Vail Mountain fires up snow guns in anticipation of Nov. 15 opening
Max Ritter/Courtesy image
Vail Mountain began making snow over the weekend, firing up its snowmaking cannons Friday at the upper elevations of the mountain.
The mountain received a blanket of snow on Oct. 20-21, and while warm temperatures followed last week, much of that snow still remains on the mountain.
With cold temperatures and the potential for more snow in the forecast, the mountain is still targeting a Nov. 15 Opening Day, according to information released Monday by the resort.
Other resorts in Vail Resorts’ portfolio haven’t been as exact with Opening Day targets. Keystone Resort in Summit County, which is usually the first Epic Pass mountain to open in Colorado, has not yet announced an Opening Day. Keystone .
Nearby Arapahoe Basin, often the first ski area to open in Colorado, has not published an Opening Day yet either. Chief Operating Officer Alan Henceroth, in , said the resort plans to step up snowmaking efforts on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
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“You might want to start clearing your calendar for next weekend,” Henceroth said.
Copper Mountain, also located in Summit County near the border of Eagle County, has begun making snow and is targeting a Nov. 8 Opening Day. Breckenridge, in Summit County, is also targeting Nov. 8. In Eagle County, Beaver Creek is targeting a Nov. 27 opening.
Wolf Creek ski area, in southern Colorado, was the first ski area in North America to begin regular operations this season, opening to powdery conditions on Oct. 22.
While Vail has not announced what runs will be open on Opening Day, the resort’s ordinary opening schedule starts with the Ramshorn and Swingsville runs. Those runs are serviced by Chair 4, which is accessed via Gondola One.
Gondola One transports guests approximately 2,000 vertical feet up the mountain to the base of Chair 4. The Mid-Vail area then acts as the base area that you would find at the bottom of the mountain once operations are in full swing.
Guests then download Gondola One to exit the resort. Gondola One can move 3,600 skiers per hour at 1,200 feet per minute.
Vail Resorts recommends pre-purchasing lift passes at for the best value. Those pre-purchased passes will be on sale throughout November, but prices are set to rise on Nov. 17. The current price of an all-access Epic Pass for all of Vail Resorts’ mountains is $1,047 for an adult or $534 for a child.
