"It's official: Colorado is open for ski business."

Those were the words from Colorado Ski Country USA President and CEO Melanie Mills last Wednesday, after Arapahoe Basin became the first resort in the nation to open for the 2012/13 season. After 12 days of snowmaking, A-Basin opened its Black Mountain Express lift with an 18-inch base on the 1,000-feet long High Noon trail. About 2,000 skiers and snowboarders came out to get in their first runs of the season.

Loveland is close on A-Basin's heels, though—they'll open on Tuesday—and the rest of Colorado's resorts will soon follow suit. It's always a friendly competition to see which resort will open first. Last year Wolf Creek opened on October 8 (after an early season storm dumped 44 inches in the area), nearly beating out Loveland's record-breaking October 7, 2009 opening date, which was the earliest this century. 

Curious about when your favorite resort will open? We've got a few dates to mark on your calendar.

Aspen Mountain—November 22

Copper Mountain—November 2  

Crested Butte—November 21  

Monarch Mountain—November 21

Purgatory at Durango Mountain Resort—November 23

Ski Cooper—November 22 (weekends only till December 14)

Steamboat—November 21

Telluride—November 22

Winter Park—November 14

Wolf Creek—November 2

—Image courtesy of Colorado Ski Country USA

Follow digital assistant editor Davina van Buren on Twitter at @davinavanburen or on Pinterest.