What’s New in Colorado Ski Country This Season

The snow is falling and my skis and boots are itching for some action.

Here’s what’s new for the 2020-21 winter season in Colorado Ski Country, including open dates for two dozen resorts.

The big change this year is that many ski areas throughout the USA, including in Colorado, are requiring pre-purchase of lift tickets, ski school reservations and rentals, to manage social distancing.

Expect contactless kiosks where you can pick up your prepaid tickets and reservations on arrival.

Some resorts are giving preference to pass holders, others not. Some have eliminated lockers, others are not.  Some also require parking reservations, others not.  Some have closed their child care centers, others not.

This season more than ever before, it is important to visit the resort’s website or social media before you go to ensure you have the most up-to-date information on any COVID-19 protocols and understand what is expected before and during your visit.

“Know Before You Go,” has long been a backcountry mantra.  This year, it applies to all of us skiers and riders.

Charlift and Gondola Rules

Ski parties will be allowed to load lifts and gondolas together at full capacity.

Parties that are not together will have at least one seat between them on lifts.

Up to two unrelated parties can load a gondola together up to 50 percent capacity.

Parties that are uncomfortable riding with other parties will be allowed to ride as a single party.

Ski School and More New Rules

Ski school classes will be limited to under 10, and most ski areas will limit classes sizes to between four and six and offer half day lessons.

Ski areas will be following state and local guidance for indoor spaces, lodging, transportation and other activities where appropriate.

Guests who are experiencing symptoms or have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 are asked to self-isolate and delay their trip.

Colorado Ski Country’s COVID-19 webpage will be updated throughout the winter with tips, information and the most up-to-date resort protocols.

What Else is New at Each Resort

In alphabetical order, because that’s the only fair way.

Arapahoe Basin Ski Area

Arapahoe Basin will not require reservations for season pass holders and will have contactless skiosks in the base area where guests can pick up pre-purchased daily lift tickets, which will be required.

To go food and beverage options will be the norm and the Beach will remain closed until further notice. Indoor facilities are open for bathroom use or to purchase food only.

Guests should plan to boot and gear up at their car with no personal locker use available. Guests are encouraged to avoid weekends when possible, enjoy afternoon skiing and avoid historically busy days. Specific COVID-19 information can be found here.

New for the 2020-21 season, Arapahoe Basin replaced two of its lifts: Molly Hogan, serving the learning area, and Pallavicini, serving some of A-Basin’s most famous, expert terrain. A-Basin also added RFID pass scanning technology.

• For additional information, visit www.arapahoebasin.com.

Aspen Snowmass

Aspen Snowmass will sell tickets onsite at lift ticket windows, but pre-purchasing online is highly suggested to guarantee access.

Rental, retail stores and restaurants will have capacity limitations to maintain social distancing in accordance with state and local guidelines. Additional outdoor dining and grab and go options will be available across all four mountains and guests can use the Aspen Snowmass app to order food to go.

Aspen Snowmass passholders do not need a reservation at this time, but Ikon pass holders will need to make a reservation before their visit.

The Aspen Highlands snowcat will not be operating this winter.

New for winter 2020-21, Aspen Snowmass has replaced the quad Big Burn lift at Snowmass with a new $10.8 million high-speed six passenger lift.

At Aspen Mountain, 28 new state-of-the art energy efficient snowmaking guns will allow for top-to-bottom snowmaking for the first time this winter. Snowmass will also welcome snowmaking to 28 acres, offering more reliable early season skiing and riding conditions.

Two new restaurants, High Alpine and Alpin Room, replace longtime Snowmass favorite Gwyn’s offering market style options at High Alpine and sit-down dining, including breakfast, at Alpin Room.

• Specific COVID-19 information can be found here.
• For additional information, visit www.aspensnowmass.com.

Cooper

Cooper features several new food and beverage outlets for winter 2020-21 including a pizzeria at Katie O’Rourke’s, a new grill on the base area deck, the Shamrock Snack Shack and the revamped Base Camp Cafeteria offering grab and go options. These new options will help lunch time flow more smoothly.

Also new this year is streamlined access with the Cooper Port of Entry, which all daily guests will need to enter for mountain access. Once a guest has entered, they will rarely need to scan tickets again, reducing contact and improving mountain access.

Specific COVID-19 information can be found here.

• For more information, visit www.skicooper.com.

Copper Mountain

Copper Mountain will be implementing a parking reservation system this winter to help manage volume at the resort. Guests can book up to seven advanced reservation days throughout the season via  a rolling 7-day window. As advance days are used, guests will be able to book additional advance days.

