Written by Robert Malone
The locals of any ski resort will know where the best place is to ski on the mountain. There are many factors that impact where this may be. The weather on the day of skiing as well as the weather over the past few days can make the snow feel like a pillow or a slab of concrete. Knowing the best places to ski becomes an addiction to many enthusiasts, but the fact is that everyone has different treasured runs.
I was born in Vail, and I have lived in some of America’s best mountain ranges. After living in Lake Tahoe, I moved to the wonderful city of Winter Park, Colo., featuring the mountain that I now call home. I skied more in my winters there than in any other location from any other point in my life. I can picture that map on the back of my hand.
Winter Park is a mountain of many mysteries. Unfortunately, it is not on the Epic Pass, which means nearly all Colorado College skiers and boarders won’t ski there. They won’t be able to experience the five hidden cabins located around the mountain. They won’t be able to see the tremendous view after riding the snow cat across the Cirque.
Winter Park is a mountain that anyone can enjoy. The terrain ranges from jaw-dropping cliffs to 60 foot jumps and anything in between with some of the best picnic skiing. The park and terrain setups are some of the best, with the freestyle team providing multiple Dew Tour riders and professional skiers.
The four terrain parks include Ash Cat, the easiest of the easy, Re-Railer, the next step up, Rail Yard, a little larger, and finally, Dark Territory, where you are required to have a pass in order to hit the seventy-foot jump. If you are like most advanced skiers and don’t want to become a park rat, then Mary Jane is for you.
Mary Jane is rough skiing filled with endless moguls, vertical chutes, and a number of cliffs. The chutes are to the skier’s left of the Sunnyside lift, and when they have a fresh layer of snow, you can find a pillow line in the Hole-in-the-Wall chute along with a few major cliffs.
One of my all-time favorite runs is hidden in the trees off of Trestle. After taking the run almost halfway down, you want to cut right into the trees and stay to the right for a while until the trees open into huge pockets. You might find a cliff or two on the way down. If you stay far enough to the right, you might even find one of the hidden cabins.
If untouched tracks are what you seek, then you should consider taking the Panoramic Express lift to the highest point on the mountain. Once you pass the tree line and make it to the top, you will see an entrance to The Cirque, which is a hike-in ski-out bowl on the back side of the mountain.
At over 12 thousand feet, you should ride the snow cat called The Cirque Sled, which can take you across the bowl. My favorite portion there is the Alphabet chutes which requires the furthest hike. They are filled with steep drops, big cornices, and numerous cliffs. The trees after the Alphabet chutes, are the best trees on the mountain, especially when there is fresh snow.
Winter Park is a hidden gem in a Coloradan’s treasure box of ski mountains, and the locals will make it feel even more special. Who knows, maybe you’ll ski across one of the five hidden cabins throughout the mountain.