CLEAR CREEK COUNTY, Colo. -- Fresh snow is bringing excitement to the mountains with Mother Nature helping ski resorts as they race to open. Wolf Creek Ski Area is opening on Saturday with others close behind.
Skiers and snowboarders will notice some upgrades when they hit the slopes. Loveland Ski Area added a new high-speed lift, nearly cutting the ride time in half. The shiny new lift is called 'Chet's Dream' as a way to honor Chester R. (Chet) Upham, one of the original owners of Loveland.
“Well, yeah it’s always important to stay up-to-date with equipment and our new lift Chet’s Dream right behind us is a perfect example of that, it’s our first high speed quad," said Duncan Maxwell with Loveland Ski Area.
The lift will welcome skiers and riders on the season's opening day. Loveland expects to open within the next two weeks but a date has not been determined yet. Last year, the ski area opened on October 20.
"We’re always in a race to open," said Maxwell.
As Loveland tests out its new lift, Arapahoe Basin is also racing to open. A-Basin added new terrain and new lifts for the season. The new terrain called "The Beavers & The Steep Gullies" is made up of 34 new runs over 468 total acres. A four-person chairlift will transport skiers and snowboarders to The Beavers.
Infrastructure upgrades are happening at other resorts, too. Winter Park Ski Resort invested $30 million in improvements, including a ten-person gondola that will dramatically increase capacity. Copper Mountain also replaced two main lifts during the summer break.
To find out what else is new at other Colorado ski resorts, click here.
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