Sam Bass
Mother Nature and Expert Snowmaking and Grooming Teams Behind Earliest Opening in Two Decade
NEDERLAND, Colo. Nov. 5, 2018 – Eldora Mountain (Eldora) will open for the 2018/19 ski and snowboard season today, November 7, 2018, a full nine days ahead of schedule. Access to Eldora is unlimited on the new Ikon multi-mountain pass, and Eldora will be the first Ikon partner resort to open in Colorado. Part of POWDR Adventure Lifestyle Co., Eldora is located just 21 miles west of Boulder and 47 from Denver. As the backyard ski area for Boulder County and beyond, Eldora is the closest Ikon partner resort to Colorado’s northern Front Range. Wednesday will mark Eldora’s earliest opening in more than two decades.
The Alpenglow chairlift—a high-speed, six-person lift installed prior to last season—will start spinning at 9:00 am, giving skiers and snowboarders access to intermediate terrain, including La Belle, Hornblower, and International trails. No beginner terrain, uphill, or Nordic Center access will be available at this time. Eldora’s mountain operations crews will continue to make snow as weather permits, with the goal of opening additional terrain as soon as possible.
“With more than three feet of natural snow since October 8 and consistently cold temperatures, we are very excited to be opening earlier than we had planned,” says Brent Tregaskis, Eldora’s president and general manager. “Eldora is fortunate to be the first Colorado resort on the Ikon Pass to open, and one of the first resorts to be open in the country. It’s going to be a great season—c’mon up!”
Early-season visitors can expect a range of offerings beginning on Wednesday. On-mountain dining options will include the Timbers Lodge, serving both breakfast and lunch, and the Timbers Tap Room, serving a variety of craft beers and cocktails. Equipment rentals and snow-sports lessons will be available starting Friday, November 16, Eldora’s original opening date.
Guests will enjoy easy access with hands-free RFID pass and gate-access technology and unlimited access for all Ikon Pass holders. Other improvements to the guest experience include a resort-wide electrical system upgrade and carpool priority parking—a new program which reserves the front 200 parking spots on peak-visitation days for cars carrying three or more passengers.
Eldora is the only ski area served by RTD, Colorado’s largest public transportation system, with regular bus service from downtown Boulder straight to the Alpenglow chairlift and back, via the N Route. Eldora strongly encourages RTD ridership and carpooling as part of its Play Forever sustainability initiative, a resort-wide priority for all POWDR-owned properties that includes many resource-conservation measures. For important information regarding traveling to and parking at Eldora, please visit Eldora’s Getting Here webpage.
ABOUT ELDORA
Located just 21 miles west of Boulder and 46 miles from Denver, Eldora is the backyard mountain for Boulder County and Colorado’s northern Front Range. From mellow beginner terrain to thrilling steeps and glades, Eldora has terrain for every type of skier and rider, including world-class Woodward terrain parks and progression-based learning. With its combination of proximity, fantastic learning terrain, low-key family-friendly vibe, and lesson programs for kids and adults, Eldora is known widely as Colorado’s BEST PLACE TO LEARN. Eldora also offers uphill-skiing access, plus 42 kilometers of Nordic and snowshoeing trails. Eldora boasts affordable public transportation from anywhere in the Denver metro region straight to its high-speed, six-person Alpenglow chairlift. Check out RTD’s N Route for up-to-date fare and schedule info. Eldora is part of the POWDR Adventure Lifestyle Co. portfolio. For more, visit Eldora.com.
Support Northern Colorado Journalism
Show your support for North Forty News by helping us produce more content. It's a kind and simple gesture that will help us continue to bring more content to you.
BONUS - Donors get a link in their receipt to sign up for our once-per-week instant text messaging alert. Get your e-copy of North Forty News the moment it is released!
Click to Donate