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.

Aspen Skiing Co.’s top official advised customers in a letter Tuesday to temper their expectations but not curb their enthusiasm for the 2020-21 ski season.

Schools in Aspen, Vail, and Crested Butte are reporting record interest and enrollment as part-time residents relocate to their vacation homes and urban buyers flock to mountain retreats.

Halfway up Vail Mountain and a few steps from Gondola One’s constant whirl, the view is stunning. Pine trees dot vibrant green meadows, with the grey crags of the Gore Range off in the distance, all under a cloudless blue sky. 

A few small groups of people could be seen along the slopes, too, most hiking in masks. 

Vail Ski Resort is one of many Colorado ski areas that have begun to emerge from hibernation after Gov. Jared Polis closed down the industry in mid-March as coronavirus barreled into the state. Now, these resorts are navigating a summer season like none before. 

The Arapaho National Forest recently approved a ski resort's proposal to provide guided snowcat tours in the beautiful backcountry of Colorado.

Colorado's ski industry has used the summer to roll out its usual early-bird deals. But in a very new reality, seller and buyer cannot say what the purchase will grant them come winter, if anything.

Steamboat Resort is planning a multi-million dollar expansion that includes 650-acres of new terrain, snowmaking improvements, and the longest 8-person gondola to spin in North America. There's also talk of constructing a brand new restaurant at the top of the Sunshine and Sundown chairlifts.

Even with the difficulties of the novel coronavirus, and despite this year’s decrease in snow from winter 2018-19, Woodward Copper at Copper Mountain Resort is offering a summertime on-mountain terrain park that rivals last year’s.