FW: 2011/12 Ski Season Kicks Off in Colorado

2011/12 Ski Season Kicks Off in Colorado

Wolf Creek Ski Area Opening Today, Earliest Opening Ever

Tweet: Colorado ski season starts off today with Wolf Creek Ski Area opening http://rec-law.us/p3NvS7 

Video:

HD B-roll available for download via YouSendIt: Wolf Creek opening day release clean.mp4

Video courtesy of Doug Chapin Photography

Denver, Colo. – October 8, 2011 – The Colorado ski season started with a powdery initiation this morning as Wolf Creek Ski Area opened its first chair lift to skiers and riders. At 9:00 am today, with three lifts operating, a midway base of 32 inches and a summit base of 35 inches, Wolf Creek Ski Area became the first ski resort in North America to open this season. This is the earliest opening ever for the resort, beating their previous earliest opening date of October 27, 2006.

Thanks to a significant storm that moved through southwestern Colorado earlier this week, Wolf Creek opens with 600 acres of all natural snow skiing. Skiable terrain is serviced by the Treasure, Bonanza and Nova lifts and includes a variety of beginner, intermediate and expert trails as well as Alberta Face and Treasure Falls.   Skiers and riders enjoyed early season powder conditions, with more snow forecast for the coming days.

For Colorado Ski Country USA (CSCUSA), this early opening is an exciting launch into another season of Colorado skiing. “Colorado only ended its 2010/11 season in July, and here we are in early October already celebrating a resort opening,” explains Melanie Mills, president and CEO of CSCUSA. “At this rate, Colorado is practically a year-round ski destination.”

The early season powdery conditions brought an enthusiastic crowd of approximately 1,300 to Wolf Creek today, indicating that skiers and riders are energized for another ski season in Colorado. “Resorts in Colorado are focused more than ever on offering the best product, not only for skiing and snowboarding, but for winter vacationing,” continues Mills. “From top quality snow conditions to top notch guest service, resorts are centered on providing a one-of-a-kind experience only Colorado can provide.”

In Colorado Ski Country, it’s a tradition to compete to be Colorado’s first ski area to open. Wolf Creek will be open Saturday, October 8 and Sunday, October 9 and has not yet determined if they will stay open after Sunday. For many years, Arapahoe Basin and Loveland Ski Area were the front runners in the race. They, and other resorts in Colorado such as Copper Mountain, are currently undergoing snowmaking and opening preparations. For more information on resort openings, CSCUSA or any of CSCUSA’s 22 member resorts, please visit www.ColoradoSki.com.