing at Silverton Mountain and an afternoon of beer tasting with Colorado’s favorite breweries.

For more information, visit www.silvertonmountain.com.

Steamboat – celebrating 60 seasons!

Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation moves Full Steam Ahead as it nears completion of the second phase of its $200 million, multi-year transformation of the base area and mountain. A new beginner area called Greenhorn Ranch will be serviced by the new Wild Blue Gondola, a new beginner lift and two new carpets. Additional updates for this season include an ice-skating rink, and a new food and drink hall opening mid-winter. Resort sustainability initiatives continue with a focus on a 10% decrease in greenhouse gas emissions and resort-wide plastic waste reduction. In addition to Full Steam Ahead, Steamboat will invest more than $2 million in on-mountain improvements that will enhance the visitor experience from behind the scenes. These include snowmaking, lift maintenance, ski patrol equipment and mountain machinery, including two new tier 5 snowcats, one free cat and one winch cat. This summer over $450,000 was invested in general maintenance and lift upgrades across the resort and nearly half a million dollars on new ski and snowboard rental fleets including performance equipment from Rossignol and Burton.

For more information, visit www.steamboat.com.

Sunlight Mountain Resort – celebrating 55 seasons!

Sunlight has a simple request: tell only your best friends about its powder that lasts for days, no lift lines, free parking, and quick walk to the lifts. All 72 of Sunlight’s trails lead right back to the lodge where you can stow your gear, meet your family and friends, and get something hot and delicious at the grill. Guests this season will enjoy a new ski school ski and snowboard yurt and a new outdoor food station. 

For more information, visit www.sunlightmtn.com.

Telluride Ski Resort – celebrating 50 seasons!

Telluride Ski Resort has been busy this summer on improvements throughout the resort. The new high-speed detachable quad from Doppelmayr for Chair 9 cuts the lift time from 15 minutes to 7 minutes and services 2,000 vertical feet of terrain. Guests will enjoy snowmaking enhancements across the mountain. If you’d like to enjoy an incredible meal at altitude, go early and get a table at one of Telluride’s on-mountain fine dining options, Alpino Vino or Bon Vivant.

For more information, visit www.tellurideskiresort.com.

Winter Park Resort

This season, Winter Park is planning to open previously unutilized terrain in The Cirque Territory. The anticipated new terrain is called “Jelly Roll,” because of its rolling steep pitch and its ability to hold light, fluffy snow for days after a storm. The resort is also planning to open more terrain in the Chutes area on Mary Jane. These trails are mitigated avalanche chutes and offer pillow lines, cliffs, and adventurous access to the popular “Powder Field” area between Trestle and the Chutes. The newly accessible terrain means that skiers and riders will have access to almost twice as much expert-only terrain as last season.

For more information, visit www.winterparkresort.com.

Plan Now, Save Later

NOW is the time to make your plans and save on skiing and riding this winter. Two great ways to save and get out on the slopes are the CSCUSA kids Ski Passport and the Gems Card. The Ski Passport is for students in 3rd through 6th grades. It's good for up to 80 days on the slopes this season for $59 per pass. Each pass also includes two free junior rentals from presenting sponsor Christy Sports. The Gems card lets you choose your discount on a classic Colorado skiing or riding experience at ten participating member resorts for $42.

Projected Opening & Closing Dates

Here at CSCUSA our members rely on Mother Nature for the incredibly light and natural snow that so many people love to ski and snowboard every season. That also means these opening and closing dates are subject to change, depending on the conditions.

# # #

Colorado Ski Country USA (CSCUSA) is the not-for-profit trade association representing Colorado’s 21 ski and snowboard resorts. CSCUSA is the global voice of the Colorado ski industry. The Association’s primary functions are concentrated in marketing, public policy and public relations. Information about CSCUSA and its members can be found at www.ColoradoSki.com, on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Attachments

• Sunrise over Arapahoe Basin Ski Area
• Powder day at Telluride Ski Resort

Sarah Beatty, APR
Colorado Ski Country USA
303-837-0793
[email protected]