8 Things Coloradans Know About Opening Day on the Slopes That Out-of-Staters Don’t
Once the first real snow hits the high country, Colorado skiers start refreshing resort websites.
Coloradans know the date on a resort’s website is only part of the opening-day story.
Here’s what locals know that visitors often miss.
1. Who Opens First
Since 1996, Arapahoe Basin has opened first in Colorado 12 times, according to a count the Denver Gazette published in October 2025.
Loveland has done it nine times, and the two ski areas opened on the same day twice.
Neither one opened first in 2024 or 2025.
You can’t bank on it.
2. Ninety Minutes’ Notice
A ski area can announce its opening and have lifts running within the same afternoon.
On Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, Keystone told the public at 2 p.m. that it would open in 90 minutes, ski industry trade publication SAM Magazine reported.
If you were watching for the news at 2 p.m., you had 90 minutes.
Arapahoe Basin followed on Sunday, so Keystone opened a day ahead.
It was the first time since 1997 that Keystone had opened first in North America.
In 2019, Keystone announced a Saturday, Oct. 12 opening on Friday, Oct. 11, and Arapahoe Basin loaded lifts at 3:30 p.m. that Friday instead.
An announced date isn’t settled until the lifts are turning.
3. Opening With One Trail
Arapahoe Basin’s opening day on Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025 got you one run called High Noon and one lift, the Black Mountain Express, Freeskier reported.
There was live music at the lift line in the morning and a disc jockey in the base area in the afternoon.
Arapahoe Basin’s lifts would start spinning at 8:30 a.m. that Sunday and run until 4 p.m.
The ski area said it would keep making snow and open Lenawee Face and Dercum’s Gulch next.
4. Next-Day Ticket Sales
Arapahoe Basin’s opening-day lift tickets for Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025 went on sale at noon Saturday, the Denver Gazette reported.
Parking reservations weren’t needed on opening day.
They were set to be required on weekends from Jan. 3 to May 3, 2026.
With first chair set for 8:30 a.m. Sunday, you had 20 and a half hours to buy a ticket.
Psst! How much do you know about Rocky Mountain skiing and snow? Take our quiz and see how many you can get right.
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5. Beers and Brownies
Keystone's opening on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025 came with a disc jockey and $5.50 beers, SAM Magazine reported.
Keystone also planned beer and hot dog specials, with two trails open under the lights into the early evening.
Loveland's Nov. 8, 2025 opening promised fresh-baked brownies for the first skiers and riders in line.
To get one, you had to be among the first in line.
The ski area's release also listed music in the base area.
6. Wolf Creek's Storm Start
In 2024, Wolf Creek in the southwest mountains kicked off Colorado's ski season on Tuesday, Oct. 22, thanks to a generous storm.
That put the state's first lifts of the season in southern Colorado, which you might not expect.
Its snow report listed the Bonanza, Treasure and Nova chairlifts running from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The same report discouraged uphill traffic because of heavy equipment and snowmaking operations.
7. Snowmaking Before Skiing
Arapahoe Basin and Keystone were both making snow to open more terrain, Freeskier reported in October 2025.
Loveland's snowmaking team fired up the guns around midnight on Oct. 13, 2025.
Loveland opened 26 days later, on Saturday, Nov. 8.
Chet's Dream would run from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., with top-to-bottom turns on Catwalk, Mambo and Home Run.
That gave you nearly 1,000 vertical feet and 1.5 miles of early-season terrain, the ski area said.
8. Copper Mountain's Listed Date
Copper Mountain's website lists opening day for its 2026-27 ski season as Friday, Nov. 6.
A Sept. 18 roundup from GearJunkie lists Breckenridge for Nov. 6 too.
Both name a day you can look up.
Not every ski area does.
In that roundup, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin had only an as-soon-as-possible target in October.
How the Dates Moved
Four big Colorado resorts list earlier opening days this season than their tentative dates a year ago.
Denver7 reported tentative 2025 openings of Nov. 7 for Breckenridge and Nov. 17 for Vail.
Beaver Creek and Crested Butte were both listed for Nov. 26.
If you're comparing the two years, remember that the 2025 dates were tentative.
You'll want to confirm each date with the ski area before you book.
The GearJunkie list for this season has Vail on Nov. 13, and Beaver Creek and Crested Butte on Nov. 25.
Not by much.
Vail's date moved the most, from Nov. 17 to Nov. 13, which is four days earlier.
Breckenridge, Beaver Creek and Crested Butte each moved one day earlier.
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