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With ski resorts and towns brainstorming for creative ways to meet their guests’ restaurant needs within COVID-19 occupancy constraints this winter, the Town of Mountain Village near Telluride has come up with a novel one: a collection of 20 dining cabins scattered in the base plaza made from refurbished gondola cars.

For years, there's been a friendly competition among a trio of high-elevation Colorado resorts to see which Northern American resort opens first. But Covid-19 has cancelled that "race" for this season -- pushing opening dates back.

In what promises to be a most unusual ski season in Colorado due to COVID-19, it might also be an unusually late kickoff.

Since the global coronavirus pandemic began, sports that lend themselves to outdoor social distancing (golf, cycling, hiking, fishing, etc.) have been red hot, and skiing and snowboarding hold the same appeal as cold weather sets in. Several new hotels are debuting at major ski resorts around the country, and while it is too early to say whether travel from outside the regions will be safe or advisable this ski season, it is worth begin informed if the travel landscape takes a turn for the better.

One of the stickier points in managing the spread of COVID-19 in Colorado’s resort towns involves what to do when a guest falls ill during their stay and can’t leave.

With snowflakes already falling at high elevations and lifts scheduled to open just weeks from now, many of us are dreaming of mountain escapes, imagining that first run of the season.

The Winter Park ski train that takes skiers and snowboarders from downtown Denver's Union Station to Winter Park Resort won’t run this season because of the coronavirus pandemic.

What is usually a set-in-stone schedule of flights is an Etch-a-Sketch this fall as Colorado resorts struggle to gauge demand for skiing and airlines work to accommodate coronavirus-wary travelers.

Colorado resort officials acknowledge that brainstorming for the 2020-21 season has stretched their minds more than ever. With Epic and Ikon pass protocols in place, the more independent mountains are rolling out their plans.

As ski resorts announce plans to manage crowds, avalanche equipment sales are soaring, leaving search and rescue teams and land managers bracing for record crowds exploring snowy mountains.

The uphill-only ski area outside Kremmling, Colorado, is expanding to 1,200 acres for its second season with an emphasis on providing a safer experience and avalanche education.

Most Colorado Front Range skiers and riders typically don't think much about hopping in the car and heading west. However, this season is different and will require a bit more prep before the ride up I-70, U.S. 24 or Highway 119.

The scheduled start of the Colorado ski season is only about three months away – and with snow falling on the tops of nearby peaks just this week, it’s hard not to wonder what a winter on the slopes is going to look like during a pandemic. 

Unlike Vail Resorts, which last week announced a reservation system that requires pass holders to book high-season ski days well in advance, Wolf Creek is adjusting its pricing.

Granby Prentice Granby Holdings sent a letter to the roughly 800 owners of the property at the 5,000-acre Grand County ski and golf resort explaining it is terminating a 15-year deal with them.

After Vail Resorts on Thursday announced its plan for a reservation system this winter at its North American ski areas, members of Colorado’s backcountry winter sports community raised concerns about how the new program will affect crowds on public lands.

At a special meeting Wednesday, Aug. 19, Breckenridge Town Council discussed ideas for winter activities outside of skiing and snowboarding that guests can engage in this year.

U.S. Ski & Snowboard, along with the Canadian Ski Association, Killington and Beaver Creek Resorts, and the International Ski Federation have announced that the North American FIS Audi World Cup Alpine Ski Races will not be held this season.

Vail Mountain will open on time, and with full terrain and lifts — conditions permitting, of course.

In a recent telephone interview, Vail Mountain Chief Operating Officer Beth Howard said operations this summer have given the company important insights in how to operate lifts, restaurants and other amenities safely as the COVID-19 pandemic persists. Winter is the focus now, she said.

“Summer’s been great,” Howard said. “It’s terrific to be up and running … we’ve been pleased with how it’s going.”

 Read the full story at VailDaily.com

Two southwest Colorado ski area operators are interested in working with the Town of Silverton to grow the remote community’s Kendall Mountain ski area into a year-round amenity.