A ski vacation in Colorado is a dream for many visitors, but for the daredevils in your life it may be just another trip as they ride the lifts up and ski down groomed slopes time and time again. A Winter Park backcountry ski vacation, however, promises to be exactly the adventure thrill seekers need in their lives! When you combine the excitement of your skiing activities with the comforts and luxuries found in our Visit Winter Park Lodging seasonal sanctuaries, your vacation dreams will come true in every way possible. This Winter Park backcountry skiing guide will help fill every minute of your Colorado vacation with fun, excitement, and adventures you will never forget!
Winter Park Backcountry Skiing: It’s Always a Good Idea
Many of us have been skiing since we were little tykes, learning the difference between a pizza slice and French fries, and although we won’t say that skiing on groomed slopes and trails is boring, after a while it can become a bit more mundane, even when you are on the double black diamond trails. The backcountry of Winter Park, however, brings the excitement back into the sport, offering excitement, wonder, and some really good exercise, if that’s something that interests you. Imagine spending your day skiing on slopes where the white snow is untouched, feeling tiny and insignificant amidst the natural landscape of the mountains that surround you. Berthoud Pass Ski Area is one of our favorite places to experience the thrill of backcountry skiing, having once been one of the premier backcountry ski and snowboarding areas until its closure in 2002. Today, its 65 trails and 1200 acres keep it desirable for thrill seekers. It is a simpler place to try out the sport; some of the trails can even be reached easily off the pass, but most will still require a hike to get to the top. The peak at Berthoud Pass reaches over 11000 feet and exciting skiing opportunities can be explored off both sides of the highway.
Cross Country Through the Back Country
Not all ski adventures have to involve steep slopes and daring escapades. Some of your favorite memories will be of the times you simply strapped on a pair of cross country skis and made your way across the landscape. The 2nd Creek Trail, located at mile marker 240 west of Berthoud Pass, offers an extremely popular backcountry cross country ski experience, and because of the Broome Hut, you can still enjoy a bit of warmth at the beginning and end of your cross country adventures! Explore the natural beauty of this area, skiing for as little or as long as you want, reveling in the quiet and seclusion of the countryside, and when you have had enough of the cold, spend a little time in the day room of the Broome Hut, letting your muscles warm up before heading back to the luxury of your Visit Winter Park Lodging mountainside escape. When looking for a back country experience that isn’t as strenuous as the 2nd Creek Trail or Berthoud Pass, the Jim Creek Trail offers a more moderate cross country ski activity. Easily reached from the Winter Park Ski Resort, it features a gradual ascent with views of the mountains guaranteed to impress and is a popular snowshoeing trail as well!
Extreme Adventures
The most extreme of backcountry ski activities can be experienced with the help of the Jones Pass Guides where your adventures will begin and end on the back of a snow cat with lots of backcountry skiing taking place in between! Offering all the equipment needed for an unforgettable day in the backcountry, a deli lunch, and two free beers to be enjoyed at the end of your adventures! The Jones Pass Guides adventures last the entire day and with reservations, professional photographs can be taken, forever commemorating the exciting experiences you will enjoy during your day in the backcountry of Colorado!
The Days You Will Never Forget
Whether your idea of an exciting adventure involves nothing more than a sled ride down a hill or a snowball fight in the park, or if your need for speed has you tearing down the backcountry slopes, feeling wild and free in the shadows of the mountains, choosing Visit Winter Park Lodging will be the exclamation point at the end of every day! Offering luxury, warmth, and comfort, our sanctuaries are designed to make you feel instantly at home from the first moment you step inside the door. Soak in hot tubs on the deck or jetted tubs in the bathrooms, enjoy meals prepared in our fully equipped kitchens, and discover how enjoyable the quiet moments in life can be as you watch the sun set over the mountains each evening of your stay. Reserve your favorite escape today!
