Photo by: Mark Turlo
It is April but still winter in the mountains.
Recent storms have dumped a thick layer of champagne powder and ski resorts are staying open one more week. Now is the time to head to the slopes for the season’s last fling.
Winter Park
After receiving nearly 22 inches of new powder since April 1, the resort is the closest to Denver to explore.
The high snow total at Winter Park can be enjoyed through a wide range of activities. Boarders and skiers can tear through neatly carved bumps that were rated the best in the country by Skiing Magazine, lay down tricks at one of the seven pipe and park set-ups, or plow through piles of powder in the trees.
With a base of over 70-inches how can you go wrong? Be sure to get there this week before the resort closes Sunday, April 19.
Ski resorts traditionally host festivities at the end of the season. Breckenridge, Copper, Loveland, Vail and Winter Park have all scheduled events.
Winter Park will welcome the approaching arrival of summer by opening a new bike park with a 1980s theme party and a ski race, where competitors must complete backwards.
Loveland
Located on the top of the Centennial Divide, Loveland received 24 inches of snow in the April snowstorms.
The resort offers 1,298 acres of open terrain on which to make fresh tracks. Loveland offers tree skiing, carve turns in expert terrain, runs for people of different abilities and a large terrain park.
The resort will hold several festivities on closing day Sunday including a terrain park competition.
Vail
The recent storm left Vail with the opportunity to extend its season by another week. The resort will close on Wednesday, April 22 instead of tomorrow.
Although farther away from Denver than other resorts, Vail is home to 5,289 acres of open terrain. This includes seven bowls, three terrain parks and an average of two skiers per acre.
Closing day comes at the end of the annual Spring Back to Vail week. The resort hosts several competitions this week including the World Pond Skimming Championship in which competitors fly off a ski jump and land on pond. There will also be free concerts featuring O.A.R., Chris Isaak, and Chadzilla and the Asteroids.
Arapahoe Basin
Known for opening first out of all the Rocky Mountain ski areas, A-basin is the ideal place for hard core skiers and boarders to finish out their season. Arapahoe Basin will remain the only place to ski after next Wednesday because it doesn’t close until mid June. There are also plenty of secret powder spots in the trees off the Pallavicini lift.
If skiing isn’t your thing, you can still head up to the A-basin “Beach” to relax and drink some beers. The “Beach” is the front row of the parking lot and is only a few yards away from three lifts. A-basin provides picnic tables, but during spring and early summer the “Beach” fills up fast so be sure to make a reservation by calling 888-ARAPAHOE.
