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Arapahoe Basin sets opening day for Sunday, Oct. 23

Snowmaking operations are pictured on Friday, Oct. 21, 2022 at Arapahoe Basin Ski Area. On Friday the ski area announced it would be opening on Sunday, Oct. 23.
Arapahoe Basin Ski Area/Courtesy photo

Arapahoe Basin Ski Area announced Friday morning that it will be opening for the 2022-23 winter season at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 23. 

A-Basin will kick off the season with one lift and one run open, providing skiing and riding from mid-mountain to the base. The Black Mountain Express lift will serve High Noon, an intermediate run.

The first 50 people on the mountain will get custom A-Basin duct tape for patching waterproof gear, and there will be free doughnuts and live music as part of the opening day festivities.



A-Basin has been making snow off and on since Oct. 9 as conditions have allowed and is expected to have 24-hour snowmaking conditions for a few days starting on Sunday. The ski area is targeting Ramrod as the next run to open over the following week, according to a news release announcing the opening.

For the time being, the announcement makes A-Basin the first ski area in the state of Colorado to open. Last year the resort was the first in Summit County get the chairs turning, when it opened on Oct. 17, though Wolf Creek took the 2021 title as first in the state to open.



Keystone Ski Resort — which is often in competition to be the earliest ski resort to open — is likely not going to beat them this year based on an Instagram post posted by the ski resort on Friday.

In the caption Keystone wrote, “Here at Keystone, we still have a little more work ahead – 2 miles of trail and plans for a hike-to park for opening is going to require some more snowmaking time for us. We’ll keep you posted as soon as we narrow in on our opening day plans. You all will be the first to know!”

On Friday, Loveland Ski Area also announced that it will not be opening this weekend for the 2022-23 winter season.

In a statement Loveland Ski Area wrote, “Loveland Ski Area will not be opening this weekend. We’re still blowing snow up on Catwalk and Mambo. The snowmaking team did move a few guns to the lower section of the mountain on Homerun and started making snow.”

Loveland hopes to continue to make snow with the decrease in temperature over the next few days. Loveland announced it is aiming for a late October to early November opening and will give an update after the Summit’s first big snow snow storm of the season on Monday.

Based off forecasts, Summit County is expected to see several inches over the course of Sunday and Monday, Oct 23-24.

Current forecasts at ski resorts show Keystone Resort getting 3-6 inches, Breckenridge Ski Resort and Copper Mountain Resort getting anywhere between 6 inches to a foot each, while Loveland Ski Area and Arapahoe Basin Ski Area are both showing predictions of 3-6 inches. 

Reactions to A-Basin’s announcement were mixed online. Many commented about the quality of the snow this early in the season, while others expressed their overall excitement for the start of the season by commenting “See y’all thereeee”, “Wow”, or “Wooooooo!” to A-Basin’s tweet on the announcement.

A-Basin’s opening day lift hours will last from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and lift tickets must be purchased online in advance. A-Basin reminds guests that opening day terrain is not a beginner experience and to exercise caution.


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