North American Ski Season To Start Friday, Or Sooner?
Arapahoe Basin in Colorado has announced that it will open for the ski season this Friday, October 13th
“Our snowmaking efforts have gone very well with cold temperatures and high streamflows. I just walked High Noon. The snow coverage is really good. The snowmakers are already moving fan guns to Ramrod and Dercum’s Gulch. Two snow cat drivers will be in Wednesday to start pushing the snow around,” said Alan Henceroth, the resort’s CEO.
The Black Mountain Express lift will start turning at 9:00 a.m., giving skiers and snowboarders access to the intermediate High Noon trail. The picture above was taken on October 6th.
It’s possible, if highly unlikely, that another ski area will sneak in and open in the next 24 hours given A Basin’s announcement, but it seems it won’t be the most likely alternative, Loveland, which has ruled itself out.
“Congratulations to our friends and neighbours at Arapahoe Basin Ski Area on their Opening Day announcement! We are almost there, but will not be opening on Friday. Our snowmaking team is working hard to put the finishing touches on Home Run and we hope to have an announcement of our own very soon,” a resort statement reads.
Both ski areas are amongst the world’s 10 highest and have been snowmaking since September.
Arapahoe Basin has been first to open for several years and is believed to operate the longest ski-season for a non-glacier resort anywhere I the world, staying open to July this year.
October 13th is one of the earliest openings for several years. Last year it opened at the end of October and Loveland not until November.
Along with snowmaking there have been several big snowstorms already in Colorado and other ski regions in Western North America.
