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SKI SEASON PREVIEW: Colorado downhill skiing looking up

Skiers play on jumps last month during the earliest opening day in 40 years at Loveland Ski Area. ( RJ SANGOSTI )

Skiers slalom down the mountain at Loveland Ski Area on Oct. 7 â the earliest opening day in 40 years for the resort. Loveland, located along Interstate 70 near the Eisenhower Tunnel, was the first ski area in North America to open for the 2009-2010 season. ( RJ SANGOSTI )

2009-2010 Ski Resort information

Key information for nearby ski resorts:

Arapahoe Basin Ski Area

Season: Now-early June

Phone: 888-ARAPAHOE (272-7246)

Web site: arapahoebasin.com

Terrain: 900 acres. 23 percent expert; 37 percent advanced; 30 percent intermediate; 10 percent beginner. 105 trails, 2 terrain parks. Summit: 13,050 feet. Base: 10,780 feet. Vertical: 2,270 feet. Longest run: 1.5 miles.

Lifts: 1 quad, 2 triples; 3 doubles; 1 conveyor.

Lift tickets: All prices until Dec. 18; after Dec. 19, TBD: Adult full day, $49; youth, 15-19, $44; child, 6-14 $25; senior, 60-69 $47; 70-plus, $15. Child lift ticket $8 with a full-price adult ticket. Season packages available, see Web site for details.

Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. (Exhibition and Pallavicini lifts open 8:30 a.m. weekends and holidays).

Beaver Creek

Season: Nov. 25-April 11

Phone: 800-404-3535

Web site: beavercreek.com

Terrain: 1,815 acres. 38 percent expert; 43 percent intermediate; 19 percent beginner. 149 trails, 4 terrain parks. Summit: 11,440 feet. Base: 8,100 feet. Vertical: 4,040 feet. Longest run: 2.75 miles.

Lifts: 2 gondolas, 10 high-speed quads; 2 triples; 3 doubles.

Lift tickets: Single-day window price N/A. Online multi-day tickets prices vary and are available on the Web site.

Hours: 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily.

Breckenridge Ski Resort

Season: Nov. 12-April 18

Phone: 970-453-5000, 800-789-SNOW (7669)

Web site:

Felix Sorenson, 4, is fitted for ski boots by Brian Heil, as Jason Pittman helps with skis at Christy Sports in Boulder last month. The store and Eldora Mountain Resort teamed up for a junior ski promotion. ( CLIFF GRASSMICK )

href='http://www.breckenridge.com'>breckenridge.com

Terrain: 2,358 acres. 36 percent expert; 19 percent advanced; 31 percent intermediate; 14 percent beginner. 155 trails, 5 terrain parks (25 acres). Summit: 12,998 feet. Base: 9,600 feet. Vertical: 3,398 feet. Longest run: 3.5 miles.

Lifts: 1 eight-person gondola; 2 high-speed six-persons; 7 high-speed quads; 1 triple; 6 doubles; 4 surfaces; 9 carpets.

Lift tickets: Single-day window price N/A. Online multi-day tickets prices vary and are available on the Web site.

Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.

Copper Mountain

Season: Now-April 18

Phone: 866-841-2481

Web site: coppercolorado.com

Terrain: 2,465 acres. 18 percent expert; 36 percent advanced; 25 percent intermediate; 21 percent beginner. 126 trails, 3 terrain parks. Summit: 12,313 feet. Base: 9,712 feet. Vertical: 2,601 feet. Longest run: 2.8 miles.

Lifts: 1 high-speed six-person; 4 high-speed quads; 5 triples; 5 doubles; 7 surface.

Lift tickets: Two-day passes online range from $110-$166. See Web site for details.Hours: 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday (base lifts until 4 p.m.); 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. weekends and holidays (base lifts until 4 p.m.)

Eldora

Jesse Zarat catches some air while snowboarding on last seasonâ s opening day at Eldora Ski Resort near Nederland. Eldora plans to open on Nov. 20 this year. ( MARK LEFFINGWELL )

Mountain Resort

Season: Nov. 20-mid-April

Phone: 303-440-8700

Web site: eldora.com

Terrain: 680 acres. 30 percent advanced; 50 percent intermediate; 20 percent beginner. 53 trails, 4 terrain parks. Summit: 10,800 feet. Base: 9,200 feet. Vertical: 1,600 feet. Longest run: 3 miles.

