Bluebird Skies Above. Colorado Blue Columbine Below.
Summer in Colorado means bluebird days, breathtaking scenery, and endless opportunities for adventure. Find your place in the sun this summer at one of our CSCUSA member resorts, and don’t forget the sunscreen!
Arapahoe Basin Ski Area With longer days and those aforementioned sunny, sunnier, sunniest skies, there’s no better way to celebrate summer in the Rockies than with live music on A-Basin’s Mountain Goat Plaza stage. Admission to these concerts are free! Free? Free!
Here are a few upcoming dates to get you shakin’ at the Basin:
Aspen Snowmass Fancy a bike ride? The Aspen Snowmass Bike Park is open June 21–September 4 and features more than 25 miles of diverse, purpose-built gravity trails, ranging from beginner-friendly single track to dynamic and challenging technical descents. Looking for friendly trails that allow you to soak up the scenery? They’ve got ‘em. Steep descents littered with rocky drops to get your adrenaline pumping? They have those too. There may be none of that pow-pow-powdery stuff on the slopes, but the Snowmass Bike Park has everything you love about an on-mountain experience at Aspen Snowmass: lift-accessed fun on some of the world’s best terrain, opportunities to learn from the industry’s best bike pros, time outdoors with friends and family, and the aprés experience you love. Enjoy a delicious meal or cold beverage at the end of the day—no long johns required!
Copper Mountain This summer, June 15–17, the Colorado BBQ Challenge, the state’s longest running and Kansas City BBQ Society-sanctioned cook-off, will move 7 miles up the road from Main Street in Frisco to Copper Mountain. Come for all the BBQ you care to eat, live music, competitions, and community. Stay for Copper Mountain’s slate of summer activities, including the Rocky Mountain Coaster, the Woodward Wrecktangle, go-karts, a climbing wall, mountain biking, a zipline, bumper boats, and more.
Granby Ranch Who doesn’t love a summer concert! Lawn games! Dancing!! Show off your fancy footwork at Granby Ranch’s Summer Nights: Live Music, presented by Sheila Bailey, each Wednesday starting June 7, from 5:00–8:00 pm. The lineup is TBD. The concerts are free. The food, beverages, and extra activities are not. No outside alcohol is permitted. (But who needs outside alcohol when you’ve got your buddies to boogie down with?)
Howelsen Hill & Steamboat Resort Git along, little doggie, to Steamboat, where the skies are a little bluer and the friendships are a little truer, out where the West begins. Grab your hiking boots and take in a the views on a guided hike. Float down the Yampa River or fish an impressive trout out of it. Explore the local farmer’s market. Catch the Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo series, a tradition established over 100 years ago. Or, if live music is more your style, catch the Steamboat Free Summer Concert series, a family-friendly gathering for locals and visitors alike.
Powderhorn Resort You have until August to gear up for the Gears & Beers Festival & Downhill Bike Race at Powderhorn, where you can celebrate all the things that make Western Colorado summers great: perfect bike-riding terrain, good food, suh-weet local suds, live music, and as many friends and family as can fit under those Rocky Mountain bluebird skies.
Purgatory Resort Need a little cool down this summer? Catch some fresh, mountain air as you speed down Purgatory’s alpine slide. Care for something a little less speedy? Cruise around in their go-carts or mob down the mountain coaster. Prefer to dawdle? Fair enough. Take Purgatory’s scenic chairlift up and back or partake in a parade of paddleboards on the lake.
Telluride Resort You get a festival! You get a festival!! And you get a festival!!! For over 30 years, the name “Telluride” has been synonymous with its festivals: they’ve got music and movie festivals; they’ve got cultural festivals and culinary festivals and car festivals; they’ve got balloon festivals and baseball festivals, blues festivals and brews festivals. Why, they’ve even got a mushroom festival!
Winter Park Resort Venture Out this summer at Winter Park, starting with The Big Wonderful. It’s a beer fest, a bluegrass concert, and a bazaar all rolled into, well… on big, wonderful event. Keep the summer vibes vibin’ all summer long with a ride in their world-class Trestle Bike Park, a drink or two at Mountaintop Happy Hours, movie nights at the gazebo, and live music every Saturday in Winter Park Village.
The Ups & Downs of Mountain Biking: A First-Timer’s Guide
“Everyone has to start somewhere.” That was my mantra for my first weekend on a mountain bike in Copper Mountain, Colorado. While I wasn’t starting completely from scratch, I’m not sure any of my bike experiences at sea level quite prepared me for biking down a mountainside. Since moving to Colorado, I’ve seen plenty of cars with bikes in tow, and I wondered what it would be like to try it myself.
