If you’re at a Colorado ski resort, you’re already having a good day. Just ask the 13.8 million skiers and snowboarders who visited a Colorado Ski Country USA resort last winter.
But there are challenges to being way up in the Rockies in the dead of winter: blinding snow, bitter cold, other skiers tracking up the powder that is rightfully yours.
Anyone who skis as much as this reporter (101 days last winter) has a bag of tricks, little things they do to deal with the elements and have a better day on the snow.
With a major storm bearing down on the Rockies this weekend and the promise of big snow totals, I decided to share some of my tips for surviving the nastiest weather and making the most of your powder day.
Make first chair
I recently skied Wolf Creek with a friend who has been skiing her whole life and is frankly a much better skier than me. She needed a ride up and I told her we’d be leaving at 7 a.m. sharp.
“Early bird, huh?” she said.
“Early bird gets the worm,” I replied.
It was her first time ever making first chair. I’ve since seen her several times up there bright and early.
That’s because, on a powder day, first chair is where the magic happens. To be the first person to plunge down a blanket of untouched snow is about as close as you can get to floating while staying Earthbound. Do it once and you’ll find yourself getting up earlier and earlier on cold winter mornings.
Have a ski quiver
The days of having a single set of skis or a single snowboard for all conditions are long over. Whenever I ski I have all three of my sets in the car because you never know what the snow is going to be like until you get up there.
I have my Head Kore 93s as my go-to, all-mountain skis that do well in any conditions. I have my Ski Logik Ullr’s Chariot, a wider and heavier ski that shreds the powder like nobody’s business but can still handle the chop in the afternoon. And I have my Rockstars, massive, 120-mm underfoot, rockered and light as a feather, for the days when it’s dumping and refills are free.
I’ve been known to ride all three sets in a day. My wife says I’m obsessive. I say I’m practical.
Avoid the lines – ride smaller lifts
When I used to ski Colorado’s larger resorts like Copper Mountain or Steamboat, I would take advantage of the fact you can get 3,000 vertical feet in a run if you go all the way to the base. But why was I spending so much time in line?
The base area quad chairs (and larger – I believe I’ve ridden an 8-seater in my time) is the fastest way to get up the mountain and get the most vert, but I no longer ride them except at the beginning of the day. I like the smaller, slower and more isolated chairs that take you to more remote terrain and untouched powder.
For example, when I ski Copper Mountain, I ride up on the American Flyer, a high-speed, six-person chair that even has a plastic bubble to protect you from the elements. Then I skate over to Sierra chair, a three-seater that takes you to some great steep terrain. When the back bowls open I spend the rest of the morning on Blackjack and Mountain Chief, both old two-seaters.
I can’t recall ever waiting in line on any of those.
Make sure you can see
I see it all the time: someone is in the lodge by 10 a.m. on a stormy day because they can’t see. That’s what happens when you have goggles designed to filter out the sun and snow on a day it’s dumping.
Most goggles these days come with interchangeable lenses, or they should. Low-light lenses are scientifically designed to help provide definition on the worst days.
Because any powder lover will tell you the worst days are the best days.
Keep goggles from fogging up
Another problem many skiers face on the stormy days is goggles fogging up. Heavy breathing and perspiration (it is an action sport, after all) trap warm air in the goggles, which causes ice when it meets the frigid air outside.
Avoid the fog by not tucking your ski mask into the goggles. And don’t put your goggles on your helmet – the heat from your head will just make it worse.
As any ski instructor will tell you, those goggles should never be anywhere but on your face.
You should also apply anti-fog material to your goggles every few days to help fight the ice.
Keep your phone alive
Modern smartphones are notoriously susceptible to cold temperatures. I’ve watched my iPhone drop from 90 percent life to 10 percent on a single lift ride.
So how are you supposed to take pictures, find your friends or email your boss that you’re home sick if your phone is a dead brick?
I like to use a peel-off foot warmer, sold in most grocery stores and other general retailers here in the colder regions. Just put it against your phone in a pocket of one of your inside layers.
Bonus: They’re also good for keeping toes warm, though not the most comfortable thing to have in a ski boot.
Pack the car the night before
I’m always amazed when friends show up late to the ski area because they had to load the car in the morning.
Except for ski boots, which should never be left out in a frigid trunk, everything else can be loaded the night before. Get your food and drinks together. Set out your ski pass. If it’s snowing, shovel the sidewalk the night before.
Because getting to the ski area as early as possible should be your goal.
See Tip Number 1 above for supporting evidence.
Don’t tighten your boots too much
Yes, we all like tight boots while riding, since having an ankle sliding around can make for sloppy turns.
But too-tight boots also cut off blood flow, and skiing can be no fun when you can’t feel your toes. So leave a little wiggle room.
Stay hydrated
Yes, this is one of the most important things you should do while exerting at high elevation, but it’s also easier said than done.
I’ve never found a ski hydration pack that doesn’t freeze on the nastiest days. Blowing in the hose each run may help but Mother Nature always wins. You could put it under your jacket, though it will make you feel constricted and make you look like the Hunchback of Summit County.
I like to bring a tiny plastic water bottle and just put it in my pocket. Anything too big will make your balance awkward and hurt on a fall, so I use a cleaned-out cough syrup bottle. Just a sip every now and then and refill every time you take a break.
Take breaks
It’s tough to stop when the snow is pounding and you’re getting fresh tracks every run, but we’re all human and need to warm up and rest sometimes.
If you’re at a larger resort, duck into a warming hut or upper lodge every few hours. At a smaller ski area, ski down to the base and take five. Being cold and tired is when mistakes happen, which is when injuries happen, so listen to your body.
