Colorado skiers, boarders refuse to let low snow pack ruin their fun, enjoy final day at Keystone

Another round of closures hit Colorado ski country as warm, dry weather continues to eat away at what little snow remains. At Keystone Resort, crews still made it to their planned closing date (April 5), though the season didn't look quite the same.

The resort closed on April 6 in 2025 and on April 8 in 2024, so while the closing was not necessarily early, the vibes have changed. The annual pond skim had to be canceled this year, with not enough snow to safely make it happen.

Even so, skiers showed up with smiles on their faces, and some donning costumes, to close things out.

"It was really sad today. Normally, this is full of festivities, and instead, we walked across a field full of grass and dirt," Skier Athena Damianos explained.

The season started with promise, with Keystone opening early as the first resort to open for skiing in North America. But much like its rivals, the real season never built up a snow base to push skiing to its normal quality and season.

"This year it just never happened," Skier Jeremiah Rutledge added.

Snow crews with Keystone worked to keep terrain connected through the end of the season, despite limited snow. Skiers on the last day of the season were still able to make it from the top of the lift down to the base with skis underfoot, without the need of downloading on the lifts.

"They pushed it together. They made it happen. They got us to the bottom," Rutledge said. "We had very little to work with this year."

If there's one thing you can count on Colorado skiers for, even without the usual end-of-season traditions, the energy didn't disappear.

"If you're a true partier, we're going to be having fun in the parking lot anyway," Snowboarder Zach Hackett said. "It's been slightly underwhelming, but we were on snow, and we had fun."