Arapahoe Basin and Wolf Creek opened the weekend of Oct. 16, kicking off Colorado’s ski season, and more mountains are set to open in the coming weeks.
Keystone Resort opened Friday, Oct. 22, and Breckenridge and Vail will be the next two, opening Nov. 12. Ikon Pass holders will have even more options next month with the opening of Winter Park on Nov. 17 and Eldora on Nov. 19.
By Dec. 11, all resorts with a set opening day will be running their lifts, including Copper Mountain, Aspen Mountain and Telluride.
Most resorts appear to be ignoring the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, with nearly no information relating to plans for masking, social distancing or other COVID-19 protocols for this season being offered on their websites. However, a few resorts have made their intentions clear.
“All employees of Aspen Skiing Company are required to be fully vaccinated in order to work,” Aspen Snowmass’ COVID-19 operating procedures website reads. “Aspen Skiing Company employees with valid, company-recognized religious and medical exemptions will be required to provide a negative COVID-19 test on a weekly basis.”
Guests of Aspen Snowmass are encouraged to receive their vaccination and those who wish to stay at Aspen Snowmass hotels or dine at the resort’s full-service restaurants are required to provide proof of vaccination.
Steamboat Resort is requiring unvaccinated individuals to wear masks, though there are no statements regarding proof of vaccination, and both Steamboat and Eldora have stated their intention to continue to monitor COVID-19 cases surrounding each resort.
Currently, no Colorado resort is requiring masks to be worn by vaccinated individuals while on the mountain. Last season, most ski resorts required all individuals to be masked while waiting in lines, riding the lifts and while in indoor spaces.
Visitors of ski resorts in 2020 were also expected to reserve days to ski, limiting the number of people on the mountains to prevent the spread of COVID-19, a practice most resorts have given up this year.
On top of continued challenges with the COVID-19 pandemic, ski resorts across the nation are struggling to find enough employees. Resorts have become too expensive for low-wage resort employees to afford housing within a reasonable distance of the mountains.
To combat this, some mountains, such as Vail Resorts, have begun offering increased wages and are now offering a $15/hour starting wage at certain mountains and others are offering signing bonuses and flexible hours.
Most resorts, however, are yet to see if these new benefits will be able to bring in enough employees for a smooth season.
