Colorado ski season: Mountain coasters, Olympic fun and more

Colorado's ski resorts are getting ready for winter with mountain coasters, new lifts and amenities plus celebrations themed on the Winter Olympic Games.

The mountain coasters are gravity-driven roller coasters with dips, waves and loops, designed for skiers and non-skiers alike. Steamboat opened one already and Aspen Snowmass, Purgatory Resort and Copper Mountain are expected to open mountain coasters in the next few months.

Aspen Snowmass and Copper Mountain will host Olympic qualifying events, while Steamboat hosts a sendoff Jan. 27 to honor athletes headed to the February Winter Olympic Games in South Korea.

Arapahoe Basin is opening 468 new skiable acres while Eldora Mountain Resort will debut a new six-person detachable lift.