Historic Colorado Ski Resort Opens for Milestone 80th Year

The wait is over for Colorado’s skiers and snowboarders. Arapahoe Basin officially opened its slopes on Oct. 28, becoming the first ski area in the state to welcome visitors for the 2026–27 winter season.

Located high in the Rocky Mountains near Loveland Pass, the resort welcomed skiers back with opening-day celebrations, costumes, and plenty of excitement. Making this year’s kickoff even more special, Arapahoe Basin is celebrating its 80th season on the slopes.

Only one lift and one trail were available initially, although snowmaking crews are continuing their work as the resort prepares to open more terrain.

According to Colorado Ski Country USA, the first skiers headed up the mountain at approximately 10:30 a.m., half an hour earlier than the resort’s announced 11 a.m. opening.

Skiers Celebrate the Return of Winter

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Opening day brought plenty of excitement to Arapahoe Basin, affectionately known as A-Basin or “The Legend.” Visitors gathered for giveaways, music, and the chance to make some of the season’s earliest turns on Colorado snow.

The ski season’s continued kickoff was also captured in a YouTube Short shared by @JohnathanBuckhouse, who documented his trip down the slopes.

The resort announced that its Black Mountain Express chairlift would serve High Noon, an intermediate trail. More runs and lifts are expected to become available as temperatures and snow conditions permit.

The opening also marks the beginning of the season for Ikon Pass holders. Both the Ikon Pass and Ikon Base Pass provide unlimited access to Arapahoe Basin this winter.

Although A-Basin was Colorado’s first ski area to open, another small operation had technically already welcomed skiers farther east. Massachusetts’ Ski Ward opened a beginner slope on Oct. 24 using an all-weather snowmaking system, according to POWDER. Its limited opening lasted through Oct. 25.

The Colorado opening marks a more sustained start to the season, with A-Basin planning to operate daily as additional terrain becomes available.

A Ski Resort With 80 Years of History

Arapahoe Basin’s history stretches back to 1946, when World War II veterans Larry Jump and Sandy Schauffler invested their $25,000 life savings into establishing a ski area below Loveland Pass.

According to the resort‘s official history, the mountain opened after just five months of preparation with a single rope tow. It became Colorado’s first postwar ski area and remains the oldest in Summit County.

The resort expanded over the following decades, introducing the nation’s first Poma surface lift in 1953 and gaining a reputation for challenging terrain and unusually long skiing seasons. By the 1980s, it was also among Colorado’s early adopters of snowboarding.

Today, Arapahoe Basin covers approximately 1,428 acres, with a summit elevation of 13,050 feet. Its high-altitude location has helped make it a familiar contender in Colorado’s annual race to open the slopes.

These special 80th-anniversary festivities will continue throughout the season, including special $80 Wednesday lift tickets and a celebration weekend in December. More ski areas across Colorado are preparing to open as winter conditions develop.