Scott Rappold
R. Scott Rappold is a journalist with more than 20 years of experience, including 10 at The Colorado Springs Gazette, where he wrote about skiing, hiking, camping and all the things that make Colorado great. He is now a full-time ski bum who writes when he needs money for beer or lift tickets. He lives in Colorado’s beautiful San Luis Valley. Read more of Scott’s stories here.
POWDER ALERT – MAJOR Snow Heading to Colorado.
Loveland Ski Area – Casey Day
Have you dreamed of skiing or riding in shoulder-deep powder?! How you dreamed of skiing or riding on soft, fluffy snow? What about carving your way through feet of fresh. first tracks on a ski hill?
Good news, your time is coming!
This weekend, February 7-9, will be an AMAZING time to get out in Colorado Ski Country. A major snowstorm is expected to drop FEET of snow in most areas. Let’s talk about specifics so you can plan your weekend accordingly.
TRAVEL
Travel will be near impossible at certain times over the next few days. Thursday and Friday are looking to be the worst travel days as heavy snow will be occurring almost consistently. Mountain passes are also expected to see wind gusts up to 60 mph creating white-out and blizzard-like conditions. I’m assuming some mountain passes will be closing due to the nature of this storm.
It is recommended that you carpool or use public transportation as much as possible to get to and from the mountains this weekend. Most ski areas offer shuttles from towns close by and the benefit there is that the towns normally sit at lower elevations where the snow may not be as bad. Look into the Winter Park Express train that brings you to and from Winter Park Resort from Downtown Denver. You can also use the new Bustang service which provides daily weekend trips to Arapahoe Basin, Steamboat Resort and Loveland Ski Area.
Please plan ahead for tough travel. Remember the new traction law that is in place this year. Use the Colorado Department of Transportations website to check road conditions ahead of time. You can also follow and accidents and road closures that may be occurring.
The National Weather Service in Boulder will provide you with updated forecasts for areas like Denver, Steamboat, Winter Park and Loveland Ski Area.
The National Weather Service in Grand Junction will provide you with updated forecasts for areas like Grand Junction, Aspen, Telluride and Powderhon Ski Resort.
The National Weather Service in Pueblo will provide you with updated forecasts for areas like Colorado Springs, Wold Creek and Monarch Mountain.
You can support Andy, Colorado Ski Country USA’s resident meteorologist on Facebook and Twitter for more weather and ski information across the state.
FORECAST
February 5-7
Thanks to a screaming Jet Stream above us, ample amounts of Pacific moisture are funneling into Colorado. The Jet Stream provides energy and carries along moisture and those two combined creates snowfall. Also, the mountains of Colorado are so tall that they impact snow. Orographic lifting is when you get lift in the atmopshere due to the topography. All of these together will provide the mountains with a very big snowstorm.
Steamboat, Howelson Hill, Winter Park, Arapahoe Basin, Loveland, Copper, Cooper, Aspen (All Mountains), Sunlight and Monarch
All ski areas listed are under a Winter Storm Warning for 1-3 feet of snow. This will start overnight into Thursday morning and continue through Saturday morning. Northwest facing slopes may see significantly more snowfall than forecast due to the trajectory of the winds and that orographic lifting that was aforementioned.
Echo, Eldora, Powderhorn, Silverton, Wolf Creek, Telluride, Purgatory, Hesperus, Granby Ranch, and Kendall Mountain
All ski areas listed will be receiving snow in this period as well but not advisory or warning criteria. Most areas can expect 2-8 inches of fresh snow over the next few days. Travel will be difficult as well but they may not be as severe as areas in the Winter Storm Warning.
February 9-11
Another round of snow is expected during this period. This time, the southern mountains will receive more snow. Early estimates are calling for the possibility of 5-15 inches of snow during this period. For the north-central mountains, roughly 4-10 inches of snow can be expected. This forecast could change as we clear up some of the data and get closer to the actual date.
February 13-20
More signals of intermittent snow can be expected for this period. This far out, it’s hard to distinguish storms but there are signs of consistent light to moderate snow totals for mountain locations.
This will all add to our above-average snowpack but will also lead to an increased risk for avalanche danger for a prolonged period of time. Snowpack as of January 31, 2020 is sitting at 109 percent of average on a statewide level. This number is expected to increase with the amount of snow that is expected over the next two weeks. We have also seen a reduction of the severity of drought in some mountain locations thanks to the snow that continued to fall in the High Country.
GET THE DAILY SNOW REPORT
Enjoy the upcoming snow that we are about to see here in Colorado. It’s going to be amazing and the conditions are going to be superb. If you want to stay updated on the snow report that is updated DAILY from the ski resorts themselves, sign up to receive the snow report email that you can modify to get sent to you when you’d like.
If you are out and about this winter, tag Colorado Ski Country USA in your Instagram and Facebook posts! We love to see you enjoying our backyard and would love to feature your photos on our social media platforms. You can also use the hashtag #AMountainForEveryone to get featured as well!
Andy is Colorado Ski Country’s Communication Coordinator. He is also a trained meteorologist with over 6 years of experience working most recently as a broadcast meteorologist.
So, You’re Bringing Your Family Skiing. Now What?
Some of my strongest childhood memories come from ski days back in New England, where my brothers and I would lay out our multiple the night before, rub our eyes for a quick bowl of Cap’n Crunch and pile into the Suburban headed for Loon Mountain, “Brush Your Teeth” and other Raffi hits entertaining the youngest of us. Park, trudge to the lodge, stash the lunch, buy the tickets. Ride the lifts, ski,
Today, more than 30 years later, Colorado ski days are a bit different. TikTok obsession has replaced that whimsical guitar star in the car, and we’ve done plenty of advance work to avoid the lines and click smoothly into our skis—after all, powder awaits on the rollicking Rocky Mountain Trails. For new skiing families who are still working on the ritual, here’s how it goes in my family—my husband, Carlton; and our kids, Dillon (13) and Harper (11)—for a Colorado ski day, with perhaps a lesson or two learned along the way.
