The moment we have all been waiting for. It’s finally time to get out on the mountain. The resorts are opening!
Vail opens Friday, November 20 and not too far behind are Beaver Creek on Wednesday, November 25 and Steamboat on Tuesday, December 1.
Ready for Vail? Vail Mountain, the third largest ski resort in North America with 5,317 acres, will open on Friday with lifts running at Golden Peak, Vail Village and Lionshead.
Snowmaking efforts have been amped up with new pipe and guns enabling Vail to cover 500 acres with manmade snow. These efforts have created top to bottom skiing from Lionshead and Vail Village. Conditions are very good this year for early season skiing.
What are your favorite Vail runs? Locals-favorites include Avanti with its vast, wide open run and big, natural rollers. It’s a classic, intermediate blue run perfect for cruising and challenging yourself.
For the experts, powder days in Vail’s Back Bowls are legendary. Forever is a classic ski run through the trees and then opens into a steep, often powder-filled area perfect for high-speed turns. This is a very steep run that is best left for the highly skilled. It’s a nice long run, have fun on this leg burner.
Reservations are required to access all Vail-owned mountains this season and early season (until Dec. 8) tickets are only available to Epic Pass holders. But don’t fret, you don’t need a whole season pass, you can purchase an Epic Day Pass if you want to take advantage of early season skiing. (If you’re staying with us, we can take care of the details for you.)
OPEN NOW! Details on Skiing Vail & Beaver Creek – Epic Pass & Reservations
Details on Skiing Steamboat – Ikon & Steamboat Passes, no reservations required
Wondering how lifts & gondolas will work?
On chairlifts and gondolas, related groups can ride together or people from different groups can ride together while maintaining the required distance. That means two single skiers or riders can ride on opposite sides of a four-person or larger chairlift or in large gondola cabins. On a six-person lift, two doubles can ride on opposite sides of the seat.
