The Eldora Nordic Center near Boulder should be buzzing with skiers by late winter.
In a normal year, Aaron Sloan, the manager of the cross-country ski area, would expect a line out the door most mornings. Customers would patiently wait to buy day passes or grab a pair of rental skis before exploring 24 miles of groomed trails, all lined by forests draped in white snow.
It’s a far different picture this year amid a record snow drought across the Western U.S…