As the days get longer and the snow melts, the time has come for Summit County residents to exchange their ski poles for hiking poles after a strong 2022-23 ski season in Summit County.
A winter of consistent and for some places record-breaking snowfall, attracted more visitors to ski resorts and record-breaking visitation numbers for the 2022-23 ski season in Summit County.
During its 60th annual meeting Colorado Ski Country USA, reported that visits at its 21-member ski resorts increased overall by nearly 8% over last year’s total. Local mountains Copper Mountain Resort, Loveland Ski Area and Arapahoe Basin Ski Area are members of the Colorado Ski Country USA.
“Copper saw strong visitation numbers all season long” Copper Mountain Resort senior communications manager Loryn Roberson said in a Summit Daily article published on June 14, 2023. “It was a good year with consistent snowfall and a high enthusiasm for skiing and riding.”
Loveland also saw steady visitation and reported its third-busiest season on record.
A-Basin’s visitation numbers rose 9% from last season, while guest visits continue to remain significantly lower than when the ski area was on the Epic Pass.
Increased visitation throughout the winter season was also seen at Vail Resorts owned Breckenridge Ski Resort and Keystone Resort.
Keystone communications manager Maxwell Winter added that steady visitation to the ski resort throughout the season offered a refreshing return to normalcy after the COVID-19 pandemic shut down ski areas across the country in 2020.
“In many ways, the 2022-23 ski season felt like a refreshing return to normal for our teams and guests,” Winter said. “Strong visitation, paired with strong staffing across our departments, made for an exciting atmosphere and experience across our three peaks.”
Snowfall at ski resorts
Plentiful storms all winter long refreshed the slopes with at least a few inches most days during the 2022-23 ski season in Summit County.
All five Summit County area ski areas were above last seasons’ total snowfall according to OnTheSnow.com, with many even surpassing their average yearly snowfall.
Breckenridge took the title of most snowfall in Summit County throughout the season with 339 total inches. Copper’s snowfall totals were a close second with 318 inches of snow.
Loveland saw 283 inches of snow for the third-most snowfall among Summit-area ski resorts, and A-Basin followed with 260 inches of snow.
Keystone saw the least amount of snow among Summit-area ski areas, with a total of 236 inches. Keystone had the shortest ski season operation with 171 days of chairlifts turning.
Similar to the 2022-23 ski season in Summit County, neighboring ski resorts also had exceptional seasons. Vail Mountain reported 357 inches and Steamboat Springs saw its second-snowiest season on record, reporting 448 inches.
Special events and anniversaries also contributed to increased traffic to Summit County ski resorts.
In celebration of the ski resort’s 50th anniversary season, Copper hosted ski and snowboard World Cup competitions, Dew Tour, festivals and unique events.
“The 2022-23 ski season was outstanding,” Copper Mountain president and general manager Dustin Lyman said. “We were excited to welcome back so many guests that have been increasing their ski days at Copper Mountain. I can’t say enough about the quality of our team. They made our 50th season one to remember.”
The “world’s largest mountaintop snow fort” at Keystone, the newly upgraded Rip’s Ride at Breckenridge, Loveland’s snowcat tours and A-Basin’s beach day were all reported as crowd favorites that brought droves of guests to the ski areas throughout the winter season.
Transition to summer
The fun doesn’t end when the snow stops falling. All the area ski resorts open in the summertime for summer operations, each offering a variety of activities for all ages. From downhill mountain biking to themed festivals every weekend, there is certain to be something for everyone, residents and visitors alike.
Copper begun summer operations on Friday, June 9. Keystone and A-Basin will open for the summer on June 23, and Breckenridge will open on June 30.
Come live your life elevated!