Since some friends and I had plans to check out Copper’s Mac and Cheese Fest, I made plans to pick up a bike rental and try it out the morning before the festival.
The rental shop at Copper was great. It only took a couple of minutes for the staff to grab a bike and calibrate it for me.
Once I hopped on the bike, I realized I had never been on a real mountain bike before.
I had no idea the mountain bikes would be so fancy! The only function I recognized from bikes I had ridden in the past was the handlebar breaks. I was grateful the staff took the time to show me the bike’s features. For example, the seat height could be adjusted by clicking a button on the handlebar. You could even lock or loosen the frame of the bike by clicking a lever with your thumb.
All of these features are meant to give riders a better experience on more technical terrain. Even on a regular road, you can feel the difference. As I rode across the pavement towards the bike trails on the other side of the resort, it felt more like gliding than riding.
The next step was to select a trail. This was a little tricky for me. The trails that were accessible from the lift were intermediate or experienced trails. I opted for the lower mountain trails which seemed a little more beginner-friendly.
I rode along one of the mountain’s service roads until it connected with the Colorado Trail. The views from the trail were beautiful.
Not going to lie: even with a fancier mountain bike, navigating some of the steep declines and rugged terrain was more difficult than I had anticipated. I was warned by some of the folks at the bike shop that I would spend most of my time hovering over the back of my bike seat, rather than actually sitting. That was true! Standing and hovering helped me to control the bike better, but I had to be careful to center my body over the center of my bike, or else the bike could tip forward.
Even though It was harder than I anticipated, it was worth it. There’s nothing like cruising downhill back to the village.
It was super fun to get out this weekend and “start somewhere.” I’d love to get out again and work my way up to some of those intermediate trails.
If your reading this and thinking that biking sounds fun, but maybe you’re not ready for mountain trails yet, you can always get a road bike rental. There are tons of paved, scenic trails in Copper. In fact, one even goes 6 miles to Frisco, with a bus that picks up and brings you back to the resort.
Whatever your skill level, there’s plenty of trails to try in Copper Mountain.
Katie Weiseman
Katie is a graduate student studying International and Intercultural Communication at the University of Denver. Originally hailing from the Midwest, she still remembers her first-time laying eyes on the Rocky Mountains and falling in love. In addition to exploring mountain trails, Katie enjoys checking out Colorado’s craft breweries and scouting the Front Range for the best scoop of ice cream.
Buh-Bye, 2022-23 Season! It’s All Downhill from Here…
We’re summing up the 2022-2023 season in one word: snow. Snow, snow, and more snow. (Does it still count as one word if we use it three times?)
This season saw above-average snowfall in Colorado Ski Country USA and a literal ton of that pow-pow-powdery stuff. A literal ton?, you might rightfully ask. Yes, indeed, we reply. We did the math!—using a handy-dandy snow weight calculator. (Yup. That’s a thing.) And in an area just big enough for you and a friend to stand in and marvel about how lucky you are to live in Colorado, 30′ of snow would weigh 2,097.6 pounds!
But we digress.
CSCUSA member resort Steamboat led the way, with an impressive 30′ of snow—that’s over two stories of snow… or five and a half Mikaela Shiffrins. Neighboring Howelsen Hill followed close behind with 25′, and the top three was rounded out by Purgatory, which received a helluva lotta snow.
And now your moment of snow zen. May it feed your soul until next winter.
SnowCon2023: A Look Behind the Snow
If you were skiing or riding at a CSCUSA member resort on April 4th, 5th, or 6th, you were likely carving turns or hitting features on a slope that our 41st annual Snow Conference attendees had a hand in making funner, faster, smoother, slicker.
Every year, in April, CSCUSA hosts the annual Snowmaking & Slope Maintenance Conference & Trade Show. The event attracts groomers, snowmakers, terrain park specialists, and industry professionals from across Colorado and the Rocky Mountain West for a trade show, workshops and seminars, organized and impromptu networking, and an awards banquet recognizing top performers at our member resorts in three categories: Snowmaker of the Year, Groomer of the Year, and Terrain Specialist of the Year.
This year’s Snow Globe finalists included 40+-year veteran Mark Gressett, a groomer at Aspen Snowmass; Winter Park snowmaker James Schold, whose brightly-colored hair makes him a stylish standout in a world of winter white; and Phoebe Shaw of Sunlight Mountain who stepped into the, er… sunlight when she stepped up and took on the task of reviving the resort’s terrain park. All three were featured in a piece by Cory Reppenhagen, 9NEWS weather reporter and this year’s opening session speaker.