The night before: Thanks to some tips from fellow Denver/Boulder friends, we know how to not only layout our layers, but also to have boot bags packed and ready to go by the front door. The skis are on the car, which is gassed up and has an emergency kit of warmth, water, first aid, and food, just in case.
6 am: Rise and shine. No time even for a bowl of cereal; we all roll out of bed with our long johns already on and head to Moe’s for breakfast bagels and coffee to consume when the sun rises. Everyone except the driver goes back to sleep.
8 am (give or take): Arrive at our Colorado Ski Country resort of choice. Unless it’s bone-chillingly cold, we boot-up in the parking lot and leave just one bag with warm layers and a partial lunch (more on that later) in the lodge.
8:30 am: Amazingly, start riding the lifts right when they start spinning. This takes practice—and buying passes or tickets ahead of time. If you’re renting equipment, try to do this in advance, too, to avoid any potential lines at the ski area. We spend the morning tackling tougher trails
10:30 am: After two hours of skiing fresh tracks, it’s time for a break at one of the upper lodges. Hot chocolate for the kids; coffee for the adults.
12pm: Noon already? Lunchtime. It’s common advice to ski or ride through the busiest lunch hours at the lodge, but who can wait until 2? We’ve packed sandwiches and soup packets so that we can splurge on hot, crispy French fries and warm brownies. My kids and husband and I peel off our boots to dry and warm while we eat; I’ve stashed a pair of street shoes in the lunch bag to fetch cafeteria items.
1 pm: We ease into the afternoon with a few mellow cruisers, spending our chairlift time talking about which mogul run we’ll face as our final challenge before the day ends.
2:30 pm: OK, so once again we committed to ski until 4 pm—and once again find ourselves quitting early. But our little legs are tired and Carlton and I have learned by not pushing the kids past their limits, they’ll be more likely to continue love skiing as much as we do.
3 pm: One last hot chocolate before we hit the road.
5 pm: Home. A slow cooker of chili awaits us for dinner, over which we recount the killer Colorado ski day.
Sarah Tuff Dunn
Sarah Tuff Dunn recently moved to Louisville, Colorado, with her husband, Carlton, and their two children, Dillon, 12, and Harper, 10. They’re looking forward to exploring the world-class skiing in Colorado, aided by the Colorado Ski Country 5th and 6th Grade Passport Program. Sarah has been writing professionally for nearly 25 years and her work has appeared in The New York Times, SKI, Skiing and Powder, among other publications. Read more of Sarah’s stories here and follow along with her Colorado skiing journey here.
7 Colorado Skiing Experiences to Brag about on Monday Morning
Heli-skiing at Silverton Mountain
In Colorado, you’re not defined by what you do for a living. You’re defined by what you do on the weekends. It’s a state filled to the brim with skiers, snowboarders, mountain bikers, white-water rafters, rock climbers and overall adventurers. And when you get these outdoor enthusiasts together on a Monday morning after a wild weekend, a certain amount of bragging can ensue. Are you eager to win the watercooler conversation on who had the best weekend? These are your options.
Heli-skiing
If you’re looking for the number one experience that will have you walking into the office on Monday morning feeling like you’re on top of the world, heli skiing is your best bet. It’s exhilarating, it’s impressive, it’s not for the faint of heart, and it can be done right here in Colorado. Two ski areas in southwest Colorado, Telluride and Silverton, can provide you with heli-skiing adventures in the best terrain and snow Colorado has to offer. Fair warning: the levels of jealousy you’ll inspire among your friends and coworkers with this option will be very high.
Cat skiing
If heli-skiing is a little above your skill level, or your price range, cat skiing is a great second option. Several Colorado ski areas offer a snowcat rides to amazing areas that are difficult to reach on foot, including:
Aspen Mountain’s luxury powder tours: fresh tracks guaranteed and gourmet lunch included
Cooper’s 2,600 acres of powder skiing with Chicago Ridge snowcat skiing
Loveland Ski Area’s free rides to expert-only terrain on The Ridge Cat
Monarch Cat Skiing’s 1,000-plus acres of expert terrain featuring wide-open bowls, steep chutes, and beautiful glades
Another non-traditional way to spend time on the slopes is night skiing. After all, how many people can say they’ve skied under the stars? If you’re eager to make some turns under the lights, there are a few Colorado ski areas that offer night skiing experiences, some on a regular basis and some on specially scheduled occasions throughout the season. These ski areas include Echo, Granby Ranch, Hesperus, Howelsen Hill, Kendall Mountain and Steamboat.
New terrain
Another sure-fire bragging point is skiing one of Colorado’s many recent terrain expansions. These are new areas that few (if any) of your friends and coworkers will have seen yet, and when you’re gathered around the coffee pot answering all their questions, you’ll feel like a local celebrity for a few minutes. Luckily for you, there are quite a few areas of new terrain to choose from.
Arapahoe Basin’s 468-acre terrain expansion into the Beavers and the Steep Gullies, with the new four-person Beavers chairlift installed for the 2018-2019 season
Cooper’s 70 acres of new intermediate and advanced skiing terrain, including the first double-black diamond runs in the ski area’s history, debuted in the 2019-2020 season.
Copper Mountain’s 273 acres of new expert terrain on Tucker Mountain served by the new Three Bears chairlift, which was previously accessible via snowcat or hiking only.