Lifts: 2 quads; 2 triples; 4 doubles; 1 poma; 2 rope tows; 1 conveyor.

Lift tickets: Prices TBD. Last year's pricing: Adult full day $62; child 6-15 and senior 65-74; adult half-day (starts at 12:30 p.m.) $49.

Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday; 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekends and holidays.

Keystone Resort

Season: Now-April 11

Phone: 970-496-4FUN (4386)

Web site: keystone.snow.com

Terrain: 3,148 acres. 49 percent expert/advanced; 32 percent intermediate; 19 percent beginner. 135 trails, 2 terrain parks. Summit: 10,568 feet. Base: 6,900 feet. Vertical: 3,668 feet. Longest run: 3.5 miles.

Lifts: 2 gondolas; 5 high-speed quads; 1 high-speed six-person; 1 quad; 1 triple; 3 doubles; 1 surface; 6 carpets.

Lift tickets: Single-day window price N/A. Online multi-day tickets prices vary and are available on the Web site.

Hours: 8:30 a.m. (9 a.m. early season) and close at 4 p.m. or 8 p.m. on night skiing evenings. Call or visit Web site for night skiing dates.

Loveland Ski Area

Season: Now-early May

Phone: 303-571-5580, 800- 736-3SKI (3754)

Web site: skiloveland.com

Terrain: 1,570 acres. 46 percent expert/advanced; 41 percent intermediate; 13 percent beginner. 93 trails, 1 terrain park. Summit: 13,010 feet. Base: 10,800 feet. Vertical: 2,210 feet. Longest run: 2 miles.

Lifts: 3 quads; 2 triples; 3 doubles; 1 poma surface lift; 1 magic carpet surface lift (for ski school only).

Lift tickets: Early-season pricing, now-Dec. 11: adults $46, child 6-14, $21. Regular-season pricing, Dec. 12-April 4: adults $59, child 6-14, $25; child 5 and under free; 70+ season pass $69.

Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday; 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekends and holidays.

Vail

Season: Nov. 20-April 18

Phone: 970-SKI-VAIL (754-8245)

Web site: vail.com

Terrain: 5,289 acres. 53 percent expert/advanced; 29 percent intermediate; 18 percent beginner. 193 trails, 3 terrain parks. Summit: 11,570 feet. Base: 8,120 feet. Vertical: 3,450 feet. Longest run: 4 miles.

Lifts: 1 gondola; 16 high-speed quads; 1 fixed-grip quad; 3 triples; 1 double; 3 surface, 6 carpets.

Lift tickets: Single-day window price N/A. Online multi-day tickets prices vary and are available on the Web site.

Hours: 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily (early season), hours extend over the course of the season.

Winter Park Resort

Season: Nov. 18-April 18

Phone: 970-726-1564

Web site: winterparkresort.com

Terrain: 3,078 acres. 3 percent expert; 73 percent advanced; 17 percent intermediate; 7 percent beginner. 142 trails, 6 terrain parks. Mary Jane stats: Summit: 12,060 feet. Base: 9,450 feet. Vertical: 1,214 feet. Winter Park stats: Summit: 10,700 feet. Base: 9,000 feet. Vertical: 1,700 feet. Longest run: 4.6 miles (Village Way).

Lifts: 2 high-speed six-persons; 7 high-speed quads; 4 triples; 6 doubles; 3 surfaces; 1 platter, 1 rope tow and 1 Village Cabriolet.

Lift tickets: Single-day window price N/A. Online multi-day tickets prices vary and are available on the Web site.

Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekends and holidays. Panoramic Express and Pioneer Express close at 3 p.m.

Early snowstorms have Colorado skiers eager to strap on the planks and hit the slopes. But many skiers, including Boulder's Ron Davis, who are ready to start tearing up the mountain, are cautious about spending money and on the prowl to find the industry's best deals this year.

"Last year the recession hit us," Davis said as he was shopping at Boulder Ski Deals for season pass deals and bargain apparel. "I just couldn't take that many days off work."

Davis, who was looking at four-pack lift ticket packages for the 2009-2010 season, said he shopped Craigslist and garage sales for affordable equipment as the recession worsened last year. He also noticed thinner lines at chair lifts.

