Hidden Stash

Four Colorado resorts to beat the crowds and costs

by Chris Weiss

With easy access to some of the best snow, most famous destination resorts, and clearest bluebird days in North America, skiers and snowboarders on the Front Range are a spoiled lot. And yet, once in a while the crowds and glitz of well-known mega-resorts can wear you down. Sometimes you yearn for more of a soulful skiing experience. While spots like Loveland and A-Basin are great options nearby, the state also offers a variety of other low-key diamonds-in-the-rough from corner to corner. Here’s a look at four options you may never have considered. Now you can dodge the annual tourist influx, find a stash long after the skies have cleared, and trade in the annual ski trip for a true escape. In the process, you’ll also save some money. After all, you live here, so there’s no reason a ski trip should be a four-figure vacation.

Monarch Mountain

Tucked away in the San Isabel National Forest between Salida and Gunnison, Monarch Mountain is one of those dying-breed resorts that focuses its energy into a friendly skiing experience based solely upon snow, mountains and memorable days. You won’t be staying in a world-class luxury hotel, and you won’t be dining at the latest restaurant you recently read about in Zagat. What you will be doing is enjoying 800 acres of terrain and snow, lots of snow. Those looking to push their limits will get some great raw, expert hike-to terrain in Mirkwood Basin and also have the option of 1,000 acres of cat-served access. Whatever it is that you’re looking for—trees, steeps, open bowls, cliffs—you’ll find it at Monarch, and it will be served with a smile. Time your trip just right and you’ll be treated to one of Monarch’s legendary dumps of dry, pristine powder. Lift tickets are just $54.
Stay: Nearby towns of Salida, Buena Vista and Poncha Springs offer a variety of lodging options and ski-and-stay packages.
More Info: www.skimonarch.com

Powderhorn Resort

Powderhorn sits just 45 minutes outside of Grand Junction and is one of the more modest resorts in Colorado in terms of size and vertical. Don’t let its size deceive you, however; there is no shortage of great skiing and riding here. The resort is not about logging vertical feet on your wrist top or bombing down the gnarliest pitchhere you’ll find a decisively more relaxed feel. With an infrastructure reminiscent of decades of old, with a handful of slow, rickety lifts and rough, natural terrain, Powderhorn is really about sitting back and enjoying the very experience of skiing—breathing in crisp mountain air, enjoying distinct views of mountains meeting mesas and sneaking into the trees for a taste of dry Rocky Mountain powder. Get a decisive reminder of why it was that you got into skiing in the first place—it certainly wasn’t for luxury hotels and posh nightlife. The prices will remind you of the good old days, too—just $53 for a full day’s ticket.

Stay: The Inn at Wildewood and Goldenwood Condos are slope-side options. Or, for more dining and activities, consider staying in Grand Junction, an easy commute to Powderhorn. Many Grand Junction hotels, including the Courtyard by Marriot and the Holiday Inn, offer ski-and-stay packages.
Pay Less: The Buddy, Burger and Beverage combo gets you 2 lift tickets, 2 burgers and 2 “age-appropriate” drinks for just $120. Available any non-holiday weekday all season long.
More Info: www.powderhorn.com

Wolf Creek

Wolf Creek can be found in the southwest, sandwiched between the towns of Pagosa Springs and South Fork, about 75 miles from Durango. With annual snowfall that looks more Wasatch than San Juan (the most snow in Colorado) and 1,600 acres of terrain that encompass something for every taste and ability, a trip to Wolf Creek is a must for any Colorado resident. Spend a few days here, as some hiking and traversing are necessary to experience the full breadth of Wolf Creek’s slopes, trees and bowls. Those all too familiar with lift ticket prices in the I-70 corridor can appreciate just how refreshing a $52 lift ticket is. That’s $52 for a personal slice of 465 inches of powder—quite a steal.
Stay: Though there’s no slope-side lodging, you’ll find a variety of guest ranches, bed and breakfasts, cabins, condos and hotels in Pagosa Springs to the west and South Fork to the east.
More Info: www.wolfcreekski.com

Ski Cooper

Geographically Ski Cooper is just 35 miles south of Vail; however, it is continents away in terms of spirit. Here you’ll find skiing that’s even cheaper and more intimate than some of the former options mentioned. Located in Leadville, the nation’s highest incorporated town, Ski Cooper is a smaller mountain with 26 runs and 1,200 feet of vertical. Ski Cooper bills itself as a family-oriented destination, but don’t fret if you’re not a family man, they have terrain for all abilities. Lift tickets are a bargain-basement $42 and multi-day tickets can quickly break the $40/day mark. While the resort itself is rather modest, the 2,460 acres of cat terrain available via Chicago Ridge Snowcat Tours steps it up a few notches. Travel up to the top of the Continental Divide and take in stunning views of a few of Colorado’s highest peaks before plunging into the sea of white trees, bowls and steeps below.
Stay: Leadville offers a full range of hotels, cabins, condos, and bed and breakfasts.
Pay Less: Go with a season-pass holder and get a Buddy Ticket for just $25, any non-holiday weekday.
More Info: www.skicooper.com