the Leaves Turn Gold While Skiing?

A crowd of committed skiers and snowboarders are enjoying aspen gold -- the color of Colorado's fall foliage -- from the ribbon of snow-covered ski slope that opened at Arapahoe Basin this morning. The resort that peaks out at the top of the Continental Divide again snags honors as the first ski resort to open in North America. Travelers taking Highway 6 over Loveland Pass instead of driving through the Eisenhower Tunnel, while on a fall foliage tour this week or next, can snap a few photographs of snowriders as they pass A-Basin. This is the earliest opening in the resort's 61 years of operation making A-Basin (as locals call this medium-size resort) the clear winner in the annual contest with Loveland Ski Area on the other side of the Divide.