Keystone, Colorado — We’re closing in on the beginning of ski season in Colorado, and it seems like Alterra and Vail will be dueling it out to be the first to open.
Last week, Keystone Resort announced its intention to open as soon as possible (also known as ASAP for technologically savvy people) in October. This announcement was shared in a humorous video that shows GM Shannon Bueller shanking a golf ball so badly that it ends up starting a snow gun. The ski resort previously announced that it planned to open in the middle of October.
“It is a huge privilege to be one of the first resorts open in the country for skiing and riding,” said Shannon Buhler, Keystone Resort Vice President and General Manager. “Our snowmaking and operations teams are incredibly passionate about their craft, and it’s because of their hard work that we’re able to offer 2+ miles of skiing right out of the gate on Opening Day!”
Whether they can beat out Arapahoe Basin, which typically takes first place (even though they did open on the same day last season), or Wolf Creek (which has opened first when it receives sufficient natural snowfall) is debatable. What it does have compared to these other mountains is the snowmaking capacity to quickly grow out its trail network past its opening day run count.
Keystone’s summer operations will continue into October, with the gondola operating from Friday-Sunday until September 21st. The Golf Course will remain open until October 5th.
Kindred: The big addition at Keystone this winter will be the debut of a new hotel and condominium complex. Located next to the River Run Gondola, Kindred Resort is set to become one of the nicest hotels for skiers and riders in Colorado. Despite some delays, it seems like the newest development at Keystone Resort is set to make its debut later this upcoming ski season.
In July, Summit Daily traveled to Keystone Resort to check in with the developers regarding the Kindred Resort. Due to concerns about tariffs, they have moved the opening date from this summer to winter 2025.
The development includes a hotel with 107 rooms and 95 condos (33 of which are a part of a future phase). The amenities at the Kindred will include an outdoor pool, two large outdoor hot tubs, a fitness center, ski valet, valet parking, spaces for conventions and weddings, and a kids’ club. It will feature three restaurants (including a sushi place) and a bar right next to the lobby of the hotel. Two of the restaurants are being run by the group behind Sauce on the Blue. The new buildings will also be the new home of Keystone’s Ski & Ride School, along with rental and retail shops.
Two factors resulted in construction delays. The first was a change from its original footprint, which resulted in the expansion of the boot check room. The second factor was tariffs, which increased prices on goods. However, they received most of their materials before they went into effect.
“When you’re dancing around a tariff, you know the arrival day of something can cost you $200,000, and so you’re just making sure that you’re playing that the right way,” said Dan Dohner, the GM of Kindred Resort, to Summit Daily. “In some cases, we’ve pulled back on orders and found stuff where we’ve had to pay a more expensive (price) but got it domestically because it was less than the tariff.”
Rates for rooms during the 2025-26 season range from $311 to $861 per night. Currently, the earliest reservation is available for January 16th, with an official date yet to be announced.
Image/Video Credits: Keystone Resort, Kindred Resort
