by G. Kunkel

Created on: September 08, 2008   Last Updated: July 24, 2009

Winter Park Ski Resort is Authentic Colorado. From the moment you descend Berthoud Pass and into the Fraser Valley, you know that you've entered a special place. Winter Park has been a favorite of Front Range resident's since it opened in 1940 as a mountain park of the City and County of Denver. Located 67 miles west of Denver, it is famous for its bump skiing and friendly people.

Winter Park has two base areas. Winter Park is the tame side with a variety of terrain for the beginner and intermediate skier and rider. Mary Jane is the wilder side. It contains the infamous bump runs as well as glades, trees, and the above treeline extreme experience. There is a total of 3,060 ski-able acres that includes 143 designated trails and 1,212 acres of off-piste terrain. Winter Park receives well over 300" of snow annually with over 389" in the 2008 season. With 25 lifts, it has an uphill capacity of 36,920 skiers per hour. With this amount of terrain and capacity it is still possible to find untracked powder for yourself days after a storm. You may however have to bribe a local to discover the best stashes.

Good terrain for those just learning to ski is Winter Park's award winning Discovery Park or as us locals say "Disco Park". Beginner level skiers can find gentle terrain accessed by the Gemini, Prospector, Olympia, and High Lonesome lifts. Intermediates can find more challenging terrain around the Pioneer, Sunnyside, and Panoramic lifts. Expert enthusiasts should check out terrain around the Challenger, Super Gauge, Iron Horse, and Eagle Wind lifts. Those looking for the extreme alpine experience should hike over to Vasquez Cirque.

Both skiers and snowboarders are at home at Winter Park. There are some traverses but, if you learn their locations, it is possible to find alternatives to avoid them. There are a variety of terrain parks rated from beginner to expert. Easy features can be found at Starter Park and Jack Kendrick. Intermediate features can be found at Jack Kendrick and Dog Patch. The more advanced park is Railyard, which contains the super-pipe. A park for the advanced to semi-pro is Dark Territory. To obtain entry to Dark Territory, one must first watch a safety video at Showcase Snowboards in the base village before you can buy an entry pass.

There are a variety of lodging options at Winter Park base village, the town of Winter Park, and Fraser. About a third of the lodging is available at the base village with more available

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