Ski resorts are being blessed with heavy snowfall this season; here’s why

By: Joshua Lenahan, Practicum Reporter

Blue Sky Basin at Vail opened Nov. 29this year – more than a month earlier than last year. Aspen Highlands had the earliest opening since 1992. As of Nov. 9, the Loveland Ski Area had had the best opening in its 81-year history, passing the 10-foot mark before December. Breckenridge had fewer than five runs open this time last year; now nearly 100 percent of the runs are open. 

“It’s absolutely dumping, and has been since October,” said a 10-year ski patrol veteran at Copper Mountain. “It doesn’t even compare to last year and we’re loving it.” 

The heavy snowfall seems to have caught every major ski area in the state. The totals are nothing short of jarring compared to last season’s snow tally. 

Keeping in mind the records that so many ski resorts are reporting, how good is this season? How does it compare to normal years (surely, the totals could feel exaggerated when compared to last year’s extreme lack of snow)? 

Well, Colorado is still in a drought, but it’s beginning to catch up. With 20 percent of the state, mostly in the Southwest, in extreme drought, according to the National Integrated Drought Information System, there’s a lot of catching up that needs to be done. Vail has the most ski terrain open than any resort in North America right now with 4,200 acres in total, and they’re considered to be in a severe drought. 

The high snowfall totals were only one piece to the puzzle that is this season. Consistent cold temperatures has kept the snow on the ground and blessed snowmakers with ideal snowmaking conditions. Snowmakers were able to blow snow to form safe bases for early season skiing. Some high winds earlier in the season helped pack down the snow and form a base for the areas that snowmakers can’t get to. This was important for places like A-basin, which rely heavily on natural snowfall instead of man-made snow. It also helped the higher and harder-to-access terrain elsewhere. 

Early-season starts are heralded not only by ski resorts, but other businesses too. Restaurants, ski shops, dispensaries and hotels benefit from the massive flocks of tourists. 

This season hasn’t been without challenges, however. A heavy early-season snowfall also means heavy early-season avalanches. With avalanches being reported as early as mid-October, the mountains aren’t messing around this season. Additionally, good ski conditions bring tourists, which means traffic, which means accidents. Mid-November brought its fair share of accidents on I-70, but the worst was a multi-car pile up that resulted in four tragic deaths.  

With snow totals piling up fast, resorts are opening new terrain and new lifts, and new skiing opportunities are being offered. The Alterra Mountain Co. introduced the Ikon Pass, a new all-season option for riders, and coincidentally picked what most might consider the best season in years to do so. 

A Hitchhiker’s Guide to Skiing Loveland Pass

By: Joshua Lenahan, Practicum Reporter

As I drive up Loveland Pass after a snowstorm, the mountains in every direction are scattered with carving “S” patterns from top to bottom. About a mile up the pass, a wide sweeping turn is bustling with rad dudes and dudettes walking with skis and boards. In the parking lot, hot dogs are being grilled, people are hanging around their cars, dogs are running around, trucks are picking people up – the stoke level is high, some might say.

If you’re unfamiliar with Colorado ski culture, it probably looks more like a snowy football tailgate, but as you talk to folks, you begin to realize they’re at the pass for the same reason: unlimited, deep, fluffy, snow. And the skiing is free.

As a group of about a dozen or so toss their gear into the back of a truck and pile themselves in, they get ready for the 10-minute ride to the top of the pass. 

Hitchhiking Loveland pass is the easiest and most accessible backcountry skiing near Denver. 

One of the highest mountain passes in the world and at the Continental Divide, Loveland Pass is consistently open during the snowy season – and a significant hub of activity after a snowstorm. 

Sitting on the side of a truck bed, I hear seasoned ski bums talk about skipping work, “escaping the wife,” and reminiscing of winters past. I turn my attention back to the mountains, semi-trucks with chained tires drive past, routing around the Eisenhower tunnel. White-knuckled tourists in rental cars navigate the snow-covered roads. 

At the top, I hop out of the truck and am instantly engulfed in white mountains. Clicking into a pair of beat-up, center-mounted park skis, I am not exactly ready for 2 feet of fluffy powder, but I am complaining either. 

After making a few passes and stopping to catch my breath, I was greeted by the faint swishing sound of a fellow skier in the distance, a dog barking at its owner skiing down the mountain, and even the soft sounds of falling snow. The blissfulness of the mountain is a good distraction from the potentially dangerous terrain below. 

Steep cliffs litter chutes and gullies and are countered by wide-open powder fields on different lines. The variety of the terrain makes it welcoming to more than expert skiers; its terrain and easy accessibility is a fitting introduction to aspiring backcountry skiers.

This same easy accessibility means Loveland Pass draws inexperienced and unprepared skiers into potentially risky avalanche areas. Most Loveland Pass novices stick with someone who knows the area to stay safe. It can be a dangerous place and should be treated as such. There’s no lodge at the bottom with amenities or First Aid gear. You ski here at your own risk. 

The risks don’t stop those who ski it, and it’s a pretty popular place during a decent snowstorm. 

Loveland Pass is a fun getaway from the long, early season lines at neighboring A-Basin. The pass provides a fun change of pace with loads of options. 

Next time you find yourself on the pass, don’t forget to pick up a friendly hitchhiker. We get cold, and appreciate the ride.