Phase one of Sunlight Mountain Resort’s three-phase expansion, which expanded gladed tree skiing, added five new hike back runs and an additional 500 vertical feet of experts-only skiing for winter 2019-2020. When completed, the entire project will feature a new lift and 100 acres of new terrain.
Telluride’s 40 new acres of north-facing gladed terrain around Lift 9 for the 2019-2020 season.
Deep powder skiing
We all have that one coworker who comes in Monday morning like a walking snow report – “Did you know we got more than a foot of snow this weekend? I was in that! It was sooo deep!” Well, if you’re the one green with envy and you can’t stand that coworker, then it’s time to become that coworker. Chasing powder in Colorado is a once in a lifetime experience. Take some advice from Scott Rappold, our resident powderhound, on best practices for finding the deep stuff.
Hit the slopes and leave your car at home
The only thing cooler than spending your weekend in the mountains is leaving your car in the garage while you do it. There are several different options for scoring the bragging experience of a traffic-free ski weekend. The Winter Park Express, leaving from Denver’s Union Station for the base of Winter Park on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, offers a stress-free journey with breathtaking views, plus coffee, snacks and beverages available for purchase. The Snowstang, offered by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) for the first time in the 2019-2020 season, offers rides to Arapahoe Basin, Loveland and Steamboat for affordable prices.
Just good old plain skiing
Sometimes, it doesn’t take the biggest, baddest weekend plans to impress your coworkers. Compared to raking leaves, running errands, dance recitals and tee-ball games, sometimes it’s enough to just say: “I went skiing this weekend.”
Kathryn Robinson is a native Floridian who transplanted to Colorado for graduate school and never looked back. She learned to ski for the first time in her early twenties and now she counts down the days until winter. When she’s not on the slopes, she’s working full-time in Denver, hiking, kayaking, or playing with her dog Riley.
Echo Mountain: Denver’s Easiest Backyard Getaway
Echo Mountain – Alec Stowell
If you had a ski area in your backyard, you’d probably get a lot more days in, right? Well, that’s the case for residents of Denver and the front range with Echo Mountain. Destinations are plentiful up I-70, but the closest and most affordable destination to Denver is Echo Mountain, which is just a short drive up Squaw Pass.
From the time you start up I-70 West towards Grand Junction, you only have approximately 30 minutes to go before you can be skiing and riding. You just exit at the Evergreen Parkway, then from there take a right onto Squaw Pass until you arrive. The parking lot takes you right up to the base so getting on the mountain is hassle-free. It’s the easiest drive to a mountain that I’ve ever experienced. This is especially convenient for residents or guests of Denver who have busy schedules and don’t have the time to spend hours driving to and from ski areas.
Echo Mountain – Echo Mountain
The views are gorgeous, too. It’s right in the gateway of the Rockies adjacent to Mt. Evans, so how could they not be? On a clear day, which is what I was fortunate enough to have, you can get a great view of the Continental Divide.
The affordability is really what draws its crowds though. In my one day there over the last week, I spoke to two out-of-state tourists who chose the mountain for its pricing. This mountain is included in the list of eligible mountains if you have one of Colorado Ski Country’s ‘GEMS Cards’. If you buy online at least 24 hours in advance, weekday tickets for adults (ages 16-64) are only $58 and weekday tickets for children (ages 6-15) are only $32, with any guests younger than that getting in for free. If you buy online 24 hours in advance for weekend tickets, it’s only a few bucks more than that, for both adults and children. That’s pretty tough to beat.
They also offer affordable ski and snowboard rental packages for both adults and children so if you’re coming in without gear, that’s no problem. Full ski or snowboard packages are only $40 for adults and $30 for children, which includes everything you’ll need for the day, except goggles and warm clothing.
Another thing that Echo Mountain really prides itself on and entices visitors from all around is their affordable night skiing. For the people that get caught up in their 9-5 work life and never feel like they have the time to get out there and ski or ride, this could be the best option for you. Wednesday through Saturday, they offer night skiing from 4:30-9 PM for only $30 for adults and $19 for children. They do want to stress, however, that only intermediate terrain is available during night skiing, so this may not be the best for beginners just starting out.
Speaking of beginners, that brings me to this point – this mountain is AWESOME if you’re trying to learn how to ski and ride. They love being a beginner’s mountain and have great terrain and great staff for doing so. They have a designated beginner’s area where you can spend your day just getting your legs comfortable on skis or a board. It’s easy to walk right up to, it’s groomed really well and has a conveyor lift to bring you right back to the top. Also, on hand, are staff members ready to help out with any questions or concerns you have. Besides, if you’re a beginner, it makes sense that you would go to the most affordable destination.
Echo Mountain – Alec Stowell
All that being said, that doesn’t mean experienced skiers and riders can’t have a great time at this mountain. The mountain offers a range of blues and blacks to try to accommodate skiers and riders of all levels. They also offer a terrain park which I found to be awesome for my own level. I am admittedly very inexperienced on the parks, but I took the opportunity at Echo to try to improve. They have two boxes, two rails, and five jumps to choose from to fit a variety of needs.
If you have a family member who’s not quite ready to make the jump to learn to ski or ride, that’s okay; They also offer tubing for affordable rates as well. It’s right on-site and they make it as easy as possible. The most you’ll pay per person is $30 including tube rental, but they also request that everyone make reservations well in advance to avoid any surcharges and to arrive 30 minutes prior to their designated time slot.
