Vail and Eldora will open on Friday as both ski areas mark their 60th anniversary seasons.
Vail had always planned to open on Nov. 11, but Eldora’s announcement comes a week early as the mountain had anticipated a later date. Instead, Eldora will open at 9 a.m. with one top-to-bottom run served by a six-person chairlift. A small terrain park will be open as well.
Vail, which has at least 75 acres of skiable terrain, received more than 40 inches of natural snowfall recently and has been making snow for weeks. Trails in operation will include Swingsville and Ramshorn on the upper portion of the mountain, accessed via Gondola One from Vail Village to Mid-Vail and the Mountaintop Express from Mid-Vail to the summit. Guests will download from Mid-Vail via the gondola at the end of the day.
Additionally, the Eagle Bahn Gondola from Lionshead will serve beginner terrain at Eagles Nest. Lifts will operate from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Free strudel, coffee and hot cocoa will be served at both villages, and there will be a complimentary whisky tasting at 1 p.m.
As of tomorrow, eight of Colorado’s 28 resorts will be in operation. Copper Mountain, which has been hosting a U.S. Ski Team training camp for the past three weeks, is scheduled to open for the public on Monday.