Watch CBS News

Arapahoe Basin And Keystone Fire Up Snow Guns

(CBS4) -- Arapahoe Basin and Keystone Resort both fired up their snow guns Wednesday morning -- with both hoping to be the first Colorado ski resort to open for the season. A-Basin started making snow at 5:15 a.m. on the High Noon intermediate run.

snow guns via arapahoe basin
Snowmaking operations at Arapahoe Basin on Oct. 2, 2019 (credit: Arapahoe Basin)
snow guns 2 via arapahoe basin
Snowmaking operations at Arapahoe Basin on Oct. 2, 2019 (credit: Arapahoe Basin)

A-Basin officials said the resort uses 24 energy-efficient fan guns plus several low-energy stick guns on 125 acres.

snow guns 4 via arapahoe basin
Snowmaking operations at Arapahoe Basin on Oct. 2, 2019 (credit: Arapahoe Basin)

Keystone confirmed to the Denver Post that it also started making snow on Wednesday.

Ladies and gentlemen start your engines... On your mark, get set, snow! #KeystoneKickoff

Posted by Keystone Resort on Tuesday, October 1, 2019

Last year, A-Basin was the first resort to open in Colorado -- on Oct. 19 -- and didn't close for the season until July 4. The last time the resort was able to stay open until Independence Day was back in 2011.

Photo Gallery: So Colorado: Skiing On The 4th Of July

A-Basin has not announced this year's opening date and it won't be announced until shortly before it happens, but the Basin always aims for mid-October.

"For the first time since 2001, Keystone aims to get back in the running with Arapahoe Basin and Loveland to become the first Colorado ski area to open for the season," the Post reported.

Keystone resort management says the goal is to compete with A-Basin for early and late-season skier days. Keystone hasn't been the first Front Range ski area to open since 1997, and it hasn't opened in October since 2001.

Loveland tested its snowguns overnight and plans to begin making snow Wednesday night.

(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)  

 

 

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.