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Colorado - Mon. 09/28/26 |
A Free Business Publication from Alpine Bank
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COLORADO RESORT BOOKINGS FOR EARLY SEASON: VERY LOW
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Resort marketing, reservations and research firm Inntopia released its latest update for the 2026-27 ski season which showed bookings to Colorado destinations made in August for arrival during the first few months of the winter season (November, December and January) were 10.9 percent lower than last year. Overall occupancy for November through February is also down a notable 4.4 percent as of Aug. 31. Although average daily rates for the first few months of winter have seen a slight year-over-year decrease of 2 percent in an attempt to attract more bookings, “it’s not really working,” said Tom Foley, director of Business Intelligence for Inntopia.
As a consequence of the lower bookings, revenue for Colorado’s early winter season is down a sharp 6.1 percent so far, with December seeing the steepest drop of 11.1 percent. After a slow summer, with August bookings down over 25 percent in Colorado, autumn looked very strong. August bookings for arrival in September were up 15.5 percent over a year earlier, while bookings for arrivals in October were up 8.5 percent.
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GOVERNOR’S COLORADO TOURISM AWARDS 2026
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The Governor’s Tourism Conference was held in Breckenridge, Colorado at the Beaver Run Resort on Thursday, Sept. 24, and there were seven individuals and four organizations recognized with 2026 Governor’s Awards for Outstanding Colorado Tourism Efforts.
Award winners 2026:
- Bruce Horii - The Colorado Tourism Office Board Chair’s Award
- Benjamin Brewer, Head of Sales at Visit Durango - The Governor’s Award for Rising Tourism Star
- Pamela Denahy, Director of Tourism & Economic Development for the City of La Junta- The Governor’s Award for Outstanding Colorado Tourism Champion
- Rollee Smith with Visit Grand Junction - The Jack Snow Award for Outstanding Volunteer
- Snowmass Tourism - The Governor’s Award for Excellence in Advancing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility in Tourism
- Visit Colorado Springs for the “Pikes Peak Neighborhoods” Project
- Denargo Market for the “Rhingo the Rhino” Naming Campaign
- Visit Grand Junction for the “Grand Junction Outdoor Adventure Pass”
The Frontline Hospitality Tourism Worker Awards:
- Pat Althouse, Lead Destination Specialist of Aspen Chamber Resort Association
- Taryn Brooks, Owner and Operator of Cruise Control Kitchen & Cellar
- Patrick Gendron, Golden Mill Ambassador
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STARBUCKS TO CLOSE SOME 250 STORES, INCLUDING 7 IN COLORADO
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Starbucks announced Thursday it is planning to close about 250 stores in North America this week in the coffee giant’s latest round of cuts. The closings are a little more than 1 percent of the specialty coffee chain’s locations in the United States and North America. Colorado had more than 550 Starbucks as of July 16, according to XMap, a generative AI mapping platform.
On Friday, it was confirmed that these locations in Colorado would close:
- Colorado Springs: 4465 Centennial Blvd., Colorado Springs, CO 80907
- Colorado Springs: 7331 Central Rail Point, Colorado Springs, CO 80915
- Colorado Springs: 21 Spectrum Loop, Colorado Springs, CO 80921
- Denver: 10005 Grant St., Unit F, Denver, CO 80229
- Denver: 9925 E. Hampden Ave., Denver, CO 80231
- Grand Junction: 2601 Dos Rios Drive, Grand Junction, CO 81501
- Lafayette: 565 W. South Boulder Road, Lafayette, CO 80026
- Wheat Ridge: 3820 Wadsworth Blvd., Wheat Ridge, CO 80033
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SKI INDUSTRY OPPOSED TO CHANGING TO PERMANENT DAYLIGHT-SAVING TIME
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Colorado is one of the 19 states that approved going to daylight-saving time on a permanent basis and no longer have a time change twice a year. However, it will not be implemented until passed by Congress. On July 14, 2026, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Sunshine Protection Act of 2026 by an overwhelming margin (308-117) which would make Daylight Saving Time the permanent time across the country. It has not passed the U.S. Senate. In passing the act, Congress members cited an October 2025 poll of 1,289 adults by the Associated Press showing only 12 percent of Americans like changing their clocks twice a year. However, there is opposition to the "Sunshine Protection Act" from very influential members of the ski industry. The ski resort industry says the loss of an hour of sunshine on winter mornings could endanger resort workers prepping ski areas and delay opening times.
