COLORADO

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If you’re lucky enough to be hitting the slopes of Colorado this winter, you’ll find something new at all 21 members of Colorado Ski Country USA. This season got off to a great start with huge snowfalls even before Christmas, so it’s shaping up to be one of the best in years! Here’s what’s new: If it’s new terrain you’re after, Winter Park is opening previously unutilised terrain in The Cirque Territory. The area is called “Jelly Roll,” because of its rolling steep pitch and its ability to hold light, fluffy snow for days after a storm. Monarch Mountain, meanwhile, has done trail work on tree skiing areas, and at Echo Mountain, guests will see a re-route to make it easier for beginners to get to the mountain base. At Cooper there’s new expert terrain in the Tennessee Creek Basin and Chicago Ridge area, and the second stage of Steamboat’s $200 million transformation includes a new beginner area, Greenhorn Ranch, serviced by a new gondola, beginner lift and two carpets. Colorado is famed for its abundant powder, but resorts take a belt-and-braces approach with Purgatory spending $1.25 million on snowmaking upgrades. Powderhorn has also been working on snowmaking improvements as well as adding a new beginner area lift. Eldora too has snowmaking upgrades and has spent $7 million on a parking expansion adding nearly 800 spaces.

In terms of new lifts, Arapahoe Basin has upgraded the Lenawee Lift to a high-speed 6-pack, and at Telluride a new high-speed detachable quad for

Chair 9 cuts the lift time from 15 to 7 minutes while Loveland replaced their Lift 6 with a fixed-grip triple. Purgatory has a focus on getting more people uphill, offering a Power Kids free season pass now up to age 12, and creating an uphill access pass for ski tourers in designated areas outside of operating hours. Most Colorado ski areas also have state-of-the-art tech, and Granby Ranch has streamlined the guest experience with RFID lift access, in addition to a refreshed base lodge and updated wi-fi. Other upgrades include a new ski school ski and snowboard yurt at Sunlight, and Aspen Snowmass has a new, all-electric 9,300-square-foot skier services building at the base of Buttermilk housing a ticketing office, rental and retail shop, ski and snowboard school, guest lounge and lockers. Howelsen Hill will feature a new tubing slope this season. There are numerous events all season long, and at Silverton they’re hosting a Big Mountain Women’s Weekend featuring Krista Crabtree, offering phenomenal expert-only skiing, networking, inspiration, and education. Finally, those big anniversaries include Copper and Telluride turning 50, Sunlight 55 and Eldora and Steamboat both 60. Not to be outdone, Steamboat’s Howelsen Hill is a spry 107 years old this season, the oldest continuously operating ski area in North America. Colorado Ski Country USA itself celebrates 60 years of promoting and growing Colorado’s ski industry. #AMountainForEveryone

SIZE IN ACRES 28K

SNOW EACH YR 300+inches MOUNTAIN AIRPORTS 8

9 MONTH LONG SEASON VARIETY OF SKI AREAS A MOUNTAIN FOR EVERYONE