North America's 25-26 season has gotten underway with Colorado's Keystone the first to open a few hours ago.
There's always a race to claim "first in the US" and Keystone made the unusual decision to announce its lifts would start spinning at 3pm on Saturday shortly after Arapahoe Basin announced it would be opening at 8.30am today, Sunday.
Keystone, one of the world's highest altitude resorts, has invested heavily in snowmaking with the specific target of October opening. It also aims to open at least two miles of runs from day one (some other resorts start with just a few hundred yards of slope initially), which it managed yesterday. Keystone also made use of its extensive night-skiing slope floodlighting to stay open until 6pm.
"We're thrilled to kick off the season here at Keystone with over two miles of skiing and riding," said Keystone Resort Vice President and General Manager Shannon Buhler, adding, "We know how much this moment means to our employees and community, and our team has poured their hearts into creating an incredible early opening celebration. We're just excited to be back on snow!"
