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2 Colorado Ski Areas Plan To Stretch Season, Profits

DENVER (AP) -- This is supposed to be mud season, when most seasonal Colorado ski resort employees have left for the summer and most ski areas are closed.

But so much snow has fallen in the Colorado mountains this month that Aspen Mountain is reopening 136 acres at the top for Memorial Day weekend, with ski operations run by salaried rather than seasonal staff. And Arapahoe Basin plans to offer skiing on at least two more weekends after it ends daily operations June 5.

Resort officials say they don't expect the extended ski season to be a huge money maker, but they do expect to at least break even.

Both resorts have extended skiing into late spring before. The latest A-Basin ever stayed open was Aug. 10 back in 1995.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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