One of the most common questions we've been receiving at our check-in desk lately is, "How's the snow?" or "Is there enough snow to ski?" Believe it or not, conditions are still great! Spring skiing can be quite interesting. As the weather changes drastically throughout the day, so do the conditions. If you're looking to ski earlier in the day, it will likely still be relatively cool and the snow on the runs will still be fairly hard. It will be similar to those winter conditions you're likely used to and cruising groomers is a superb choice during this time of the day. As the sun comes out and the temperatures rise, the conditions will change quite considerably and you may experience varying conditions during one run, as you go from the top of the mountain to the bottom. The snow will start to soften up, which can be really nice to ski on. This tends to be my favorite time of day to ski (between 10am and 2pm), as the conditions are very forgiving, but the snow hasn't gotten too slow and sticky yet. Beyond lunch time, the runs do start to get a bit slushy and the snow will ski a bit slower, especially if you do not have warm weather wax on your skis. None of these times are bad times to ski, just know they do differ as the day goes on, so keep this in mind when you're out on the slopes. Spring is also a great time to be learning to ski or ride, because when the snow is softer, you don't fall as hard!
While most of the resorts are cutting down a bit on the amount of terrain open, there is still plenty of terrain to be skied at Keystone. Later in the Spring, skier visits drop and the crowds will be dwindling as the season winds down which means shorter lift lines! Keystone Resort still has just about 74% of their terrain open and 19 of 20 lifts running. Keystone will also continue to have night skiing through Sunday, April 5th, which is a ton of fun, especially since the sun doesn't set until 7 pm.
Copper Mountain still has a majority of their terrain open as well. Looking for a fun day trip? Copper has dropped their daily lift ticket prices since 100% of their terrain isn't open, making the mountain even more affordable! Their tickets can be purchased at the ticket window for $100/day and you can get them for even less by purchasing them online ahead of time. You can save up to 25% on Keystone Lift tickets as well when you buy them online 7 or more days in advance of your first day of skiing. Arapahoe Basin also still has the majority of their terrain open and they are still selling their Elevation 3-pass, which gets you 3 days of skiing for only $139! After using all 3 days, you can also load additional days onto the pass for $59/day. Arapahoe Basin stays open as late in the season as the snow allows, sometimes staying open until late June or 4th of July!
So get out there, enjoy the warm weather, and don't forget to wear sunscreen! Keystone Resort closes on Sunday, April 12 and there are some great events planned over the next two weeks including the Red Bull Schlittentag on April 4 and the Keystone Slush Cup on April 12. To make the deal even sweeter, check out our April Extravaganza Lodging Sale, which offers up to 39% off our normal lodging rates for April stays of 2 or more nights.