Colorado ski areas allowed to stay open
Ski areas in counties listed at Level Red, or “severe risk,” on the state’s COVID- 19 dial will be allowed to remain open when new restrictions go into place starting Friday.
Summit County — where Keystone, Arapahoe Basin and Breckenridge are in operation — is one of 15 counties that will move to Level Red on Friday. Another Summit County resort, Copper Mountain, is scheduled to open in two weeks.
According to an email from the Colorado State Joint Information Center sent Wednesday evening, the new dial level announced Tuesday by Gov. Jared Polis “does not affect ski resort on- mountain operations specifically.”
Ski areas in Level Red counties must suspend indoor dining and provide takeout and grab- and- go or outdoor dining “but may still operate their lifts according to their approved plan.”
The statement also said facilities “essential for health and safety like restrooms” can remain open. Families also may go indoors “to warm or shelter from inclement weather.”
The Loveland ski area is in Clear Creek County, which also will be at Level Red. Winter Park is in Grand County, which is at Level Orange.
In Eagle County, Vail is scheduled to open on Friday and Beaver Creek on Nov. 25. Eagle County just moved to Level Orange this week.
In New Mexico, multiple ski resorts have delayed their scheduled openings this month in response to statemandated COVID- 19 lockdown orders that went into effect Monday.
The regulations ordered by Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham are expected to continue through Nov. 30.
Ski Santa Fe and Taos Ski Valley originally were scheduled to open Thanksgiving Day but were postponed.
Ski Santa Fe General Manager Ben Abruzzo said the resort now plans to open “as soon as we can” while its workers make critical preparations for the 2020- 21 season.
The latest opening for the resort was on Dec. 9, but for the past four years Abruzzo said the resort for the most part managed to guarantee a Thanksgiving Day opening.
Sipapu Ski and Summer Resort also was ready to open and would have become the first resort in the state to welcome skiers on Friday.
Sipapu and Pajarito Mountain Ski Area Marketing Manager Christiana Hudson said the opening is now delayed as staff members prepare to increase safety measures, including lift ticket sales that will be online only.
“We have not completely decided when our opening date would be,” Hudson said. “There is wisdom to working with our colleagues ( at other ski resort to coordinate opening dates). We’re all in this together.”
Ski Santa Fe also has implemented additional safety measures, spending more than $ 250,000 in changes which included online ticketing, outdoor seating areas and social distancing on lifts, Abruzzo said.
Taos Ski Valley said it “anticipated irregularities … and developed plans to be nimble in the face of uncertainty this year.” A resort statement did not elaborate.