Copper will open on November 30, to ensure that more acreage and lifts will be available on opening day. Copper’s three villages and naturally divided terrain will allow guests to spread out on the mountain and in base areas.

A new 127-room, four-story hotel will open at Copper in late 2020. Element 29 is located in Center Village allowing guests optimal access to the slopes, activities and dining outlets in the Village. The hotel will also feature an outdoor patio nestled along West Ten Mile Creek complete with fire pits and hot tubs.

This season, Copper has also installed additional snowmaking compressors which will allow more snow-guns to be used during early season snowmaking operations.

• Specific COVID-19 information can be found here.
• For additional information, visit www.coppercolorado.com.

Echo Mountain Resort

Echo Mountain does not have a reservation system planned for this winter, but online ticket purchases will be required in advance of a visit. Parking will be staggered to provide adequate space for guests and rentals will require a reservation online in advance.

• Specific COVID-19 information can be found here.
• For additional information, visit www.echomountainresort.com.

Eldora

Eldora will be implementing a parking reservation system this season to help manage access at the ski area. Guests can make up to seven reservations throughout the season. Once a day has been used an additional day can be booked for the upcoming seven-day period.

Touchless transactions will be available for all food, beverage and retail purchases.

• Specific COVID-19 information can be found here.
• For additional information, visit www.eldora.com.

Granby Ranch

New this winter, the Granby Ranch Patriot Pass offers all active duty US military members complimentary skiing and snowboarding at Granby Ranch. Granby Ranch will be making improvements to the guest experience with a major overhaul of the snowmaking system to ensure a better early season experience.

Also new this year is overhauled pass pricing with season passes priced at $344 and the new 3-Day Pack for $88.

• For more information, visit www.granbyranch.com.

Hesperus

Hesperus will announce additional COVID-19 specific policies closer to its expected opening date in mid-to-late December weather permitting.

• For more information, visit www.ski-hesperus.com.

Howelsen Hill

Howelsen’s lodge will be open for food and ticket purchases, but guests will not be allowed to consume food, hang out or congregate inside the lodge this season. Howelsen will have several outdoor warming huts this winter for guests to utilize and an outside lift ticket window to ensure social distancing.

Howelsen Hill is the oldest continually operating ski area in North America and will be celebrating its 105^th year of operation this season.

Howelsen Hill will continue its popular Ski Free Sunday program again this season, with free skiing/riding every Sunday beginning November 29.

• Specific COVID-19 information can be found here.
• For additional information, visit www.steamboatsprings.net/ski.

Loveland Ski Area

Loveland will offer one of the longest seasons in the state, an average of 400 inches of snow and affordable ticket, rental and lesson options, but there will be operational changes. Guests will be required to prepurchase lift tickets, rental equipment and Ski & Ride School lessons online prior to arrival.

The Ridge Cat, Loveland’s free snowcat service, will not operate this winter, but the terrain served by the cat will be open with hike-to access.

On-mountain cabins and the Loveland Child Care Center will be closed.

• Specific COVID-19 information can be found here.
• For additional information, visit www.skiloveland.com.

Monarch Mountain

At Monarch, in person lift ticket sales will not be available on weekends or from December 19, 2020 through January 3, 2021 and guests are encouraged to prepurchase tickets online. Guests are asked to avoid weekends, historically busy peak times and be a weekday warrior.

Childcare services and locker access will not be available this winter.

The Gunbarrel Cafertia will have grab and go options available and a new food truck, Fly-by Burritos, is available for outdoor food service.

• Specific COVID-19 information can be found here.
• For additional information, visit www.skimonarch.com.

Powderhorn Resort

This winter Powderhorn will be prioritizing passholders and may limit the number of daily lift ticket sales dependent on local county restrictions.

Rentals and lessons will need to be reserved online in advance. Food and beverage services will include online ordering, grab-and-go and outdoor dining.

New for winter 2020-21, Powderhorn will welcome a new gravity-fed snowmaking system that will offer top-to-bottom snowmaking for the first time in the ski area’s history. Since it is gravity driven, it will be one of the most energy efficient snowmaking operations in North America.

• Specific COVID-19 information can be found here.
• For more information, visit www.powderhorn.com.

Purgatory Resort

Purgatory will feature additional drop off areas and a general admission plaza where guests will need to be scanned once upon entry and not in each lift line for guest convenience and guest and employee safety. There will also be online food and beverage ordering options. Additional specific COVID-19 information can be found here.

