Forget pricey passes, tourists and driving for hours on I-70 — there are other ways, my friends. 

Did I mention you can ride the RTD bus? You can ride the RTD bus. I used to cut class in high school, and take the bus all the way up to Nederland, and get dropped off at the bottom of the slope at Eldora Mountain.

Granted, it's a windy location and doesn't get the best powder, but if you're one of those people who doesn't care (me), and you spend more time on the mountain because the lift lines are so short (yes), then it'll do. It's like the beloved local dive bar of ski resorts, and it is now open ahead of schedule.

In a press release, Eldora announced that it 'will open for the 2018/19 ski and snowboard season on Wednesday, November 7, 2018, a full nine days ahead of schedule,' which is also Eldora's earliest opening date in two decades.

'Eldora is fortunate to be the first Colorado resort on the Ikon Pass to open, and one of the first resorts to be open in the country. It’s going to be a great season—c’mon up!' -Brent Tregaskis, Eldora’s president and general manager.

Learn more at Eldora.com.

More From 99.9 KEKB - Grand Junction's Favorite Country