“Operating safely in alpine environments requires adequate morning sunlight,” reads a Sept. 10 letter sent from five resort trade groups and two resort companies representing 115 ski areas in 10 states to 19 U.S. senators, urging opposition to the Sunshine Protection Act of 2026. Resort trade groups in Utah, Vermont, the Pacific Northwest and the 20-member Colorado Ski Country joined ski resort owners Alterra Mountain Co. and Powdr in arguing permanent daylight-saving time will injure mountain town economies and increase risks to resort workers. The industry is lobbying lawmakers to oppose the bill, saying a sunrise after 8 a.m. in Colorado, Utah and Vermont and later than 9 a.m. at resorts farther west “poses operational, economic and safety risks for our mountain communities.”
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HUGE SOLAR/WIND ENERGY FACILITY APPROVED IN WELD COUNTY
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Last week, the Weld County commissioners voted 3-2 to approve a proposal by Enyo Energy for a $1.67 billion wind and solar energy facility in the region surrounding the Chalk Bluffs. The project would span 25,000 acres between U.S. Hwy. 85 and Colorado State Hwy. 390 and extend from Weld County into southern Laramie County in Wyoming and have 2,200 acres of solar panels and 79 wind turbines to generate 805 megawatts of energy, enough to power 600,000 homes. According to Enyo Energy, 97 percent of the project area is secured through long-term private land leases with local landowners, with the remaining 3 percent consisting of publicly owned state, federal or municipal land or easements. The developer also states that current ranching and agricultural land uses can largely continue around the planned infrastructure. The Weld County commissioners heard considerable public comment at their meeting, with the majority against the facility.
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LARGE MONTROSE COUNTY RANCH DONATED TO COLORADO WEST LAND TRUST
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The Horsefly Mesa Ranch, the 1,360-acre property on Horsefly Mesa in southeastern Montrose County, 20 miles southwest of Montrose, has been donated to the Colorado West Land Trust by the Vogelaar family. The ranch has also been placed under a conservation easement with Colorado Open Lands. The conservation easement permanently protects the property from development and will allow the Land Trust to eventually transfer ownership. Proceeds from the sale of the conserved property will allow the Land Trust to fund additional land protection projects across western Colorado. Horsefly Mesa Ranch includes meadows, woodlands, ponds, springs and riparian areas. The property serves as working ranchland and provides water and wildlife habitat, including summer and calving range for mule deer and elk. The Vogelaar family has been involved in ranching in the area since the 1800s and the ranch was passed down to Anita Vogelaar from her parents, Cecil "Skinny" and Dorothy Vogelaar.
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PITKIN COUNTY: FINAL OK FOR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, PART OF VISION 2050 PROCESS
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The Pitkin County commissioners last week gave approval on second reading of the new Comprehensive Plan. It replaces the previous plan which has been in place since 2003. The process to write the new plan began in 2022 when the Pitco commissioners established a Community Growth Advisory Committee to develop recommendations for the future of the county. Over the course of development, the comp plan there have been countless feedback sessions, including the last one after the plan was approved on first reading on Aug. 26. The approval of the Comprehensive Plan is the first step in implementing the goals of Vision 2050.
The county Planning and Zoning Committee will consider the amendments to the Land Use Code emanating from the comp plan on Oct. 6 and a joint meeting of the county commissioners and Planning and Zoning Commission will follow to review implementation phasing and the process for forthcoming code amendments. The full plan can be viewed at pitkincounty.com/1606/Pitkin-County-Vision-2050.
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DURANGO-LA PLATA AIRPORT CONTINUES TALLYING RECORD PASSENGER NUMBERS
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The Durango-La Plata County Airport had record-breaking passenger numbers in August, with 57,268 travelers passing through the airport. With those numbers, DRO also had a record-breaking summer. Year-to-date, the airport’s passenger numbers are up 10 percent compared with 2025, according to Tony Vicari, the airport's aviation director. August marked the 32nd consecutive month of DRO reaching an individual monthly high. Summer 2026 saw a 7 percent increase in passengers compared with last summer, he said. July and August both experienced slower growth, sitting at around 3 percent, but June saw a 15 percent increase in passengers compared with the prior June. The airport has seen continual growth since 2023, with double-digit annual percentage growth in 2023, 2024, 2025 and is on track for 2026.
