Is slipping out the gates and riding the lift back up your idea of backcountry? Then pay attention to our guide to the Front Range’s deepest sidecountry stashes.
Colorado is full of great in-bounds skiing. Terrain that challenges, thrills and excites. There’s everything from the steep hike-to terrain of Arapahoe Basin’s West Wall to the powder choked tree skiing found at Steamboat. But despite this bounty, there are days when the stuff inside the ropes isn’t compelling. Maybe it’s because you’re skiing on a Monday, after the weekend hoards have pounded the mountain into submission, or a January dry spell has left the terrain a smorgasbord of icy moguls and rocks.
Regardless, at some point this winter, you’re going to want to head outside the ropes, away from the people, to a place where the snow is softer and the pace of life is slower.
Enter the exit strategy. In Colorado we’re lucky enough to be blessed with levelheaded resort operators and a legislature that recognizes that we have a right to use our public lands at our own risk. This happy confluence means that most of Colorado’s ski areas have backcountry access gates. So, while it’s important to remember that we can’t just cut any rope and ski where we want to, we can leave the mountain at these specially dedicated areas to go into the backcountry for a bit of adventure.
But first a word for the wise. As always, it’s extremely important to be prepared to take care of yourself out there. Avalanches are common in our state and basic avalanche education is the foundation for backcountry skiing or snowboarding in Colorado. You’ll need to carry the tools of the trade (avalanche beacon, probe and shovel). It’s also wise to bring extra clothing, a first aid kit and be ready for anything. Injuries and accidents take on a whole new level of intensity when you’re outside the ropes and the sun is starting to set.
That being said, here are a four of our favorite backcountry access gates. Before your go, gear up, check the avalanche and weather reports and let someone know exactly where you are going and when you will be back. And don’t forget the most important part: have fun.
arapahoe basin
The ‘Basin’s high elevations and ample snow make backcountry excursions a high-risk, high-reward scenario in January or February. Avoid rolling the dice by waiting until the warm spring days of April, when freeze-thaw cycles stabilize the snowpack. A ‘Basin classic is the skiing down to Montezuma. Exit the ski area at the access gate located at on the ridge behind the Lenawee chair and then ski down the backside to a waiting car on Montezuma Road. Or take your chances and hitchhike to Keystone when you hit the bottom. arapahoebasin.com
loveland
Most folks don’t realize that Loveland has a backcountry access gate. Located behind the ski patrol shack at the top of Chair 1, it is hidden. Hike to the top of the ridge and drop into the large mellow bowls and open south facing glades on the north side of Loveland Pass. Unlike skiing to Montezuma (see above) hitchhiking back to your starting point is easy from the road over Loveland Pass. skiloveland.com
eldora
Windy conditions often sweep the high ridges behind Eldora ski area, but all that snow has to go somewhere, and usually ends up in the trees. Exit Eldora’s terrain when the wind calms down to tour west off the top of the ski area’s Corona Bowl into the Lost Lake area. A variety of descents await the intrepid, although route finding can be tricky and, given the wind (which loads up the steeper slopes, creating hard slab avalanche conditions), local knowledge is essential. Bring a buddy who knows the terrain or wait until spring, when you can leave a car down at the old mining hamlet of Eldora for your trip back to civilization (or to Nederland’s Pioneer Inn for a cold one). eldora.com
winterpark
Close to the Front Range and with a low-key vibe, you might just want to stay in-bounds and enjoy the under-rated tree skiing at the ‘Park and next door Mary Jane. But for those days when the trees are tracked out, Winter Park has two gates, one from Vasquez Cirque and a second, higher gate from Perry Peek. From the Parry Peek gate you can access several drainages that lead back to Highway 40, where you can try your luck with your thumb or leave a car for an easy shuttle back to the base area. winterparkresort.com
monarch
It’s not technically on the Front Range but we have to include it here simply because it’s got some of the best sidecountry around …. because it’s in bounds. Monarch’s Mirkwood Bowl is the real deal—you need to hike it and it’s wild terrain with a healthy combination of big bowl and tight tree lines. Best of all, it’s controlled and patrolled (so, yeah, it’s not technically “sidecountry”). Monarch still has that authentic Colorado local vibe. You won’t find execs on cell phones here, just folks who want to charge. One more reason to love the place? It may just offer the single best season pass in the country. For $429 ($279 seniors and students) you get the full Monarch pass and free days of skiing at Angel Fire, NM; China Peak, CA; Durango Mountain Resort, CO; Grand Targhee (early season), WY; INdian Head, MI; Loveland, CO; Parajito, NM; Powderhorn, CO; Red River, NM; Revelstoke, BC; Silverhorn, CO; Sipapu, NM; Sol Vista, CO; and Sunlight, CO. Plus, you get half price tickets at Alta, UT; Snowbowl, AZ; and Taos, NM. That’s a full season of ski bum travel. skimonarch.com
