What’s new at Colorado ski areas this season

Visitors planning trips this winter to Colorado for skiing and snowboarding will find a host of improvements and new amenities at resorts.

Several early storms have already dropped snow in Steamboat, Telluride and other ski areas, and forecasters are predicting a snowy season is likely, thanks to the El Niño weather pattern.

Here’s a look at some of the changes and updates:

▪ Arapahoe Basin: New stage and music venue on the steps of a newly remodeled guest services center.

▪ Aspen’s Snowmass Ski Resort: High alpine lift replaced and realigned; snowmaking equipment installed on two existing trails, along with other trail and glade improvements; new high-speed quad lift; Aspen Highlands’ Cloud Nine restaurant remodeled.

▪ Copper Mountain: Updated geo-targeted mobile application, Sherpa, which tracks user runs, speed and vertical feet and now offers trail recommendations looking at previous user patterns; new Starbucks in Mountain Plaza building; new Mahi Fish Tacos restaurant in Center Village.

▪ Crested Butte: New restaurant and bar at Ten Peaks area with deck and mountain views; new look and menu at WoodStone Grille.

▪ Monarch Mountain: New yurt in the base area for guest briefings and lunch for cat skiers; expanded lodge space used by large groups.

▪ Powderhorn: New high-speed quad chairlift, the Flat Top Flyer, cuts ride time in half, to six minutes.

▪ Purgatory: New high-speed quad chairlift taking skiers and riders to the summit in five minutes; terrain added, including two advanced trails west of the new quad.

▪ Silverton: Upgraded skis and boards in anticipation of deeper snow this winter.

▪ Sunlight: Remodeled restaurant interiors and upgraded power supply to chairlifts.

▪ Steamboat and Winter Park: Incorporating new RFID technology on lift tickets and passes so that they can be reused over multiple seasons and reloaded online or over the phone; ski passes may also now be linked to credit cards so guests can make purchases at resort restaurants, rental and retail sites without carrying cash or credit card.

▪ Telluride: New tower mounts for snow guns at Hoot Brown Park; updated Sno-Cat fleet.

This story was originally published November 19, 2015 at 3:09 PM with the headline "What’s new at Colorado ski areas this season."