This story was updated at 12 p.m. Tuesday to include more details about the upcoming opening.
It’s official, skiing in Aspen will be getting started early for the second year in a row. The Aspen Skiing Company announced Monday that Aspen Mountain and Snowmass will both open for daily operations on Saturday, Nov. 23. That date is five days ahead of the originally scheduled opening day.
On Aspen Mountain, 75 acres will be open for skiing, which makes up just 11% of the mountain’s total skiable terrain. The Little Nell and Bell Mountain chairlifts will start spinning on Saturday, providing access to Deer Park, Tortilla Flats, Spar Gulch, and Little Nell runs. The Silver Queen Gondola will be open for sightseeing.
Snowmass will have 60 acres open for skiing on Saturday, which represents less than 2% of the mountain’s total skiable terrain. The Village Express lift will be running up to its midway unload point, providing access to Upper Scooper and Lower Hal’s Hollow to the bottom of Fanny Hill. Elk Camp Meadows will also be accessible from the Elk Camp gondola.
Weather forecasts for the Aspen area area showing a chance of late-week snow starting Wednesday. Six or more inches of snow would allow for additional terrain to be opened.
Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk are scheduled to open Saturday, Dec. 7.