This year, Davis, and thousands of folks ready to hit the slopes, are hunting for the best deals to afford to ski.

Lucky for bargain hunters, resorts have responded to last year's slumping ski season -- which brought an average 5.5 percent decrease in skier visits across state ski resorts, according to resort group Colorado Ski Country USA. Resorts are offering more flexible, more deeply discounted and extended-length promotions and incentives to lure skiers and snowboarders back to the slopes.

And, customers' responses to highly discounted passes and lodging have led to high rates of early/pre-season pass purchases, making resort officials cautiously optimistic that this year could be a "bounce back year."

Many of the 22-member Colorado Ski Country USA destinations report higher season pass sales now compared to last year at this time, according to resort officials.

Pre-season pass sales and lodging are often key factors used to predict the overall success for the upcoming season in terms of ski lift-ticket sales and skier visits, said CSCUSA spokeswoman Jennifer Rudolph. High rates of pre-season ticket sales often suggest an economically successful upcoming season.

Last year, early pre-season sales were slight and followed by a disappointing ski season.

Recession hit resorts last year

Economic factors, including the high cost of travel and lodging, hammered the industry resulting in a 5.5 percent fall of overall skier participation.

Between the 22-CSCUSA-member ski resorts and Vail Resorts' four Colorado properties, a combined 11.85 million skiers and snowboarders hit the slopes, down from more than 12.56 million the year before; the biggest slump in more than a decade.

Vail officials also reported lower revenue in on- and-off-mountain dining as well as ski and snowboard school, although they did not provide specific numbers.

"The economy was a challenging factor for many skiers last year," said Rudolph, with the CSCUSA. "But early indicators this year suggest that we are going to have a good year."

Ski resort officials not only saw declining rates of skiers, but also noticed that more people packed lunches from home, purchased used equipment and, in general, spent fewer dollars on resort amenities.

However, some resorts -- particularly those closer to the Boulder-Denver area -- didn't sink quite as far. It was the "staycation" mentality. Folks opted to frequent resorts closer to home to reduce travel expenses, Rudolph said.

For instance, Loveland and Echo Mountain, about 50 and 35 miles from Denver, respectively, reported increased rates of skier visits in the 2008-09 season, whereas Aspen, more than 100 miles from Denver, saw a 9.9 percent decrease in skier visits, she said.

Boulder's closest ski area, Eldora Mountain Resort near Nederland, expects to do well this year since it's located close to populated areas.

"Last year was our second-best year ever," said resort spokesman Rob Linde, who declined to provide season pass sale numbers. "The year before last was our very best year. And this year, we are on track, or matching, our second-best season ever.

"In a low economic time, we still do very well. Close proximity, value-oriented, family-oriented, just in general more affordable."

Cutting back, but still going

Greg Ditrinco, executive editor of SKI magazine, a Boulder-based publication that reaches 1 million readers, said last year's recession even kept affluent skiers from traveling as far. He said more folks gravitated toward short ski trips at local and regional resorts as opposed to full-throttle vacations at "true destination resorts."

"Last year people were in survival mode. Resorts were in survival mode," Ditrinco said. "This year things seem slightly more upbeat. It's not going to be the year of fancy things. People are still cutting back. But for skiers skiing is a passion and a sport and they are going to do what it takes to keep skiing."

Rudolph said although the economy has not fully recovered, she thinks people feel it is steadying, and folks have adjusted their spending and finances to adjust to the economy.

And, early indications suggest that this year will be better for resorts.

Vail reported season pass sales were up 15 percent as of September.

And A-Basin season pass sale rates have doubled last year's sales at this time.

Even mountains that fared better than other resorts during last year's slump, but still took a setback, such as Winter Park, affirm demand has picked up.

"We're really excited about the ski season ahead," said Rob Perlman, vice president of marketing for Winter Park, which took about a 5 percent decrease last season.

"People are looking for good deals this year," he said. "So they might be brown bagging it more than they did in the previous season. Or they might get by with a little bit more duct tape on their jacket from last season. But they are going to go skiing if they want to."

Perlman said resorts are in a "wait and see" moment right now; hopeful that preseason indications accurately predict a good season. But he said he still thinks people may be counting their pennies at the resorts even if they've made it back to the slopes.

