Keystone opens, Wolf Creek follows on Halloween: storm brings up to 2 feet
The Schoolmarm trail at Keystone, one of the two runs open on opening day, with the Tenmile Range behind it. Photo: Ben & Whitney Carey via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Keystone in Colorado opens its 2026/27 season on Friday 30 October 2026 with more than 2 miles of groomed green runs. Wolf Creek follows on Saturday 31 October with about 30 % of its terrain. A storm from Halloween to Tuesday 3 November can bring up to 26 inches of snow to Wolf Creek and rain to the valleys below.
In short
- Keystone opens on Friday 30 October 2026, from 9:00 to 16:00 Mountain Time, on two green runs.
- Wolf Creek opens on Saturday 31 October with three lifts and about 30 % of the mountain.
- Forecasters expect 16–26 inches of snow at Wolf Creek through the night of Tuesday 3 November.
- The same storm can bring 1–3 inches of rain to the flood-hit San Juan valleys.
- Arapahoe Basin opened first, on Wednesday 28 October, so Keystone is the second Colorado resort this season.
Keystone: two green runs and a terrain park
Vail Resorts announced the date on Wednesday 28 October in a Keystone press release. Skiers ride the River Run Gondola up and then take laps on the Montezuma Express chairlift. The open terrain is "more than 2 miles of freshly groomed terrain on the Schoolmarm and Silver Spoon trails", plus a hike-to terrain park.
Both runs are green runs, the Summit Daily wrote. At the end of the day, guests ride the gondola down to the base. Uphill access stays closed in the early season.
"Opening in October is a huge testament to the tireless and innovative work of our team," said Shannon Buhler, vice president and chief operating officer of Keystone, in the release.
| Keystone, opening day | |
|---|---|
| Date | Friday 30 October 2026 |
| Hours | 9:00 to 16:00 Mountain Time |
| Runs | Schoolmarm and Silver Spoon (green) |
| Lifts | River Run Gondola, Montezuma Express |
| Extra | hike-to terrain park |
Snowmaking won the race to open
Colorado's first openings depend on machine-made snow. Keystone and Arapahoe Basin both started their snow guns on Thursday 15 October, The Colorado Sun reported. Then the weather warmed and the guns stopped again. "Such is the nature of trying to make snow in October in Colorado," Keystone communications manager Jacob Marquardt told the paper.
Keystone runs 627 snow guns on about 70 miles of pipe, according to the same report. The guns stop automatically when the wet-bulb temperature rises above about 27–28 °F. The resort rises from about 9,200 feet to more than 12,000 feet.
Keystone, Loveland and Arapahoe Basin have competed for the first opening in Colorado since at least the 1980s. Arapahoe Basin, which installed snowmaking in 2002, has opened first 14 times since then. It won again this year and opened on Wednesday 28 October; we covered that opening of its 80th winter.
Keystone at dusk, with the lit night-skiing runs above the village. Photo: SummitCove via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Wolf Creek opens on natural snow
Wolf Creek, in southern Colorado, opens on Saturday 31 October. Unlike Keystone, it opens on natural snow: a storm on 23 and 24 October brought 20 inches, according to the Wolf Creek release. About 12 inches have settled at mid-mountain.
The Treasure Stoke, Bonanza and Nova lifts run from 9:00 to 16:00, from Saturday 31 October to Tuesday 3 November. After that, the area closes on Wednesdays and Thursdays and opens Friday to Sunday until more snow falls. Early-season lift tickets cost $73 for adults, $55 for seniors and $36 for children.
The area warns of "rocks, unmarked obstacles, and possible open water" on any trail. Groomed runs and off-piste lines are both open.
The storm: snow up high, rain below
A storm moves into Colorado on Halloween and lasts until Tuesday 3 November. The main wave arrives on Sunday 1 and Monday 2 November.
| Forecast to Tuesday night 3 November | Amount |
|---|---|
| Wolf Creek | 16–26 inches of snow |
| Telluride | 9–15 inches of snow |
| Higher San Juan peaks | 1–2 feet of snow |
| San Juan valleys | 1–3 inches of rain or more |
The snow figures for Wolf Creek and Telluride come from the SnowBrains forecast of Thursday 29 October. The snow line starts at 10,000–11,000 feet and falls to about 7,000 feet by the night of Monday 2 November. The early snow will be dense and wet, which builds a good base.
Below the snow line, the storm is a problem, because parts of southwestern Colorado flooded in the week before. "My biggest concern and takeaway from this upcoming storm is the potential for more rain in an area that just doesn't need it," said meteorologist Chris Bianchi of the 9NEWS Weather Impact Team. The snow can also help Keystone, Loveland and possibly Copper Mountain build terrain, 9NEWS said.
Early-season snow and your skis
Keystone's first days are on hard, groomed machine-made snow. On two green runs, a narrow all-mountain ski with good edge grip is the right tool. Wolf Creek is different: natural snow on a thin base, with rocks under the surface. An older pair is a good choice there, so a rock does not damage your best skis.
For groomers, compare the Elan Ripstick 84 with the K2 Mindbender 88 on the makers' figures. Our best all-mountain skis list has more choices, or let Pick-a-Ski rank the catalog for your level and terrain.
