Miss Mary Jane: Winter Park Legend

You know, musing from down here in the cold bare earth, I look back at my life and legacy and I must admit, Im fairly impressed with myself. When youre a sheep herders daughter, just trying to find your way in the world by any means necessary, alone, in the late 1800s, it aint easy. But with an entrepreneurial spirit, I put myself on the map, albeit 100 plus years later. My free spirit was admired by miners, rail workers and loggers, alike. And turns out, when you take that spirit and throw in a little cleverness and economic savvy, youll find youve become an icon. I made my mark and now my legacy belongs to one of the best ski resorts in the world. My name is Mary Jane.

My legacy, as such, is second to no other Colorado lady. Who else can brag about opening 350 pristine acres to increase a ski resort by 80 percent? Sure, my character might be tarnished, but as a lover of life, I now take that joy, and spread it around. Ever heard of my famous slogan? No Pain, No Jane. Thats me.My moguls are counted among the most challenging in the nation. Theres a reason my curves were voted number one in North America. My beautiful assets still garner jaw dropping looks and flattering glances. Especially now with the highest 6-pack chairlift in North America, new Lunch Rock restaurant and a more alluring kind of heaven a powdery bliss that is the Parsenn Bowl.

At a solitary 11,000 ft. the lonely sheep trail I once acquired still lies blissfully quiet at night, but is now filled with fluffy snow and gladed trees. Vazquez Cirque is remote and off the beaten path a worthy descendant of my abandoned trail. Theres a reason our Colorado big horn sheep have enjoyed that trail from my day to yours. Steep doesnt begin to describe the 1,500 ft. vertical drop. The 687 acres of cornices, lips, and glades stay true to what were my magnetic draw, exotic appeal and overall intimidating reputation. What was mine is now home to some of the states steepest trails, The Chutes. It is an adventure transitioning from miners to skiers, but I always welcome those who come to enjoy my company.

Ive come a long way since my time socializing with the locals in the 1800s, just as my landed legacy at Winter Park has come a long way since its beginnings in the 1930s. Our rail yard workers, our loggers, our brutes and scruffs, would be proud to know that todays skiers and boarders are still curiously drawn to me and become gitty in my presence. And I, Mary Jane, take solace in the fact that I can still charm those who get close to me, as if theyre having the most fanciful dream, or challenge them in a reality theyve never known.