Hundreds of skiers and snowboarders tore through natural and man-made snow on Oct. 9 during one the nation's first open resorts, A-Basin. And the number of skiers has remained consistent since, typical of a good ski year, said A-Basin spokeswoman Leigh Hierholzer.

"Things are coming back," she said.

The lowdown on deals

As an effort to attract new skiers, keep regular skiers coming back and offer more general value to the customer, marketing strategists creatively revamped their promotional deals to reach a greater number of both local and out-of-town skiers.

Ski resorts across-the-board have drastically upped the ante in the number of deals and promotional offers to help attract skiers back to the slopes and pack the punch into value for the customer.

A-Basin season pass holders receive an additional 10 percent discount on food that can be used at select food venues, including the brand new "Asian Station" and "Italian Station" introduced this year.

Vail Resorts Inc., "renovated" its "Epic Mountain Burger," an already popular burger, to include fresh ingredients such as freshly baked bread, two Angus quarter pound patties, organic cheese and a special sauce.

The Mountain Meal Card adds a 20 percent bonus to the dollar amount spent on a pre-paid dining card for guests at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone.

Aspen/Snowmass mountains introduced two payment plan options, the Flex Pass and the Escape Pass, that have reduced up-front costs and a pay-as-you-go component for guest to pay for as much skiing as they'd like.

Echo Mountain, which boasted the highest percentage increase among Colorado resorts last season, announced the cheapest unlimited season pass among Colorado Ski Country resorts at $169.

Powderhorn Resort, Ski Cooper and Wolf Creek each froze lift ticket prices to match last year's prices.

Loveland Ski Area season passes now come with three free, unrestricted days at Monarch Mountain as well as discounted food, lessons, rentals, child care and sport shop purchases. They are also selling a four-pack for $119.

"It's not only the 'Year of the Deal' but the "Year of Value,'" said Amy Kemp, Vail Resorts spokeswoman.

Vail used the summertime to reassess marketing strategies, not only to slash prices but also reconsider the value offered to customers in package deals, Kemp said.

'Never seen anything like it'

Andy Wirth, vice president for Steamboat, said the "breath and depth" of this year's promotions far outdoes any quality of promotional offering he's witnessed in the past two decades.

"I have never seen anything like it," said Wirth, who's worked in the ski industry for 25 years.

"Whether you are from Atlanta or Fort Collins, there are facilitated discounts available," he said, adding that many of the discounts are specifically targeted to the out-of-state market. "There has never been a better time to be a skier or snowboarder in the past few decades."

Michael Marston, president of DiscoverColorado.com, an online Colorado ski resort vacation planner that partners with more than 250 ski property managers and more than 5,000 ski lodging properties, said this year is also one of the most affordable ski seasons he's seen in terms of lodging.

"There have always been deals, but this year almost every lodging company is offering some money-saving deal," Marston said. "The opportunity for the skier this year is great. The consumer can save hundreds, many hundreds, of dollars if they do a little research."

For example, Mountain Managers, a Breckenridge lodging company, is offering customers a "buy three nights get the fourth night free" special, which lasts through mid-April.

Also, this year companies are becoming more flexible, Marston said, stretching deals over the entire ski season, including over Christmas and New Year's when resorts often double or tripled their rates.

Snow trumps all

Even amid the backdrop of a poor economy, weather can play an important role when it comes to skier and snowboarder visits.

This year is an El Niño winter, according to Boulder meteorologist Matt Kelsch. El Niño winters are typically characterized by heavy snowfall in the fall and spring because of warmer average temperatures near the equator around South America. El Niño winters also tend to bring a few dry spells during the thick of winter.

And though Kelsch said there is no way to predict the amount of snow this far in advance, Colorado's October snowstorm have many skiers amped on a good season ahead.

October's snowstorm, which dropped 23 inches in Boulder, accumulated several inches to several feet in most Ski Country resort across the state, blanketing resorts and bolstering mountain's base snow levels in natural snow.

The storm also helped to affirm that many resorts should open on their scheduled opening dates.

"Good snow trumps every other variable," said Rudolph, of CSCUSA. "Even if the economy is still bad, if it's dumping snow, people are going to go skiing."

Brian Hazlett, rental and tuning shop supervisor, attaches bindings to new snowboards at Eldora Mountain Resort last week. ( MARTY CAIVANO )

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