Colorado’s Ski Season Just Started With a Reward for Early Risers

Winter Park Resort in Colorado opened for the 2026-27 season on Friday, November 13, with first chair at 9 a.m. Vail Mountain opened the same day, adding two big names to a Colorado lineup that already includes Arapahoe Basin, Keystone, Copper Mountain and Loveland. As is typical this early in the season, the openings are small, with limited terrain served by a handful of lifts on machine-made snow.

Winter Park is running a scaled-down set of services for its first days, including a Starbucks, the Derailer bar, select offerings at Moffat Market, rentals, retail, the Tune Shop, group lessons and early-season private lessons. More terrain and facilities typically follow as snowmaking and natural snowfall build the base through late November and December.

The more interesting twist is an incentive aimed at people who ski early. Under the resort’s Rope Drop Club, Ikon Pass holders who ride at least two days in November earn two Rope Drop days, which can be redeemed after March 1, 2027, for access to a separate and likely shorter line at the Super Gauge lift and the Gondola. Skiing two days in December earns the same perk, redeemable after January 1. It is a clever way to spread crowds away from peak weekends.

Not every Colorado resort is ready to go. Wolf Creek, in the San Juan Mountains, is temporarily closed because floods damaged its access road. Skiers planning trips over Thanksgiving should check each resort’s lift and terrain reports before booking, since early-season conditions can vary sharply, and should expect busy roads on Interstate 70 on weekends.

Sources: POWDER