Every year, there is an unofficial race to see which ski resort will be the first in the US to start rotating their lifts. It’s partly bragging rights, but it’s also a big milestone that everyone in the ski community celebrates, as it means ski season is right around the corner.
We now have the winner of the first ski resort to open for the 2025-2026 ski season, and it was a very close race.
Keystone Resort is this year’s winner by a snowflake, as it is the first major ski resort to open in the U.S. It began running its lifts from 3 to 6 pm on October 25 and had hot dogs and beer for $5.50, all priced to commemorate the resort’s 55th year of operation.
It will begin operating all day from 9am to 4pm today, October 26. Keystone is known not only for its early opening but also for its long, easy 3.5-mile Schoolmarm course and its family-focused approach, including its free kid’s ski offer (for children under 12 when parents book two or more nights of accommodation through Keystone Resort).
TPG Tip: There is also a Category 4 Hyatt Place at Keystone Resort, which can be a great place to use your Category 4 Hyatt Certificates either points for a ski trip.
But it’s not just Keystone that started the season this weekend; Nearby Arapahoe Basin also began full-day, seven-day-a-week operations today, losing the title of first to open when Keystone snuck in an afternoon opening the day before.
yes you are getting ready for your first ski tripYou may want to wait a little longer, as the beginning of the season is not a very suitable time for beginner skiing due to the very limited terrain available.
There are limited open trails at both resorts, and will likely remain that way for at least several weeks or until Mother Nature provides more help to supplement the mountains’ snowmaking capacity.
Breckenridge Ski Resort in Colorado, Copper Mountain in Frisco, Colorado and Brian Head Resort (where you can ski from just $14) They have announced the opening dates of November 7th.
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In mid-November, they plan to open many additional resorts, including Vail Ski Resort in Colorado, Mammoth Mountain Ski Area in California, Winter Park Resort in Colorado, and Eldora Mountain Resort in Nederland, Colorado. You’ll want to pay attention to the social media pages of these and other resorts for real-time information on the season’s first clues.
Related: The Best Ski Resorts in Colorado for Everyone from Beginners to Experts
On the East Coast, you’ll probably have to wait a few more weeks before the ski resorts are actually open. Some, like Killington Resort in Vermont, Sunday River in Newry, Maine, and Stowe Mountain Resort in Vermont, often try to open in mid-November, while others probably won’t open until December. From what we have seen in recent years, many of these projected dates may also be delayed. Similar to what we are seeing in the West, the terrain will likely be extremely limited at first.
It’s not too late to ski for less with a season pass, even if you’re just taking one trip
Whether you can get an early start to the season or not, if you’re hitting the powder this year, be sure to insure your ski. season pass now, since they will soon begin to go on sale.
One-day lift tickets can cost between $100 and $200 per day, if not more. Expensive resorts like Deer Valley Resort In Park City, Utah, they typically charge $300 per day or more for passes.
However, the epic pass will give you a head start on Keystone, Vail, Breckenridge and Heavenly Mountain Resort in California, to name a few; he Ikon Pass It will be useful in Winter Park, Mammoth, Arapahoe Basin and Copper Mountain and others. With these passes, you can pay less than $100 per day at many big-name resorts, even if you’re only taking a short trip.
if you are planning a family ski tripIt’s not too late to get some discounted ski days if you have a child in third, fourth, fifth or sixth grade.
Through many “ski passport” programs, you can get a limited number of ski days at participating mountains within the respective state. This includes programs in Colorado (kindergarten to sixth grade), Utah (fourth, fifth and sixth grade), Idaho (fifth and sixth grade), the Northwestern Rocky Mountains (fifth grade), Minnesota (fourth grade), New York (third, fourth and fifth grade), Vermont (fifth grade) and New Hampshire (fourth and fifth grade).
For several of these passport passes (including Colorado), no residency is required within the specific state, so kids from all over the United States can ski at a significant discount.
Related: The best credit cards to use on ski trips
With the start of ski season, you’ll want to dust off your skis or boards and make a plan for winter. With all the ways you can use your points to reserve that ski-friendly hotelyou can be in the mountains in no time.
Let’s keep our fingers crossed that a snowy winter arrives and that many more resorts see their opening day sooner rather than later.
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