Mark, James, and Phoebe represent the tip of the, mmm… iceberg when it comes to Colorado Ski Country USA, which, in our humble opinion, boasts the best skiing and riding, on the best runs, in the best snow, thanks in large part to ski industry folks just like them. And while the average snow sport enthusiast may not give much thought to how their favorite run came to be their favorite run, CSCUSA is honored to be able to bestow recognition on a yearly crop of outstanding performers.
This year was no different, with a the field of nominees was, umm… as wide as our classic Colorado bowls and as deep as the 2023 snow totals. They were:
Congratulations to all of our nominees and to our finalists. We literally couldn’t do it without you.
At Snowmass, the Battle Is for Recovery
Friday the 13th won’t occur again until October of this year, but for Ryan Garza, that was the day in 2015 he chose to get his leg amputated.
Lance Corporal Garza served in the U.S. Marine Corps and did four tours in Helmand Province, Afghanistan—and it was on that fourth tour that he suffered a life-changing wound. In 2011, Garza’s truck drove over an improvised explosive device (IED), severely injuring his right leg. Doctors tried for several years—not months, years—to save Ryan’s leg. Fast forward to today, and Ryan, who lives and receives his care in Colorado Springs, is about to participate as a snowboarder in his second National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic at Snowmass.
For veterans facing traumatic brain injuries, vision loss, and amputations, recovery can be challenging; traditional and recreational therapy-based models can help them heal. The Winter Sports Clinic, co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Disabled American Veterans (DAV), earned the nickname “Miracles on a Mountainside” for its ability to get disabled veterans back into alpine and nordic skiing by using adaptive technology and recreational therapy.
In 1987, Sandy Trombetta, a recreational therapist at the Grand Junction VA Medical Center, essentially founded the clinic by taking 90 veterans to Crested Butte to experience the healing that comes with winter recreational and adaptive sports. 2023 marks the 37th year of the clinic and more than 330 disabled veterans will descend upon Snowmass to continue their journey to improve their overall wellbeing, rehabilitation, self-esteem, and readjustment.
“I was the first amputee to deploy to the war in Iraq,” said U.S. Army (retired) Command Sergeant Major Bud McLeroy of San Diego, CA. “While serving overseas in 2003, I suffered injuries to my spinal cord while rescuing wounded civilians, leaving me paralyzed. After nearly two years in the hospital, it was a long road to recovery. So, when I come to places like Snowmass and participate in this Clinic, I look at it like these people are saving lives. They are my heroes because they support me,” he added. In 2022, McLeroy earned the DAV Freedom Award, given every year to a veteran selected as the premier representative of the courage, perseverance, and determination that the event represents.
In addition to the participants, an additional 550 volunteers (ski instructors, physical therapists, etc.) descend upon Colorado from across the country. World-class instructors help veterans achieve their maximum potential based on their unique capabilities. Along the way, the Clinic has introduced dozens of veterans to future glory as Paralympic athletes.
Colorado Ski Country USA uses the tagline “A Mountain for Everyone.” And that’s certainly a welcoming motto for our disabled veterans participating in the Winter Sports Clinic.
It’s a day of skiing and riding at beautiful Winter Park Resort and a fundraiser for the High Fives Foundation, which provides support and resources to athletes who have suffered life-altering injuries.
So, like, epic fun and wicked awesome philanthropy combined?!
Yes! Just like that!!
Winter Park is known for a wide range of terrain that’s suitable for all skill levels, so there’s something for everyone at the Shred-A-Thon. And the best part? While you’re rippin’ it up on the slopes, you’ll be helping to make a real difference in the lives of people who have faced significant challenges. It’s gonna be, like, totally tubular.
I’m no couch potato. Count me in. When and where?
When? Saturday, April 15
Where? Winter Park Resort
10 Reasons to Spend Spring Break at a CSCUSA Ski Resort
Cabo? Crowded. Daytona? Deluged. Miami? $20 cocktails… and mobbed. If you’re looking to break the cycle of humdrum Spring Break destinations, look no further.
Here are the Top 10 Reasons to Travel to a CSCUSA Ski Area:
❆Too. Tired. To. Move. Durango, in the southwest corner of the state, has two top-notch ski areas within minutes of each other: world-famous Purgatory (Close to Heaven; Fun as Hell) and local favorite Hesperus(26 trails on 60 skiable acres, plus snow tubing on Marmot Hill). Make every day of your spring break multiple choice. Right answers only! Can’t get to Durango? Eldora is but a hop, skip, and ski jump away from Boulder, and it’s the only ski resort served by RTD, Colorado’s largest public transportation system. Hitch a ride on the free round-trip shuttle and get in your first run of the day while everyone else is still looking for parking.