This winter Purgatory will have three new snowcats to maintain groomed terrain reliably as well as new energy-efficient snowmaking guns that will give snowmaking operations nearly double the snow production power during the early season.

• Additional specific COVID-19 information can be found here.
• For more information, visit www.purgatory.ski.

  

Silverton Mountain

Silverton Mountain will welcome a new reservations platform for 2020-21 reservations and will continue its daily reservation system that guests are accustomed to using.

The new platform will help further streamline the reservation process and help provide the most elbow room on the slopes with more than 26,000 acres of skiable terrain.

• For more information, visit www.silvertonmountain.com.

Steamboat

Steamboat is not requiring reservations for passholders at this time.

Advanced purchase lift tickets, packages, and season pass products are the only way to access the mountain currently. Lift tickets will not be available for purchase at the resort ticket office.

Stand-alone lift tickets will not be available for purchase during the peak holiday week between December 23 and January 2.

Reservations for ski and ride school, rentals, some restaurants and free clinics are required.

Night skiing will only be available on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Steamboat will also feature two unique outdoor dining options, welcoming back the roaming Taco Beast as well as the brand-new Pizza Ranger, which will offer a pizza delivery option in the Bashor area. First tracks will also start earlier this year at 7:45 am to help spread guests out and additional skier drop off locations will be available.

1. Specific COVID-19 information can be found here.
2. For additional information, visit www.steamboat.com.

Sunlight Mountain Resort

Sunlight will feature new grab and go dining options as well as reconfigured base food stations to maintain physical distancing. Sunlight suggests that your car become ‘base camp’ for you and your family.

• Specific COVID-19 information can be found here.
• For additional information, visit www.sunlightmtn.com.

Telluride Ski Resort

Telluride will feature 20 refurbished gondolas offering dining options in Mountain Village as well as expanded yurt and outdoor dining services across the mountain. Specific COVID-19 information can be found here.

Telluride will welcome new air service this winter with Southwest Airlines and Jet Blue adding flights into Montrose Regional Airport (MJT) starting in mid-December. Southwest will fly 2-3 times daily from Denver (DEN) and Saturdays and Sundays from Dallas Love Field (DAL). Jet Blue will operate from Boston Logan Airport (BOS) on Saturdays and select Wednesdays during the season.

• Specific COVID-19 information can be found here.
• For additional information, visit www.tellurideskiresort.com.

Winter Park Resort

New this winter is a mid-week pass that gives guests unlimited access on non-holiday Mondays-Fridays through the season starting at $539 for adults and $299 for children.

Winter Park is not requiring reservations at this time.

All rentals, lessons, activities and tours will need to be pre-booked in advance of arrival. Winter Park is also working to create as many contactless options as possible in all restaurants and retail areas.

• Specific COVID-19 information can be found here.
• For additional information, visit www.winterparkresort.com.

Colorado Ski Country USA

Colorado Ski Country’s COVID-19 webpage, https://www.coloradoski.com/covid-19, will be updated throughout the season with up-to-date information from member ski areas including tips and advice on how to successfully visit to a ski area.

Colorado Ski Country’s 5^th and 6^th Grade Passport Program, offering Monday-Friday skiing and riding for 5^th and 6^th graders, can be purchased at https://www.coloradoski.com/passport. The Colorado Ski Country Gems Card, good for two uses at 11 ski areas for either two-for-one lift tickets or 30 percent off adults lift tickets can be purchased at https://www.coloradoski.com/gems.

Note that Vail Resorts is not a member of Colorado Ski Country USA, so information about Vail, Breckenridge, Beaver Creek, Keystone, Kirkwood and Crested Butte are not part of this report.

2020-21 Winter Operating Dates for Colorado Ski Country USA members*

* These dates are weather dependent and subject to change

Colorado Ski Country USA (CSCUSA) is the not-for-profit trade association representing Colorado’s 22 ski & snowboard resorts. CSCUSA is the global voice of Colorado’s ski industry. The Association’s primary functions are concentrated in marketing, public policy and public relations.

Information for CSCUSA and its members can be found at www.coloradoski.com, on twitter, on Facebook and on Instagram.

ecoXplorer Evelyn Kanter is a journalist with 20+ years of experience as a newspaper and magazine writer, radio & TV news producer & reporter, and guidebook and smartphone app author – all focusing on travel, automotive, the environment and your rights as a consumer.

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