On November 3rd, skiers and snowboarders flocked to the Eldora ski resort for its opening day, fueled by the excitement of an early season storm. The anticipation was so high that a group of enthusiasts even camped out in the lift line overnight.
Lukas Voemel, a student from the University of Colorado Boulder, shared, “We’ve been here for 12 hours, staking out our spot since 7 p.m. last night. It’s a total foot race to be the first ones on the lift. We brought sleeping bags, eggs, and brews.”
This dedicated group has made it a tradition to camp out for the first chair every year, equipped with camping chairs and enough blankets to keep warm.
By 6:30 a.m. on Friday, the snowcats were meticulously grooming the trails at Eldora. Thanks to a hefty 15-inch snowfall on October 29th, the resort decided to open two weeks ahead of schedule for its 61st season opener.
Cars filled with eager skiers lined up before sunrise, eager to carve fresh tracks on the new snow. The Eldora workers even created jumps in the terrain park to the right of the Alpenglow lift.
As the clock approached 9 a.m., the Alpenglow lift was packed with local skiers eagerly awaiting the opening. Gene Rozgonyi shared, “[Opening day] is a great way to start the morning, get the crowd excited, and kick off the season together.”
To keep the energy high, a DJ named Chris Caligaris, known as Godlazer, played music and encouraged the crowd to dance. People cracked open beers and chatted with excitement while waiting in line.
Evan Scott, a member of the Eldora marketing team, delighted the crowd by handing out delicious blueberry, cherry, and chocolate muffins. The mere sight of the muffins caused a wave of cheers. Shortly after the muffins were distributed, Eldora General Manager Brent Tregaskis addressed the eager crowd with a season-opening message.
“We’ve expanded our snowmaking capacity by a third, which allowed us to open early this year,” said Tregaskis.
He continued, “We’re expecting favorable snowmaking temperatures midweek. I couldn’t be happier. So let’s celebrate with some Champagne and hit the slopes!”
As soon as Brent finished speaking, he popped open a bottle of Champagne, the lift operators removed the ribbon blocking the lift gates, and the crowd surged forward. At the top of the Alpenglow lift, skiers raced to the beginning of the trail, including long-time Nederland local David Martin.
“I’ve been coming to Eldora since 1965 when this lift was just a T-Bar,” recalled Martin. “We never miss opening day, aiming for 100 days of skiing each year. I adore this community.”
Currently, Eldora has three trails open—Hornblower, Klondike, and International. Hornblower is the main trail that eventually splits into Klondike and International. Tregaskis estimated that if weather conditions permit, the ski area might be able to open a fourth trail, Windmill, by next week.
