Zeroes all around the state in this morning’s snow report. Unfortunately, it’ll stay that way until Wednesday or Thursday of next week. The good news is the nice, sunny and relatively warm weather you can expect until then.
There’s some chance for snow from Tuesday night through at least Friday. As usual, we’ll know more as it gets closer, so stay tuned for updates.
The other good news is that almost every ski area in Colorado is open, following this morning’s opening of Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk, both of which have been added to the snow report. All four of Aspen/Snowmass’ mountains are now open, and here’s the latest from each…
Buttermilk kicks off with all of its lifts in operation, including the new Tiehack Express quad, with four lifts, 23 trails and 254 acres. West Buttermilk Express will operate from the mid-station accessing Red’s Rover, Larkspur, Homestead Road, Westward Ho and Blue Grouse. On the center mountain, Ridge, Lover’s Lane, Midway Avenue, Lower Savio, Bear, Baby Doe and Columbine will be open. On Tiehack the Tiehack Parkway leading to upper Ptarmigan, Buckskin, Sterner Gulch and Eagle Hill will be open.
Powder Pandas and all the beginner terrain on the lower mountain debuts. Henrietta Oliver (BM Food and Beverage Operations) brings her pasta specials as Bumps fires up its ovens. The Cliffhouse is open for bathrooms and warming and will start serving its full menu the following week. As always, parking is free.
Aspen Highlands enters the mix turning the Exhibition, Loge, Cloud Nine and Deep Temerity lifts, accessing 571 acres and over 59 runs including portions of the Highland Bowl. All of the upper mountain will open with the exception of the Wall and Jug’s Hill.
In the Temerity section, Lucky Find, Mushroom, Hyde Park and Canopy Cruiser lead to Bear Hollow Road. Broadway, Mousetrap and Kessler’s are open in Steeplechase. On the Deception side, Aces and Eights, Deception and Aerobie give you great late day sun. In the Highland Bowl the north facing high altitude G-2 through G-8 will be open. The newly remodeled MGR and old school Cloud 9 Bistro are open for the season.
Snowmass has four new pods of terrain open: Sam’s Knob, Alpine Springs, High Alpine and Elk Camp and the lifts that serve them. The Assay Hill Lift will also open, but the run will not. Gwyn’s High Alpine restaurant gives you a mid-mountain dining option. Yannick Rioux (SM Terrain Park Manager) will open a section of park on Banzai Ridge with newly designed jib features. Snowmass now revels in 857 acres of open terrain with 11 lifts and 37 trails.
At Aspen Mountain the 1A lift on the lower west side provides another portal to the mountain. Spring Pitch, Strawpile, and 5th Avenue let you ski the runs that hosted the World Cup. Bud Norris (AM Patrol Director) and his team have been opening runs all week and Glades 1, 2 and 3 and Upper Roche Run have opened. 55 percent of Aspen Mountain is open with 6 lifts, 41 trails and 410 acres.
Grand total for all Aspen/Snowmass mountains put together is 2,092 acres, 160 trails and 25 lifts all on one lift ticket. Nice!
At Crested Butte, the Silver Queen Express opened this morning, providing access to trails Lower North Star, Windy Gap, Triangle, Silver Queen road, Upper International and Lower International.
Next week, all of Colorado’s ski areas will be open by Friday: SolVista Basin at Granby Ranch opens Wednesday, Dec. 14; Powderhorn opens Thursday, Dec. 15; and Ski Cooper opens Friday, Dec. 16.
Here are all the zeroes for your viewing pleasure, but be sure to click on the name of the ski area you’re visiting or thinking about visiting for the latest from each…
Arapahoe Basin: 0”
Aspen Highlands: 0”
Aspen Mountain: 0”
Beaver Creek: 0”
Breckenridge: 0”
Buttermilk: 0”
Copper Mountain: 0”
Crested Butte: 0”
Echo Mountain: 0”
Eldora: 0”
Keystone: 0”
Loveland: 0”
Monarch: 0”
Purgatory: 0”
Silverton: 0”
Snowmass: 0”
Steamboat: 0”
Sunlight: 0”
Telluride: 0”
Winter Park: 0”
Wolf Creek: 0”
Vail: 0”
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