Telluride Resort Continues Terrain Openings After End of Patrol Strike

Following a contentious ski patrol strike that prompted Telluride Ski Resort, Colorado, to shut down for several days, the mountain has announced in a press release that it’s working on opening more of its slopes as snow conditions improve. 

The resort said on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, that its Sunshine Express and Ute Park lifts had opened. On Wednesday, Prospect Express and Gold Hill Express joined the lift fleet, alongside access to Prospect Bowl.

According to Telluride Ski Resort’s lift status tab, 14 of its 17 lifts are now open, with 84 trails to choose from. The mountain attributed the growing terrain options to a recent storm cycle and cold weather windows for snowmaking.

Nine inches of snow have fallen at Telluride Ski Resort in the past week.

“We couldn’t be more excited to be back on our skis and snowboards,” said resort leadership in the release. “The snow, the weather, and the energy on the mountain have all aligned, and it feels incredible to welcome everyone back with so much terrain coming online so quickly.”

Telluride Ski Resort noted that visitors can expect more terrain and operations updates in the coming days. 

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Like other ski resorts in Colorado, Telluride Ski Resort has seen an unusually warm early season. That issue was compounded by a widely publicized labor dispute following months of negotiations between the ski resort and its patrollers. 

On December 27, the patrollers went on strike, seeking higher wages and a wage structure aimed at improving staff retention. In response, Telluride Ski Resort’s owner, Chuck Horning, closed the mountain entirely amid the busy holidays. 

With the Town of Telluride’s main wintertime economic engine mostly out of commission, tensions flared, and local businesses worried about the consequences of lost customers.

Then, the patrollers and Telluride Ski Resort reached an agreement on January 8, effectively ending the strike.

“For businesses, resort workers, community members, everyone, we appreciate your patience. This has been incredibly tough on us all,” the patrollers wrote in a statement they shared after the strike ended, nodding to the closure’s impacts. “We happily look forward to serving this community as the Telluride Ski Patrol. Let it snow.”

The community and resort are now pushing to get the ski season back on track.