Tubing at Echo Mountain – Alec Stowell
The overarching theme of this mountain is, no matter who you are or what your skill level is, you can find a way to have fun. If you’re someone like me who likes their fair share of double black’s, this may not be the best spot for you. But even so, that doesn’t mean you can’t find a way to push yourself and make the best out of it. In my single visit there, I feel like I really improved on hitting boxes and other simple terrain park skills.
So, if you’re a Denver resident or somewhere else close by in the front range and you’ve been itchin’ to get some turns in, consider Echo Mountain as your mountain of choice. You’ll find it extremely convenient to get to, super affordable, and a place to have fun for all. If you’re a beginner, this is an outstanding place to learn and get comfortable. If you’re an experienced skier or rider but are looking for an affordable way to get some snow, this is an awesome choice.
As always, get out there, have fun, and be safe!
Alec Stowell
Alec Stowell is a senior at the University of Colorado Boulder. He is majoring in Journalism and minoring in Business with a focus in entrepreneurship. He was born in Glenwood Springs and grew up skiing in the roaring fork valley. Being active and exploring the outdoors has always been a huge priority to him – everything from skiing, basketball, mountain biking, hiking, and more have all been hobbies of his for as long as he can remember. Early in his education, he discovered a passion for writing and so when the opportunity came along to both ski and write, he was ecstatic. After graduation, he hopes to still be able to pursue a career in which he can combine his passion for writing and the outdoors, but is still figuring out what the future holds. For now, he is looking forward to making the most out of his ski season with Colorado Ski Country.
Consistent Snow in Colorado Ski Country Delivers Double Digit Totals
Loveland Ski Area – Casey Day
A consistent snow cycle in January has delivered Colorado Ski Country USA (CSCUSA) member resorts soft and deep snow conditions across the state with Silverton Mountain in southwest Colorado picking up 25 inches of snow in the past week.
Nearly every ski area in Colorado has seen snowfall from this storm cycle with Aspen Snowmass receiving up to 20 inches. Elsewhere, Powderhorn and Sunlight Mountain enjoyed over one foot of fresh snow. Telluride Ski Resort has been blanketed in 13 inches of powder while Steamboat, Copper and Monarch have reported 12-14 inches of new snow. Arapahoe Basin and Loveland Ski Area are enjoying 13-21 inches of fresh snow while 5-15 inches of snow has fallen at Granby Ranch, Eldora and Wolf Creek Ski Area.
With additional snow in the forecast through January and snowpack above average, skiers and riders can expect great snow conditions across Colorado Ski Country.
To receive daily or weekly snow reports from CSCUSA member ski areas, click here.
Cooper Chicago Ridge: Skiing on the New Double Black Diamonds
Cooper|Chicago Ridge – Scott Rappold
By R. Scott Rappold
I’m at Cooper Ski Area and frankly I’m scared.
It’s an odd sensation up here. This mountain isn’t known for difficult terrain. In fact, for 77 of the 78 years it’s been in existence, it has offered no runs rated double-black-diamond.
Amazing views? Wide-open groomed avenues? Affordable prices? A family-friendly vibe? Yes to all of the above, but no true challenging, expert-level terrain.
All that changed a few days before my visit in early January, when Cooper dropped the ropes on the Tennessee Creek Basin on the mountain’s backside, 70 acres of double-diamond skiing, with no easy way in or out.
As I was to discover, this terrain is no joke, and ski area managers hope it will be a game-changer in attracting expert-level skiers to Cooper.
A small mountain
The first challenge was actually finding the new terrain.
I rode the 10th Mountain Double Chair from the base after parking for free just 100 feet from the ticket office. That in itself is rare in skiing today, since at many resorts you have to shell out $20 or park miles from the base and take a bus (and then ride a gondola to ride a chair lift and finally ski…)
It turns out this chair spills out too low on the mountain to access Tennessee Creek Basin, so I rode the fun open groomers to the bottom of Piney Basin Triple Chair. At the top, at 11,757 above sea level, I finally saw my destination.
The lack of double-diamond terrain has long been a concern by Cooper skiers, says ski area manager Dan Torsell.
“We have probably the best intermediate runs and lower-level, beginner type terrain in the country, which lends itself to getting families in,” says Torsell.
“We’ve kind of found through the years that say a family was to come for a five-day vacation and there was a diverse level of skiers within the family … They’re happy here for a little while but they would lose dad or mom or whoever the higher-level skiers were to some of the other areas that have steeper terrain.”
Of course, you can’t change the fact it’s not a steep mountain. But you can change where you let people ski.
The Tennessee Creek Basin has long been eyed as such an opportunity. Torsell says it’s within the area’s U.S. Forest Service permit boundary and has been explored by ski patrollers over the years.
Work began in earnest this past summer when Cooper thinned and flew some 2,000 trees out by helicopter. They also built a T-bar lift to bring skiers back to the front side.
And that was basically it. No lodge, no restaurant, no wide-cut runs, no grooming.
No easy way down
At first, I wasn’t sure the terrain was actually open. I saw not a single person emerge at the top of the T-bar and “closed” signs on some of the trails.
After confirming it was in fact open, I hopped on Motherlode, the only single-diamond run, with plans to hop on High Road, the only blue run, to get a feel for the area before plunging in.
But the blue was closed and I found myself back at the Piney Basin chair – the wrong drainage.
Torsell explains that Cooper chose to close the blue run for safety reasons.
“In the first couple days we were open back there we had a bunch of curiosity seekers, which I get, but we ended up with a couple people getting stuck at the bottom of the lift and we had to make arrangements to get them out,” he says. “We had hoped that people would be prudent and selective about going down there, realizing they were going to have to head back up on some very steep terrain on the T-bar.”