❆You absolutely, positively wanna live that beach life. Try Arapahoe Basin’s Beach, a never-quite-ending, not-quite-winter, not-quite-summer, ski-in, ski-out tailgate at the base of the mountain. And if you want to wear your swimsuit? The Beach sits at 11,000′, so you’re that much closer to the sun. Pack your sunscreen, people.
❆You’re tired of making decisions. Steamboat Springs boasts Steamboat Resort, with its 171 trails, 4 terrain parks, and over 400 inches-and-counting of snow this season, andHowelsen Hill, Colorado’s oldest, continuously operated ski area. They’ve been schussing down Howelsen since 1915, and it has the look and feel of a classic Rocky Mountain ski area. Tl/dr: one town, two flavors. Together, they’re the chocolate and vanilla swirl cone of Colorado.
❆You’ve been eating dry cereal and ramen for months. Whether you’re a foodie or the pickiest of picky, there’s a mouthwatering meal waiting for you in the lodge. Try the bison burgers at Sunlight Mountain Resort or the Thunderbird Tacos at Powderhorn Mountain Resort.
❆You’re looking for a little culcha. Get yourself to Aspen, which boasts four ski resortsand a celebrated arts scene. Fill your cup at the Wheeler Opera House or the Anderson Ranch Art Center. Or take in a show at Theatre Aspen and a visit to the Aspen Art Museum.
❆Your dorm. There’s more to your vacay than just ski, sleep, rinse, repeat. (Although, no judgment here—we’ve all been there.) Ski or ride Telluride all day, then mingle with the locals at the base. Catch the DJ at Bon Vivant on Fridays and Saturdays or live music every day at Gorrono Ranch. Pro tip: March 15th is Telluride’s 50th anniversary bash. Visit Winter Park and your day doesn’t have to end after last run. Take an astronomy tour and, if you’re lucky, catch a falling star. Or visit the Waffle Cabin, where everyone is lucky because the Waffle Cabin is exactly what it sounds like.
❆You actually miss your family. Granby Ranch is the perfect ski destination for snow lovers of all ages. Think laid back, Western vibes in an anything-but-flat Rocky Mountain setting. From toddlers to grandparents, there’s something for snow lovers of all ages at Granby Ranch, including live music during the day and night skiing under the starlight.
❆You’ve had it with FOMO. No problem. Echo Mountain is Denver’s backyard ski area. It’s got everything you want, and it’s just down the road. Ski all day and be back in Denver for… well, whatever you want. Because Denver. Or give everyone else FOMO and visit Loveland, which boasts 1,800 acres of remarkable terrain along with free snowcat skiing along the Continental Divide. Free! Snowcat skiing! Along the Continental Divide!
❆You’ve had it with Insta destinations. Go where everyone is not. For an authentic only-in-Colorado ski area experience, look no further than Monarch Mountain. Located just up the road from Salida, CO, what Monarch boasts in annual snowfall (a lot), it lacks in crowds (not a lot). That’s code for pure, untracked powder stashes, and that’s code for fun. If you’re an experienced skier or rider, Silverton Mountain is your domestic Everest: it’s nothin’ but advanced and expert runs, top to bottom.
❆You want to try something new. Never stood on a snowboard or skis before? We’ve all been there. The fastest way to get up and get going is with a lesson. Colorado Ski Country USA resorts offer lessons for groups, individuals, just the gals, or those who want to take their skills to the next level. It’s a first time you can brag about to your friends. And spring is a great time. Think sun, think snow, think special events. Think groomers and grins and goggle tans. Think Colorado Ski Country USA.
That’s ten, folks. But wait… there’s more!
❆Cooper and Copper Mountain may be alphabetical neighbors, but they’re as different as A and Z. Cooper is an approachable family favorite, with soft, all-natural snow and newly opened advanced terrain for more adventurous skiers and riders. Go over the mountain and through the woods to Copper for three peaks and four bowls of downhill bliss, challenging terrain parks, and a wide array of runs, from bunny on up to those double black diamonds.
So, if the only mountains you’ve seen lately are mountains of empty pizza boxes, it’s probably time to think outside the… er, box. This year, make sure your last vacay of the school year is mountains of adventure and fun.
