A pair of Colorado ski destinations share a milestone this season, each tracing their origins to the winter of 1946. Arapahoe Basin got its start that year with a rope tow as its sole means of uphill travel, and that same winter, Aspen Mountain's first riders were carried by what was regarded at the time as the longest chairlift in the world. Colorado Ski Country USA president and CEO Melanie Mills marked the occasion in a statement, saying "Colorado has a remarkable ski heritage" and that "each season gives us a chance to carry the legacy forward and shape what comes next."
A-Basin is turning its 80th into a season-long draw. Midweek skiers who come on Wednesdays can buy tickets for $80 throughout the season, those who have reached their 80th birthday ski for free, and a birthday weekend spanning December 4–6 will bring live music, giveaways, and a Moonlight Dinner at Black Mountain Lodge. Aspen Snowmass is leaning equally hard into the occasion. Tickets drop to $80 on December 12 and 13, and on December 14 — the date in 1946 when the resort was founded — the price rolls back to $3.75, covering entry to all four mountains, with food and drink offered at $19.46 to reflect the founding year.
The anniversary also coincides with consequential physical changes at the Aspen properties. A new Nell Bell high-speed quad at Aspen Mountain will take over for the Bell Mountain and Little Nell lifts, simplifying the ascent from Gondola Plaza to the peak. At Snowmass, the Ullrhoff Restaurant is set to reopen after a $42 million overhaul that more than doubles its capacity and broadens the options at the beloved midmountain stop. Buttermilk will host the inaugural X Games League in January, a reimagined format centered on co-ed, team-based competition.
Several resorts away from the Aspen area are also adding meaningful terrain and infrastructure. Purgatory, situated near Durango, is unveiling the Colorado Couloir lift, which opens up 40 acres of advanced and expert terrain across five new gladed trails, while expanded snowmaking targets the main beginner area and dynamic pricing returns, with the lowest-demand days priced as cheaply as $9. At Powderhorn on the Grand Mesa, Colorado Ski Country USA characterized the incoming Wild West Express as among the most significant on-mountain additions the area has seen in years — a high-speed quad sourced from Snowmass replacing a double chair, with a substantially faster ride to the resort's West End expected as a result.
New and renovated hospitality options are a defining theme across the state this season. Keystone is opening Kindred Resort for the first time, a 365,000-square-foot luxury property at the base of River Run Village that includes hotel rooms, condominiums, heated pools, scenic hot tubs, and a dining lineup spanning gourmet pub food, elevated comfort fare, sushi, and fireside s'mores. Beaver Creek and Vail Mountain are jointly introducing Epic Ascent, described as a reinvention of the private lesson model, bundling elite instruction with concierge support that encompasses transportation, gear-fitting, lift-line access, and dining reservations.
Monarch is making a push to bring first-timers onto the mountain. The resort has priced beginner lessons at $49, which it describes as a 75 percent reduction from what the same instruction cost in prior years. Breckenridge and Copper Mountain were scheduled to open Friday, joining A-Basin, Keystone, and Wolf Creek, which had already begun their seasons.
Whether early snowpack will be sufficient to bring newly added terrain and amenities online on schedule remains the key question heading into the coming weeks.