The ski and snowboard season is finally here

Slowly but surely, Colorado's ski resorts are firing up the lifts for the 2004-2005 ski and snowboard season.

Arapahoe Basin, Loveland and Wolf Creek are open, and Copper plans to follow suit on Friday. By Nov. 20, nine more Colorado ski areas will be open, including Keystone, Breckenridge, Vail and Beaver Creek.

On Dec. 16, the last of the state's 25 ski resorts - Silverton Mountain - plans to be open.

Each year, snow enthusiasts all over the state try to size up what kind of a season they are going to get, and this year the buzz is a positive one.

"I think we're going to get a dumpload of snow this season," said Dillon's Karry Tierney just after she came off the slopes at Arapahoe Basin on Friday. "It's going to be a great season - lots of snow, lots of fun and lots of laughs."

Friday turned out to be exactly what statewide powder hounds were looking for, as a storm system dumped more than six inches of the fluffy stuff on Arapahoe Basin.

According to Ashley Boyden at Colorado Ski Country USA, that same system pounded the entire state, dropping nine inches on Aspen/Snowmass and 11 inches on Steamboat Springs.

More snow was forecast for Summit County during the night on Sunday.

For many, the transition into winter comes with challenges ranging from finding the right gear after it has been buried in the basement all summer to getting used to being on snow again.

"Every year my feet have to get used to these boots," said Mesa Cortina resident Bill Greene.



Copper opens Friday

On Friday, Copper will open to the public after holding private race training on its slopes for the last two weeks.

For the first time in several seasons, Copper will open with skiing under the American Eagle lift. The seven-minute ride will provide skiers and snowboarders access to 1,475 feet of terrain on the Main Vein and Rhapsody trails.

In recent years, the resort has opened with limited skiing on the Ptarmigan trail serviced by the Excelerator lift, which only rises 849 feet.

"It's a focus of ours to try and open with Main Vein every year, but it depends on conditions," said Copper Mountain spokesperson Ben Friedland. "We've had some really great snowmaking nights recently."

Snowmaking crews are also working to try and open Ptarmigan at the same time, Friedland said.

"We're definitely shooting for that,"he said. "But there's a lot of things that need to happen to pull that off."

For the second-consecutive year, Copper will open with a jib park at the top of the American Eagle lift.



36 hours of Keystone

Keystone and Breckenridge are scheduled to open on Nov. 12, but for 2004, Keystone is looking to take the spotlight with a unique idea.

After opening at 8 a.m., Keystone's lifts will turn for 36 straight hours until 8 p.m. on Nov. 13.

"We know everyone loves to ski and ride and we know everyone is ready to get back out there," said Keystone spokesperson Amy Kemp.

To go with the promotion, Keystone is offering related specials, including accomodations starting at $36-per-person and a $36 lift ticket good for the entire promotion. Several shops and businesses will be open through the night, including the Green Light night club and Keystone Sports.

"Forget midnight madness," Kemp said. "It's going to be all night shopping."

The weekend will also kick off Keystone's second annual WinterFall Festival, a three-week festival designed to be an early season version of Breckenridge's Spring Massive or Copper Mountain's Sunsations.



Richard Chittick can be reached at (970) 668-3998, ext. 236 or at rchittick@summitdaily.com.