Colorado

What’s New in Colorado for the 2024/25 Season

ColoradoThe lifts already are operating at some Colorado ski and snowboard resorts, but it’s not too late to tell you what’s new for the season, including new lifts and terrain and bargain-priced lift tickets and lesson plans.

In alphabetical order, since that’s the only fair way. 

Arapahoe Basin is rolling out two group lesson deals for guests looking to learn and/or improve their skills: $225 half-day morning lessons and $199 half-day afternoon lessons. Both packages include lessons, gear rental, and lift tickets.  Sustainability is a priority at A-Basin, which also is celebrating its first full season of carbon-neutrality.

Aspen Snowmass: Skiers and snowboarders can look forward to an all-new lift, the Coney Express, on Snowmass. The new high-speed quad replaces the Coney Glade chair, but with better access and increased base area loading capacity, including a new loading terminal in the Snowmass base area across from the Snowmass Mall. The new Coney Express also features a midway station for access to and from the world-class Snowmass terrain park and all-new access for foot traffic guests to Lynn Britt Cabin and the Spider Sabich Race Arena.

 Renovations to the Lynn Britt Cabin, located at mid-mountain on Snowmass, include an extended patio, outdoor grill, and bar area for après parties and specials, live entertainment, and snowcat dinners throughout the 2024-25 season.

Copper Mountain continues its Play Forever Thursdays program with $99 discounted lift tickets, with a portion of proceeds benefiting a non-profit community partner.  Also, the new Timberline Express chairlift improves access to the resort’s popular intermediate terrain. The new six-person lift  replaces the old quad, greatly increasing uphill carrying capacity. The replacement project is one part of Copper’s multi-year development of the Western Territory, aimed at providing a better skiing and riding experience for all levels.

Echo Mountain, the closest ski area to Denver, helps skiers and snowboarders save with the best prices available when you book online ahead of time for a visit early (or later) in the season.

Eldora is boasting about its new Caribou Lodge, which will serve as a new children’s learning center and the headquarters for Ignite Adaptive Sports. Caribou Lodge also features new restrooms and food-and-beverage facilities and will serve as a hub for the lower-mountain.

Granby Ranch is offering a weekday season pass for $369 and an unrestricted season pass for $619.  Night skiers can enjoy expanded Twilight Skiing from March 10–20, when Granby Ranch extends lift operations until 5:30 pm, allowing more skiable hours once Daylight Savings Time takes effect. Uphillers can look forward to all-day uphill access, allowing ticketed uphillers to skin up the East and West peaks during the normal operating hours.

Howelsen Hill takes Sunday Funday to an entirely new level with free skiing every Sunday throughout the winter season at North America’s oldest operating ski area, in the heart of downtown Steamboat Springs.

Loveland Ski Area is a new-this-season member of the Indy Pass and offers free snowcat skiing along the Continental Divide, giving skiers and snowboarders access to some of the resort’s most exhilarating terrain.  There’s also a modernized rental fleet, with Grip Walk soles on all ski boots that help prevent falls.

Monarch Mountain is celebrating 85 Years of Independence this season. Teams spent the summer building an access road, extending powerlines, and clearing trails in the expansion area called No Name Basin. The development adds 377 acres of primarily intermediate to advanced skiable terrain on the west side of the Continental Divide in the 2025-26 ski season.

Powderhorn Mountain Resort is freezing or reducing lift ticket prices and expanding affordable programs to address inflation and provide relief to guests, including lower-priced menu options, expanded free learning programs, and discounted passes for students and military personnel.

Purgatory has added 200 sets of new skis and snowboards, increased parking, and self-service ticket pickup boxes that will put skiers and snowboarders where they want to be—that is, on the slopes—faster than ever.

SkiCooper  discounts day passes and rentals are purchased online at least 2 days in advance.

Silverton Mountain offers a $449 Premium Pass that now includes new free ski days at partner mountains, including at Arapahoe Basin, Monarch, Loveland, and Powderhorn.

Sunlight Mountain Resort has implemented new RFID cards that streamline the ticketing process will enable skiers and snowboarders to get to the slopes faster this season.

Steamboat Ski Resort had a major expansion last season with the Mahogany Ridge expansion and extended Wild Blue Gondola.  For this season, there is increased snowmaking acreage using new, automated, low-E snowmaking throughout the Sunshine area, ensuring that some of the most popular terrain will be early in the season. Steamboat also celebrates the 50th anniversary of its legendary Cowboy Downhill ski race.

Winter Park Resort is introducing a learn-to-ski guarantee: if, by the end of your third lesson, you can’t ski the 10 green trails they’ve identified, your fourth lesson is free. The Kids Ski Free program also includes a free lift ticket with each ski lesson and free rentals with an adult three-day rental package.  There’s also $37 million in improvements to snowmaking this season, to make snow more efficiently and allow the resort to open more terrain earlier in the season.

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    Epic Passes Available Through Dec. 2

    Credit: Okemo Mountain Resort

    With eight Vail Resorts’ ski areas spread across Vermont, New Hampshire and New York, there is a lot to get excited about for the 2024/25 winter season. Skiers and riders have just days left to save up to 65% compared to lift ticket prices before Epic Day Passes go off sale for the season. All Epic Passes, including Epic Day Passes, are only available until December 2, providing the best value for guests planning to ski or ride even just one day this season.

    An Epic 1-Day Pass with access to Stowe, Okemo, Mount Snow, and Hunter in the Northeast is $98 for adults ($48 for kids), providing up to $141 savings compared to the cost of purchasing a 1-day lift ticket in resort. For Mount Sunapee, Attitash, Wildcat, and Crotched in New Hampshire, an Epic 1-Day Pass is $61 for adults ($32 for kids), providing up to $90 savings compared to the cost of purchasing a 1-day lift ticket in resort.

    With Epic Day Pass, the price per day decreases the more days a guest plans to ski or ride, up to seven days, with the option to choose which resorts they want to visit. Guests can also add peak day access when building their Pass for an additional charge. All Pass Holders receive 20% off group ski and ride school lessons, on-mountain food and beverage, lodging, equipment rentals, and more with Epic Mountain Rewards.

    “We know how important value and flexibility is to our guests as they plan for the winter ahead,” said Courtney Goldstein, chief marketing officer for Vail Resorts. “That’s why we created the Epic Day Pass, so skiers and riders can build their own Pass to use at their favorite mountain resorts, lock in incredible savings compared to the cost of lift tickets, and then decide later when and where to ski and ride.”

    All Epic Passes go off sale December 2 – including the full Epic Pass ($1,107 adult, $546 kids), the Northeast Value Pass ($652 adults, $490 senior, $458 college), Epic Local Pass ($859 adults, $417 kids), Epic Military Pass ($223), plus Epic Local College Pass ($720), and Adaptive Pass ($492).

    Check out all Epic Passes on epicpass.com before they go off sale on December 2. No reservations will be required at any resort, except Telluride Ski Resort. Passes are non-refundable except through Epic Coverage. Lift tickets will be limited this season across all 37 North American resorts.

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