Winter Park

Winter Park - a mere 67 miles from Denver, nestling at the base of Berthoud Pass at an altitude of 2,743 feet, is said to be the fifth largest resort in the USA, with over 2886 acres of terrain. The old saying that 'size always matters’ doesn't ring true at Winter, since although this place is vast, it is not as great as the hype dictates.

However, Colorado is famous for its powder snow and in fairness, Winter Park snags more than its fair share, with an average annual snowfall of 350 inches and plenty of blue sky days. The high tree line of Winter Park means that even when there is low cloud, visibility is still good. Winter Park is actually two mountains, Winter Park and Mary Jane.

Winter Park has trails for all standards of rider and is well groomed. What makes this place somewhat dull is that it is really tame, with hardly any fast, challenging terrain. The best runs (if such exist) are on the Mary Jane slopes and are mostly black trails.