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COLORADO ARCHAEOLOGY SOCIETY ANNUAL CONFERENCE
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The Colorado Archaeological Society will hold its annual conference in Cortez, Oct. 2-5, hosted by the local Hisatsinom chapter ("Hisatsinom" is a Hopi word which refers to the ancestral Puebloan groups of the American Southwest). The theme of this year's conference is "A Four Corners Heritage Confluence," and the conference will have several venues, including the Lamp Post Creative Learning Center on U.S. 160 and Crow Canyon Archaeological Center. Over the four days, there will be guided walking tours at the Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center and Museum; lectures at the Lamp Post; and six workshops will run at Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, the Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Park, and Montezuma Heritage Museum in Cortez.
Former U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo will be Saturday evening’s keynote speaker. For more information, or for those interested in signing up, visit sites.google.com/view/hisatsinom1. Registration for all the activities and the conference is open until the morning of Oct. 3.
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CELEBRATE THE 125TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE TOWN OF BASALT
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The town of Basalt is celebrating 125 years on Saturday, Oct. 10. In honor of the big birthday, the town will be hosting an event to celebrate from noon to 6:30 p.m. at Arbaney Park. The celebration will include Ute Tribal Performances, live music, pumpkin crafts by Art Base, bouncy houses and obstacle courses hosted by the Basalt Regional Library, harvests sold by local farmers, a pie baking contest and more. The town is inviting the community to gather for a 125th anniversary photo in the park on Oct. 10 and be part of a snapshot of Basalt’s continuing history. The town is encouraging attendees to leave their cars at home and to walk, bike, bus or use Basalt Connect for the event. People planning to drive are asked to park at Basalt Elementary or Middle School and walk the path to Arbaney Park. There will be ADA parking available at Arbaney Park.
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STILL TIME FOR A FALL CAMP – TRY A STATE PARK, THESE HAVE FEWEST VISITORS
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Colorado is home to more than 40 state parks and recreation areas, and last year, 19.5 million people visited them to enjoy the great outdoors. Lake Pueblo State Park, consistently the most-visited in Colorado, welcomed about 3 million people in 2025. In terms of popularity, it’s rivaled only by Chatfield State Park and Cherry Creek State Park, which saw 2.4 million and 2 million recreators last year, respectively. But if you’d rather avoid crowds, there are plentiful state parks that offer some remote serenity. The seven state parks in southwestern Colorado, for example, saw roughly 1.6 million visitors total in 2025, which is less than the number of people who came through just Golden Gate Canyon State Park on the Front Range during the same time period.
Colorado’s 10 least visited state parks:
- Fishers Peak State Park (Trinidad): 15,188 (2025 visitation)
- Pearl Lake State Park (Clark): 33,846
- Spinney Mountain State Park (Lake George): 34,482
- Paonia State Park (Crawford): 34,793
- Mancos State Park (Mancos) 43,556
- Harvey Gap State Park (Rifle): 49,818
- Sweitzer Lake State Park (Delta): 69,704
- Sylvan Lake State Park (Eagle): 110,153
- Yampa River State Park (Hayden): 140,925
- Rifle Falls State Park (Rifle): 151,354
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MARKET UPDATE - 09/25/2026 Close
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(Courtesy of Alpine Bank Wealth Management*)
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Canadian dollar (per U.S. dollar)
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Mexican peso (per U.S. dollar)
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30-year fixed mortgage rate (Freddie Mac 09/24/2026)
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*Not FDIC insured. May lose value. Not guaranteed by the bank.
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Alpine Bank is an independent, employee-owned organization with headquarters in Glenwood Springs and banking offices across Colorado's Western Slope, mountains and Front Range. Alpine Bank serves customers with retail, business, wealth management*, mortgage and electronic banking services. Learn more at alpinebank.com.
*Alpine Bank Wealth Management services are not FDIC insured, may lose value and are not guaranteed by the bank.
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