Telluride Ski Resort Opens

When I was a little girl, we were allowed to open a single present on Christmas Eve. All four of us kids would shuffle around the tree, picking out one of the wrapped packages, hoping it was something simple, socks or a sweater, and not the BIG present we were really hoping for—the big present was meant for Christmas day, and to open it too early would be anti-climactic.
And so it is with opening day. Telluride Ski Resort starts up the lifts a day before Thanksgiving, an amuse bouche to whet our appetites for the ski season. It’s sample of the powder days yet to come, but with just a few ski runs open. The good thing about opening day, or “Donation Day,” as it’s known, is that 100 percent of the proceeds of all of the lift tickets sold go to the Telluride Ski and Snowboard Club financial assistance program. All that money goes toward helping kids ski and snowboard competitively, kids who otherwise couldn’t afford the program. That should make you feel good this holiday season—at least as good as the socks or sweater made us feel the night before Christmas.
The other good thing about Donation Day? Free donuts, coffee and hot cocoa. It’s an annual tradition that the ski company serves the refreshments on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, which is why some locals call it “Donut Day.” But don’t be confused: The donuts are free. The skiing, though, is going to cost you some money—but it’s for a good cause.