"We took advantage of the cold temperatures and got an early start making snow this year. Those extra days paid off and we are opening a week earlier than last season," said Eric Johnstone, Snowmaking and Trail Maintenance Manager. "Now we can move some equipment to other trails and try to open more terrain as quickly as possible."
Cold temperatures brought high production snowmaking to Loveland on Tuesday, prompting officials to open the Colorado ski area tomorrow. |
"We are proud of our snowmaking crew and extremely excited to offer the first skiing and snowboarding in Colorado and North America," said Rob Goodell, Director of Business Operations. "Skiers and riders have been waiting all summer for this day and we are anxious to fire up the lifts. We are opening a week earlier than last year but the coverage is great! We will open with an 18-inch base and tree-to-tree coverage on our opening day run."
For the first turns of the season, skiers and snowboarders will have access to a top-to-bottom run consisting of 1,000 vertical feet via Chair 1. The trails Catwalk, Mambo and Homerun make up this opening day run which is over a mile in length.
Loveland Ski Area will open for the season at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 7th. Loveland's regular operating hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00pm and 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on weekends and designated holidays. Early season lift tickets are $44 for adults and $21 for children ages 6-14.
Loveland's neighbor and perennial competitor in the race to open first, Arapahoe Basin Ski Area, has been making snow but has yet to set an opening date.
"Snowmaking is going well at Arapahoe Basin," says A-Basin spokesperson Leigh Hierholzer. "Nineteen snow guns are running on 700 vertical feet from the top of Exhibition Chair on High Noon to the base area.
"Snowcat operators will begin spreading the snow piles soon and based on their feedback we will have a better idea of an opening date. We’ll let you know as soon as we know," Hierholzer assured. "We’re getting very close."
