Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Winter Park
POP 662 / ELEV 9000FT
Located less than two hours from Denver, unpretentious Winter Park Resort is a favorite
with Front Rangers, who flock here from as far afield as Colorado Springs to ski fresh
tracks each weekend. Beginners can frolic on miles of powdery groomers while experts
test their skills on Mary Jane's world-class bumps. The congenial town is a wonderful
base for year-round romping. Most services are found either in the ski village, which is
actually south of Winter Park proper, or strung along US 40 (the main drag), which is
where you'll find the visitor center. Follow Hwy 40 and you'll get to Fraser - essentially
the same town - then Tabernash, and eventually the back of Rocky Mountain National
Park.
Activities
Winter Park Resort
( 970-726-1564;
www.winterparkresort.com
; Hwy 40; lift ticket adult/child $104/62)
Located about a mile
before town, the Winter Park Resort covers five mountains and has a maximum vertical
drop of more than 2600ft. Experts love it here because more than half of the runs are
geared solely for highly skilled skiers. The most hair-raising rides are available off-piste at
Vasquez Cirque, but there is plenty of spine-tingling action on Vasquez Ridge and Mary
Jane, too.
Twenty-five lifts service more than 2500 skiable acres, which doesn't include the 1212
acres (490 hectares) of backcountry skiing. Good thing roughly one-third of the main
Winter Park mountain is groomed for greenies . Winter Park also has six terrain parks
geared for all levels. You can learn to ride rails and pipes at Starter and Bouncer, kick it up
a notch at Ash Cat, or catch big air in the Rail Yard.
A new tubing hill ($22 per hour) is located near the Village Cabriolet lift.
SNOW SPORTS
Berthoud Pass
(
www.berthoudpass.com
; Hwy 40)
The site of one of Colorado's first ski resorts (1937-2002),
Berthoud Pass (11,307ft) remains a popular spot for backcountry skiers and snowshoers.
There is significant avalanche danger here, however, so don't even think about going out
unless you have the proper gear and training.
Friends of Berthoud Pass
(
http://berthoudpass.org
)
of-
fers free avalanche courses in winter.
HIKING, SNOW SPORTS