Check our Snow Report and start planning your spring break. Because here in Colorado Ski Country USA, there’s #AMountainForEveryone.
Who? Everyone! Bring friends, family, and more friends!
When? Saturday, March 18, 10:00 am–12:00 pm
Where? Little Dry Creek Trail, England Park, 7190 Osceola Street, Westminster
Wear? You’re going to want to dress for the weather (obvi), and we recommend sturdy shoes or boots, long pants, and a hat. Gloves and bags will be provided, but feel free to bring trash grabbers and buckets in lieu of bags.
Cleanup events pose some inherent dangers, and they can be strenuous. Not to worry though: your hosts (who are not flight attendants) will review the recommended safety precautions before we take off and trash starts flying!
(Disclaimer 1: Trash should not and will not actually be flying. But you will be flying high knowing that you’re helping clean the world.)
(Disclaimer 2: All bad puns are the author’s alone. Don’t blame the amazing companies who are sponsoring this fantastic event.)
Phunkshun Wear, TreadShare & Winter Park Put the Win Into Winter
Looking for another good reason to carpool?
This season, thanks to CSCUSA partner Phunkshun Wear and TreadShare, if you use the TreadShare app to carpool to Winter Park Resort, you’ll get a free Phunkshun Wear neck gaiter and your name will be entered for a chance to win a 2023-24 Winter Park Season Pass!
TreadShare is a free local carpooling app that links drivers and riders. Designed to decrease traffic and pollution, the app helps commuters build a better Colorado by sharing the financial and environmental costs of driving. (And you never know who you might meet in the back seat 😉) Using TreadShare, you can post a drive or book a ride anywhere in Colorado with just a few clicks.
How does it work?
We’re glad you asked! During the 2022-23 season, every time you successfully carpool to Winter Park as a rider or a driver, TreadShare will send you an email with instructions for claiming your Phunkshun Wear mask right there, at Winter Park. Then each successful carpool trip you provide or take will count as an entry in the prize drawing for a 2023-24 Winter Park Season Pass.
Colorado: Where Snow Goes to Live Its Best Life
There’s a reason why Colorado is the #1 destination for skiers, snowboarders, and snow sports lovers of all kinds.
There are those Rocky Mountains. The views! The fresh mountain air! The sun’s sunniness! Why, Colorado’s skies put the blue in bluebird days. (Didja know that Colorado has more days of sunshine than Florida? Yeah we do.)
Colorado is home to some of the largest ski resorts in the country, as well as some of the state’s classic Gems. (See what we did there?) And those ski areas are open longer and later than almost anywhere else, which means the aforementioned skiers, snowboarders, and snow sports lovers of all kinds—we count ourselves among them, and we bet you do too—get more days making tracks on the aforementioned Rocky Mountains under the aforementioned azure skies. (That’s right, we said it: azure.)
But we who live in this glorious state, with its glorious mountains and weather and winter destinations, know that the essential ingredient, the secret sauce that makes Colorado a skier and snowboarder’s dream, is the snow. Because the snow in Colorado is some of the best in the world for skiing and snowboarding.
Why?
Colorado’s high elevation provides ideal conditions for snowfall. Many of the state’s ski resorts are located above 10,000 feet, which means that they receive large amounts of that pow-pow-powdery stuff each year. And, because of geography, the snow that falls is light and dry. Why? A lot of the storms that bring it originate in the Pacific Ocean and, on their eastward way towards the great state of Colorado, they pass right across three of the four main deserts in the US, including the Mojave. But whether those storms originate in the Pacific Ocean or Canada, their journey over deserts and other mountainous areas consumes a lot of their moisture. And just like you, they get dehydrated.
Which means that by the time most of those storm clouds hit Colorado, they’re gasping for water. Then, thanks to orographic lift, which Wikipedia reliably assures us is the scientific name for the rise that occurs when an air mass is forced from a low elevation to a higher elevation as it moves over rising terrain, the clouds climb and, as they do, they cool and voila: snow! Flurries! Blizzards even!
And, just to close the loop on this uniquely Coloradan phenomenon, dry snow, especially at elevation, is snow that stays in good condition for longer, allowing for more consistent skiing and riding throughout the state’s longer-than-average ski and snowboard season.
That season is in full swing, and it shows no signs of stopping anytime soon. So get yourself a Gems Card, if you don’t have one already, and hit the slopes, you bright, bold beginners and back bowl buffs, you careful carvers and half-pipe hotshots, you freestyle aficionados and powder pros! Here in Colorado Ski Country USA, there’s a mountain for everyone, and the snow that falls on them is the best in the world.