That’s right, it was getting back up that was the problem. T-Bars aren’t as common in skiing as they once were. A T-shaped support hooks the skier from behind and pulls the skier up by a rope. Unlike a chair lift, the skis stay on snow. Staying upright on one can be a challenge, especially on a steep pitch, especially on a snowboard.
With no intermediate trail, he says, only expert skiers would go down there.
After studying the map I realized my mistake and tried again.
A natural forest
Back at the top, I skied through the T-bar line and went down the run marked Powder Stache. To call it a run in the traditional sense would be a misnomer – more of a narrow trail through the thick pine forest.
It hadn’t snowed in a while but I still found soft snow and untracked stashes as I gingerly worked my way through the forest. It was like nothing ever before at Cooper – quiet and remote, and I kept the T-bar in my peripheral vision in case I needed to bail.
I needed to bail. Did I mention these are very tight trees? Fear got the better of me, fear of the unknown. Fear of skiing into a tree.
So I finished my run on Maverick, which is essentially the T-bar line, reaching the bottom 720 feet later.
I’ve ridden many T-bars in my time and had no trouble, but I could understand how an unsuspecting beginner might have difficulty. I spent another hour exploring the forest and its steep, narrow chutes. This is definitely difficult terrain and I vowed to come back here and explore on a powder day.
Torsell hopes the terrain makes Cooper a more attractive destination for skiers of all types.
“The seasoned skiers who want to challenge themselves, we’ve just never had anything for those folks and now I think we do. We kind of have the whole package,” he says.
“We’re certainly not the largest resort in the state but now with this terrain, we’re providing the same quality, the same diversity of product as everybody else.”
Scott Rappold
R. Scott Rappold is a journalist with more than 20 years of experience, including 10 at The Colorado Springs Gazette, where he wrote about skiing, hiking, camping and all the things that make Colorado great. He is now a full-time ski bum who writes when he needs money for beer or lift tickets. He lives in Colorado’s beautiful San Luis Valley. Read more of Scott’s stories here.
How to Have the Best Day Possible on the Mountain by Yourself
Loveland Ski Area – Dustin Schaeffer
A great day skiing and riding on the mountain is commonly enjoyed with friends or family, but that doesn’t mean it always has to be. Skiing or riding by yourself can be just as fun and rewarding experience as going with someone else or a group. If the reason you’ve missed out on a few days this year is that you’ve had nobody to go with, consider following some of these pointers I’m going to give and go by yourself – I assure you, you won’t regret it.
Embrace It
The first thing that totally sets the tone of your day alone is just to embrace it. This is your chance to take it all in, get better, and go enjoy the mountain at your leisure. You’ll be on your own time schedule. If you approach the day with a bad attitude or with the mindset that you’re not going to have as good of a time, then you’re setting your day up for failure.
Enjoy the Preparation
Because you’re on your own time schedule, you can take as little or as much time as you want to get ready in the morning and getting to the mountain. That is, only if you are your own transportation; otherwise, you may be on the time schedule of a bus transportation service. If you are driving yourself to the mountain you can wake up when you choose, enjoy that cup of coffee, and make a hearty breakfast if that’s how you like to start your ski days. You can completely eliminate the morning stress that sometimes comes with a ski day with a group of people. If you are using a bus transportation service, you can still enjoy all these things, you might just have to set your alarm accordingly.
Appreciate the Drive, Don’t Dread it
I know that for many, the biggest hassle of going skiing or riding is finding the right transportation method. Either you don’t have a reliable vehicle, or you just don’t like driving. If you don’t have a reliable vehicle, then you may have to rely on a bus transportation service. Either way, it’s critical to enjoy the drive. I mean, it’s hard not to, but whether you’re driving or not, take the time to take in your surroundings. The Rocky Mountains have some of the most beautiful sights in the world and really taking the time to appreciate them will create a positive outlook on the day. It doesn’t hurt to listen to your favorite music playlist or a good podcast either.
Set Some Goals for Yourself
It’s always good to set goals for yourself, whether you’re going by yourself or with others. However, it may be easier to accomplish the goals that you set when you’re out there all by yourself. You may not have the competition aspect of pushing yourself against your friends or family, but you can always compete with yourself and try things you haven’t before. That doesn’t mean ski or ride irresponsibly and do anything unsafe, but you can always find little ways to improve.
If you have the Ikon Pass, you can use their new app to track your day; this will allow you to see what runs you hit and how many times you hit them, how fast you went on each run, what lifts you took, how many miles you’ve traveled, how many vertical feet you’ve gained and how many hours you’ve been skiing. This can be a helpful tool when setting specific goals.
Take Your Time, Take It All In
As much as you still want to push yourself, it’s okay to take your time. It’s all about finding the right balance. You have no one that you’re waiting on and nobody that’s waiting on you, so ski or ride the mountain at your leisure. If that means stopping frequently to snap a cool picture, go for it. If it means taking an extra-long lunch to enjoy the day’s weather, all the power to you. It’s your day to enjoy. And just because you’re out there by yourself, doesn’t mean you can’t make some new friends. The days I’ve gone by myself are when I find myself the most social and having the best conversations with strangers on the lifts. Going by yourself also means you can call it a day whenever you want, obviously unless you are relying on a bus service to transport you home.
Après-Ski as You Please (Responsibly, Of Course)
It was your day to enjoy the mountain, so it’s your day to après-ski as you please. If you like to enjoy the end of your ski days with an après-ski drink, then have at it, but just remember to drink responsibly, especially if you are driving. If your idea of après-ski is ordering a bunch of appetizers at the lodge and pigging out, that’s a good option too. Whatever your idea of après-ski is, enjoy it because it can be a great ending to a great day. Just remember to keep track of time if you are one of the skiers or riders using one of the bus transportation services.
