Breckenridge received its first snowfall of 2018 on October 8th, marking the day when everyone in town starts thinking about getting some fresh turns at one of the local ski resorts. The view of Breckenridge Ski Resort from town after it received its first dusting of snow is cause for excitement among visitors and residents alike. The yellow leaves of fall still cling to some of the trees around town and the trees at higher elevations have dropped their leaves making a golden carpet that’s perfect for hiking or mountain biking. As excitement builds for the upcoming ski season, it’s time to start planning for the opening of the ski resorts. In this blog you’ll find a comprehensive guide to the planned opening day for each ski resort so you can start planning your early season ski trips and so you too can start getting excited for this winter. Don’t forget that each resort usually has a fun celebration on their respective opening days so check their websites for a list of activities. Opening days for Araphoe Basin, Loveland, Breckenridge Ski Resort, Keystone, and Copper are all listed below.
The Early Openers
If you’re new to skiing in Summit County you will quickly learn of the longstanding competition between Arapahoe Basin (called A-Basin for short) and Loveland Ski Area. These two resorts battle it out to see who will start turning their lifts first and open the gates for the first skiers of the year. Rumors have been spreading that these two resorts have been testing out their snow making equipment in anticipation of the cold nights of fall when they can start making snow without it melting during the day. These two resorts don’t set a hard-open date, instead they battle it out to see who will open first. Just to give you an idea, Arapahoe basin opened October 13 last year narrowly edging out Loveland that opened October 20th. The best place to follow these two resorts and find out when they plan to open is by following their social media pages and their blog. Abasin’s blog is a great place for updates from the resort, as is their Facebook page. Loveland’ website and Facebook page will provide all the information you need to catch opening day there.
Summit County’s Other Resorts
While Abasin and Loveland battle it out to see who will open first and typically have skiers on the hill well before any of the other local resorts, Summit County’s other three local resorts tend to stick to a hard-open date every season. Opening dates are typically reliable, however they are dependent on weather and can change depending on how much snow falls.
Breckenridge Ski Resort and Keystone plan to open for the 2018/19 winter season on Friday, November 9, while Copper Mountain plans to open a week later on Friday, November 16. At the time of writing this blog, that’s only one month away! While it usually takes awhile for the entire resort to open, early in the season around opening day you can find some turns on what some locals lovingly refer to as “the goob tube.” This is the description of the main run the resorts open with a mix of natural and man-made snow. As the season progresses and more snow starts to fall the resorts will open more and more terrain. The good news about their November 9 opening date is the resort will be open for the Thanksgiving holiday! Bring your family up to Breckenridge for your Thanksgiving feast this year by reserving a vacation rental with us!