Locals Optimistic About Ski Resorts Getting Much Needed Snow
By Jeff Todd
NEDERLAND, Colo. (CBS4) - The news of a delayed opening at Eldora Mountain Resort didn't stop the party inside Salto Coffee Works in Nederland Tuesday night.
"It takes a while to get going, and you've just got to wait and be relaxed about it," said Bruce Trudgill, a 20-year local who was eager to pick up his season pass.
"We were going to open this Friday, Nov. 17," said Sam Bass with Eldora.
An opening is optimistically scheduled for the day after Thanksgiving, but many runs still need significant snow coverage.
"We haven't had the cold temperatures that we've needed to make snow nor have we had adequate natural snowfall. Most nights it's even too warm to make snow at night," said Bass. "Tonight we're hoping it will be different, it's feeling a little chillier so hopefully they'll be able to turn them on."
"I'm always eager. I'm a little nervous about the amount of snow we've got right now, but that's pretty normal we often get a slow start and then it picks up," Trudgill said.
There's only one run with adequate snow coverage at Eldora, and it's being used by the University of Colorado Boulder ski team and other local ski racers.
"Historically, getting open by Thanksgiving, you know, that's pretty early. This year we didn't make it, but we're really excited we're going to be on snow soon," Bass said.
Eldora finished a new six-person ski lift that will cut previous lift time by a third. The base area around the new lift is still surrounded by dirt and not snow.
A weak weather system isn't expected to drop much snow on Eldora this weekend, but could create cold temperatures ideal for snow-making.
Long-term forecasts suggest more warm and dry weather.
"When it gets great, you've got to be ready to go," said Trudgill.
"We've got a lot of cool stuff to show people once we're open," said Bass.
RELATED: Vail Becomes Second Colorado Ski Area To Delay Opening Due To Weather
Jeff Todd joined the CBS4 team in 2011 covering the Western Slope in the Mountain Newsroom. Since 2015 he's been working across the Front Range in the Denver Headquarters. Follow him on Twitter @CBS4Jeff.