Reflect on Your Day
The drive home can be just as enjoyable as the drive to the mountain, even if it’s dark outside. If you’re driving yourself, you can take the time to mentally reflect on your day and how you went about accomplishing the goals you set for yourself. If you’re not driving yourself, you can also reflect on your day but without the hassle of driving. If you think you got some good footage of the day, you can take this time to look back and see how it turned out. I tend to think if you don’t reflect back on your day in some way, you are missing the opportunity to better prepare yourself for the next time you get out on the mountain.
The moral of the story is, just cause you’re not going with friends or family, doesn’t mean you can’t have a great day. I guarantee if you follow these simple pointers, you’ll find yourself really enjoying skiing or riding by yourself, barring no major issues. So, get out there and give it a try. Besides, the more days you can spend on the mountain the better.
Only have a half day? Hit these Front Range ski areas
Eldora Ski Area
It’s a myth that going skiing and snowboarding in Colorado has to involve an early morning wake-up call and a full day on the mountain. Sure, the 6 a.m. alarm is worth it on some days, like holiday weekends, when there’s fresh powder or new terrain opening. But is it possible to just sleep in on the weekends every once in a while?
Yes, it is. If you’re recovering from a long week at work, have breakfast or brunch plans, or just generally don’t want to sacrifice a full day of your weekend to the mountain, you have options. Many Colorado ski areas offer a half-day ticket for what we like to call the “second shift” – arriving as the morning skiers depart and setting yourself up for a glorious afternoon on the slopes.
I swear by the second shift for a few reasons. Half-day lift tickets are less expensive, leaving some money left over for après ski at the bar. It’s easy to find parking right near the lifts as the first-chair chasers and families start to vacate the parking lot in search of lunch. And afternoon skiing offers optimal conditions when the sun warms the snow and you can sometimes get away with light layers.
If you’re a Denverite ready to give second shift skiing a try, I recommend these five Front Range ski areas.
Loveland Ski Area
Loveland Ski Area – Dustin Schaeffer
Loveland tops the list of half-day ski destinations for a few reasons. First, location. Loveland is one of the closest ski areas to Denver, giving you less time in the car and more time on the mountain. It’s also one of the more affordable half-day tickets, only $75 during the regular season, and grants access at 11:30 a.m., offering 4.5 hours of lift access at a discounted rate.
Loveland also wins on flexibility with the Flex Ticket, which provides skiers and riders lift access for any 4 consecutive hours at the half-day rate of $75. Guests can ask for Flex Ticket at any ticket window and will initially be charged the full-day rate. If guests return the Flex Ticket within 4 hours, they will receive a $17 refund.
Cooper
View from Cooper|Chicago Ridge – Scott Rappold
At Cooper, an adult half-day ticket for access from 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. is $49, while a half-day ticket for a child costs $33. Cooper is a great family-friendly mountain near Leadville, and while it might be a little bit of a stretch for a day trip, it’s easy to fill a weekend in Leadville with great family-friendly activities and still hit Cooper for a half day. Plus, you can’t beat that price.
Copper Mountain
Copper Mountain Sunrise
Copper Mountain is another great choice for a half-day adventure, with naturally divided terrain that appeals to beginners and experts alike. Whether you’re planning to stick to groomed blues or you want to ski the steeps, Copper has something for everyone.
Copper’s half-day tickets offer skiing and riding beginning at noon. For the 2018-19 season, the maximum adult half-day ticket rate was $120, but considerable discounts are available if guests purchase online in advance.
Winter Park Resort
Winter Park Resort – Karen Mahar
Another great mountain close to the Front Range, Winter Park offers a half-day ticket which grants lift access starting at 12 p.m. Prices vary throughout the season, so you’ll want to call ahead for more information.
Winter Park is a great choice for skiers and riders who are eager to leave I-70 behind, and with its seven territories, you can find runs for any type of skier here. Don’t forget about Mountaintop Après before you leave for live music, food, drinks and breathtaking views every Thursday through Saturday.
Arapahoe Basin Ski Area
Arapahoe Basin
Arapahoe Basin, a fan favorite among Front Range skiers, offers a half-day ticket called the Afternoon Delight. A-Basin is well-known for its location perched high on the Continental Divide, which brings great snow conditions and helps the ski area stay open from October through June most seasons, and sometimes all the way through the Fourth of July. Arapahoe Basin is your best bet for a half-day ticket in the early or late season, hands down.
The Afternoon Delight is good for an afternoon (1 p.m. – 4 p.m.) of skiing or riding. The cost of the lift ticket varies throughout the season and starts at $32.99. Guests can save money by purchasing lift tickets in advance online.
Bonus – Echo Mountain
Echo Moutain
Rather than an afternoon half-day ticket, Echo Mountain offers a separate ticket for night skiing, which is available four nights a week Wednesday – Saturday. Echo Mountain is the closest ski area to downtown Denver, making night skiing accessible as an after-school or after-work activity.
A night skiing ticket grants lift access from 4:30 p.m. – 9 p.m. and cost $30 for an adult or $19 for a child.
Kathryn Robinson is a native Floridian who transplanted to Colorado for graduate school and never looked back. She learned to ski for the first time in her early twenties and now she counts down the days until winter. When she’s not on the slopes, she’s working full-time in Denver, hiking, kayaking, or playing with her dog Riley.
College Students – It’s Time to Learn To Ski or Ride
Purgatory Resort – Eric Berry
Here’s the thing
There’s no right or wrong time to begin your ski adventures and try to start skiing or snowboarding. Sure, it may be easier to learn when you’re young, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give it a stab when you’re older. Some of this advice that I’ll be giving will apply to all ages, but this is specifically geared towards college students looking to get up on the mountain and have a good time.
