Expedia Viewfinder teamed up with Colorado Ski Country USA to showcase mountain resorts with notable landscapes in the Centennial State.
Colorado is known for stunning peaks and incredible skiing conditions, and many of its mountain resorts have some especially wow-worthy elements. To help us decide which ski resorts to shred up this winter, our Expedia Viewfinder team joined forces with Colorado Ski to reveal some of the must-see terrain at the following mountain resorts across the state:
Flickr/Creative Commons/Alexander Nilssen/Via/https://flic.kr/p/7McpQK
Located just outside Steamboat Springs, Howelsen Hill has been the training grounds for more than 70 Olympians. Topping out at just over 7,000 feet in elevation, Howelsen isn’t the tallest peak in the state, but it is North Americas largest natural ski jumping complex. Even for visitors who don’t plan to make it onto the national ski team, Howelsen can be just the spot to brush up on technique or find out what it feels like to get some air under those skis.
The name Telluride is often associated with the town’s iconic film festival held each summer, but the mountains steal the show. Take center stage shredding up the terrain park, which boasts more than 100 features. Then after a day on the slopes, warm up at Giuseppes at the Plunge Lift. This enticing mountain restaurant sits perched at an elevation of 11,980 feet, making it the highest restaurant in all of ski country. On a clear day, visitors can see all the way to La Sal Mountains from the eatery.
Powderhorn Mountain Resort is located east of Grand Junction in Mesa. Powderhorn is unique in that, instead of featuring a sharp peak like many other mountains, it has a flat top. In fact, Powderhorn is one of the largest flat-topped mountains in the world. This unique ski area is known for its gladed tree runs, but there are also terrain parks, boulder fields for jumping, and views over 20 miles into the distance on clear days.
Flickr/Creative Commons/Zach Dischner/Via/https://flic.kr/p/o1no6o
Silverton Mountain offers the highest elevation of ski area in all of North America, with a peak of 13,487 feet. Due to the mountains immense height, the trails are also some of the steepest in the nation. Silvertons terrain is not groomed, aside for avalanche reduction efforts, to keep the trails in their natural state. The mountain also caps the number of guests allowed into the park each day, so expert skiers and boarders can experience wide-open ranges, bowls, cliffs, and chutes all to themselves.
Flickr/Creative Commons/Aspen Snowmass/Via/https://flic.kr/p/dvstBN
Among paleontologists, Snowmass is better known as Snowmastodon due to the discovery of fossils at the resort just a few years ago. For everyone else, Snowmass is a skier and snowboarders playground with more than 3,000 acres of terrain and the longest top-to-bottom run in the state, clocking in at 5.3 miles. The resort also features the largest lift-served descent in all of North America.
From some of the highest peaks to the longest runs in the state, these Colorado mountain resorts are the place for finding brag-worthy terrain. This season, put on your snow gear and get ready to take on these remarkable slopes in the Rocky Mountains.
Expedia Staff Writer
