Industry News
This year, Keystone Resort is bringing its night skiing to a close at 7 p.m., an hour earlier than previous seasons. This move signals a reduction in the distinctive experience that has traditionally distinguished Keystone from most other Colorado ski resorts. There is a palpable sense of disappointment for locals who can recall when the resort used to feature Wednesday and Thursday night skiing only a few years ago. Keystone’s former claim to uniqueness in their eyes has been, once more, curtailed.
When asked to comment on the strategy of this new announcement, Communications Manager Max Winters told me, “As a ski resort, we are always looking at our operations and the behavior of our guests to inform what we do on the mountain. For the most part, we see the highest demand for night skiing from our guests on Fridays, Saturdays, and holidays, and we just haven’t traditionally seen that same interest and utilization on other days of the week or when we get later into the evenings, past 7 p.m. That said, we are still excited to have night skiing as an offering for our locals and guests at Keystone, and we are the only resort in Summit County, and one of the few in Colorado, to offer that experience.”
Despite the changes to night skiing, locals and skiers have several exciting prospects to look forward to at Keystone this season. The resort is gearing up for an epic winter with fresh snowfall, fantastic terrain for all skill levels, and a wide array of on-mountain activities and events.
“In addition to night skiing, there are a handful of things we’re really excited about this season for local and destination guests alike. We’re stoked to open again as early as possible this October and just started snowmaking operations this week! This season, we’ll also introduce a brand-new ski experience with access to our high alpine via the new high-speed, six-passenger Bergman Express lift, and we’ll be bringing back Keystone staples like the World’s Largest Mountaintop Snow Fort and a local favorite: Last Lift Bar.”
– Max Winters
Keystone and its staff are stoked for the upcoming season, and there is still plenty for guests to get excited about. The mountain remains one of the most popular destinations in the area for world-class skiing. As a featured Epic Pass mountain, this change in the night skiing tradition is unlikely to keep attendance numbers down.
