TL;DR
Keystone is next. After Arapahoe Basin claimed the first chairlift skiing of the season on Wednesday, Keystone opens on Friday 30 October at 9:00 am with more than two miles of snowmaking-built terrain on Schoolmarm and Silver Spoon, plus free donuts, coffee and a live DJ. Last year the order was reversed, when Keystone squeezed in a three-hour afternoon session to beat A-Basin by a day. Snowmaking has been running since 15 October.
Keystone is taking its turn on snow, two days after Arapahoe Basin got to the lifts first.
The Colorado resort opens for the 2026/27 season on Friday 30 October, with lifts starting at 9:00 am local time. Skiers and riders can get laps on the Montezuma Express chairlift, and the River Run Gondola will run for uploading and downloading so people can get to and from the base. The skiing itself is on Schoolmarm and Silver Spoon, which together add up to more than two miles (3.2 km) of terrain, and an early-season hike-to terrain park sits at the top of Scout.
Opening-day extras
The resort is going all out for the morning. Free donuts and coffee will be handed out to riders, the Summit House has specials on, and there will be a live DJ. Anyone planning to turn up should expect a proper crowd for a very small amount of snow. Keystone has a history of drawing queues at its season starts, and with Arapahoe Basin already open and a long wait until the Vail Resorts November openings, this will be the second chance in the state to ski on lifts.
