Several Colorado Ski Resorts Forced to Shutter Indoor Dining as COVID Cases Surge
Updated:
October 13, 2024
With a substantial and alarming rise in COVID cases across the state over the past few weeks, Colorado plans to move 15 counties into the state’s Level Red (Severe) COVID risk tier. The order goes into effect Friday, November 20 (althoughnew reportingindicates that Summit County may receive a postponement to Sunday).
At Level Red, all indoor dining and seating will be prohibited. In addition, gatherings between members of separate households will be banned. However, ski resorts may remain open, and grab and go dining will still be available.
The following Colorado ski resorts will be affected by the order:
Eldora (Boulder County)
Loveland(Clear Creek County)
Steamboat (Routt County)
Arapahoe Basin,Breckenridge,Copper, andKeystone(Summit County)
If case counts don’t go down, these counties risk moving into the state’s new Level Purple (Extreme) COVID risk tier, which would force resorts to close entirely. Summit County says it plans to issue its own public health order in the coming days,which may place additional restrictions on short-term rentals and ski areas.
As of today, A-Basin, Breckenridge, Keystone, and Loveland are already open for the 2020-21 season. Copper, Eldora, and Steamboat plan to open within the next couple of weeks.
Our Take
At this point, we’d advise resort visitors to prepare for a season without public indoor lodging (if the season truly happens at all). Many areas will be providing outdoor alternatives, but if your ideal ski day involves nice, warm indoor breaks, it’s going to be a disappointment. Hopefully, people less serious about skiing and snowboarding choose to stay off the slopes this winter, keeping resorts less crowded.
With indoor dining gone, on-site lodging may sound like an incredibly desirable option this season. However, with the possibility of more lockdowns on the horizon, booking a new trip may not be the best idea right now.
These COVID numbers are not looking good for the ski season, especially as resort towns eye substantially higher traffic in the upcoming core-season weeks. We sincerely hope that Colorado’s new orders can effectively reduce case counts in and around ski areas. Summit County’s public health order announcement suggests that even tougher restrictions may be coming sooner rather than later.
A few Colorado ski counties—most notablyVailandBeaver Creek’s Eagle County andTelluride’s San Miguel County—have not moved to Level Red with this order. However, cases have not been slowing down in these areas either, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see stricter guidelines imposed on these regions soon as well.
Recent Articles
Salt Lake City Has Been Selected for the 2034 Olympics. Here Are the Ski Resort Upgrades to Expect.
Salt Lake City is set to host the Winter Olympics for the second time in the 21st century. We cover the likely host mountains and capital investments to expect over the next decade.
Analysis
News
Deal
Announcement
Video
Investigative Journalism
August 28, 2024
Utah
Park City
Deer Valley
Snowbasin
Olympics
Ikon Pass Adds Sierra-at-Tahoe for 2024-25 Season
Sierra-at-Tahoe will become the second Tahoe destination—and the first on the south side of the lake—to join the Ikon Pass starting this winter.
Analysis
News
Deal
Announcement
Video
Investigative Journalism
August 27, 2024
West Coast
Lake Tahoe
Ikon Pass
California
Cali Pass
No results found...