Whether you need advice on how to save some money or just beginner tips when you’re actually on the mountain, I’ll do my best to cover both. After all, not every beginner is the same and thus have different areas of need.
Determining a Budget
This is the first step that is the foundation for your ski season. Skiing can a rather costly sport but if you’re smart about your spending you can save some money here and there. In determining your budget, it’s important you’re honest with yourself about how much you plan on going skiing. If you’ve never been or only been a handful of times and want to give it another shot, it might not make sense for you to invest in a season pass right away. Instead, you can spend some time researching what day pass works best for you depending on where you live. There are plenty of great deals out there depending on the time of year and there are always other options as well like going with a friend with a season pass and getting a discounted buddy ticket or just going for a half-day to lower the cost a bit. Colorado Ski Country also offers a variety of deals on their website including the GEMS card where if you go play on one of the lesser travelled GEMS resorts, you can get two 2-for-1 lift tickets or two 30% off lift tickets.
The cost of the ticket is just one factor you have to think about when determining a budget, however. You also have to consider the cost of gear and what your best options are for getting good stuff. This includes the essential ski/snowboard gear (skis/snowboard, boots, poles, etc.) but also the right clothing and attire to make sure you’re comfortable and warm on the mountain. For many Coloradans, at least one of their family members has skied somewhere down the line and has hand-me-downs that you can borrow that are good quality and will save you the cost and hassle of having to rent or purchase gear. If you can take advantage of this, you definitely should – I’ve gotten some great gear from hand-me-downs. Otherwise, if you think ahead of time, you can find highly discounted ski and snowboard gear in the summer. If you’re trying to take advantage of skiing or snowboarding this season, then your best bet might be to just rent gear from whatever resort you’re attending.
Transportation
Actually getting to the mountain can be a big struggle for college students as many of them don’t have vehicles and if they do, they aren’t great vehicles for snowy conditions and potentially icy roads. If you’re in this boat, I’d highly encourage trying to coordinate a carpool with friends that have the right vehicle for the job. Everyone can split the cost of gas money and it’ll help relieve some ski traffic congestion as well. If you don’t have immediate friends that you know are going, often times your school’s ski and snowboarding clubs help organize carpools for students.
Another great option is finding a bus service that works for you. CU Boulder, CSU, and DU all offer their own unique bus transportation services on select dates that’ll give you a hassle-free day. There is also an RTD service for CU Boulder students that will get them to Eldora and back.
If none of these are ideal for your situation, there are other bus services offered in Denver like the Front Range Bus and the new Snowstang Bus service which I can attest to and say it was a great way to get to and from the mountain without worrying about driving.
Once You’re on the Mountain
My best advice for this section will be relatively generalized just because I can only speak from a skier’s perspective. I’ve gone snowboarding a few times but had my own share of struggles so I can’t give specific advice to beginner boarders.
One thing that I want to emphasize that a lot of beginner skiers and boarders make the mistake of is jumping into a run they’re not prepared for. Nothing will have you more frustrated and having a worse time than being on terrain you are not ready for and constantly taking a spill. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with being honest with yourself and whoever you may be skiing with and just taking it easy to start. That means taking the well-groomed green runs and taking it slow.
When you approach your day with this mindset you can have a lot more time to focus on the fundamentals. One thing I always try to do each day I go up is improve and tighten my turns a little bit. Depending on your experience, this may mean different things. If you’re in the really early stages as a skier, this may mean working on your ‘french fry’ and ‘pizza’ as methods to get going and to stop. If you have a little more experience, this may mean working on carving your parallel turns. Whatever your situation may be, this is a good way to continue to feel more comfortable on the mountain.
If you are really new to skiing or snowboarding, it may be worth considering investing in lessons at the mountain. Sometimes they can be a little pricey but there are offers out there for 2-3 day lesson packages and they can be totally worth it when trying to master the basics. Also, it’s nice to have an experienced rider be patient with you and walk you through your strongpoints and weaknesses and help you improve in certain areas where you may be lacking.
Once you’ve gotten some experience and feel a little bit more comfortable with getting on chair lifts, getting down green runs and have your legs under you a bit, the next best advice I could give is to continue to push yourself. If you’re constantly hitting the same runs over and over you’re never going to see drastic improvement or feel like you’re getting significantly better. The old Einstein quote goes, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results”, and that absolutely rings true when trying to improve your ski and snowboard abilities. Over time, if you incrementally try more difficult runs and continue to work on improving your turns, you’ll see results in no time.
Hopefully, this advice was helpful for those college students who didn’t even know where to get started but also for those who have had some past experience and wanted to get back into it. Just remember, it’s important to be honest with yourself in terms of both your budget and your abilities, that way you can have the most cost efficient and enjoyable time as you can on the mountain. Don’t worry about what everyone else is doing, worry about how you best can have a good experience while skiing or snowboarding.
Alec Stowell
Alec Stowell is a senior at the University of Colorado Boulder. He is majoring in Journalism and minoring in Business with a focus in entrepreneurship. He was born in Glenwood Springs and grew up skiing in the roaring fork valley. Being active and exploring the outdoors has always been a huge priority to him – everything from skiing, basketball, mountain biking, hiking, and more have all been hobbies of his for as long as he can remember. Early in his education, he discovered a passion for writing and so when the opportunity came along to both ski and write, he was ecstatic. After graduation, he hopes to still be able to pursue a career in which he can combine his passion for writing and the outdoors, but is still figuring out what the future holds. For now, he is looking forward to making the most out of his ski season with Colorado Ski Country.
