Winter Park Resort

Winter Park Resort is an alpine ski resort in the western United States, in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado at Winter Park. Located in Grand County just off U.S. Highway 40, the resort is about a ninety-minute drive from Denver.

Winter Park
Winter Park Village
Winter Park
Location in the United States
Winter Park
Location in Colorado
LocationGrand County, Colorado, U.S.
Nearest major cityWinter Park,
Denver
Coordinates39°53′13″N 105°45′45″W
Vertical  3,060 feet (933 m)
Top elevation12,060 feet (3,676 m)
Base elevation  9,000 feet (2,743 m)
Skiable area3,081 acres (12.5 km2)
Runs167 total
8% beginner
18% intermediate
19% advanced
52% most difficult
3% expert
Lift system25 total
- 9 high-speed chairs
- 10 fixed-grip chairs
- 6 surface lifts
Snowfall370 in (30.8 ft; 9.4 m)
Websitewinterparkresort.com

History

The mountain opened for the 1939–40 season as Winter Park Ski Area[1] and was owned and operated by the city and county of Denver until 2002, when Denver entered into a partnership with Intrawest ULC, a Canadian corporation headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, which operated the resort until Intrawest was acquired by Alterra Mountain Company in 2018.[2][3] For nearly 70 years, a popular way for Denver residents to arrive was via the Ski Train, which arrived at the resort's base area through the Moffat Tunnel. Ski Train service ended in 2009 but returned as the Winter Park Express in 2017.[4] Winter Park Resort is home to one of the world's largest and oldest disabled skiing programs, the National Sports Center for the Disabled.

The resort consists of three interconnected mountain peaks (and seven "territories") — Winter Park, Mary Jane, and Vasquez Ridge — which share a common lift ticket. Mary Jane, opened in 1975, has a separate base area and is known for its moguls, tree skiing, hidden huts, and generally more difficult terrain. It encompasses the above-tree line terrain of Parsenn Bowl. Vasquez Ridge, opened in 1986, offers intermediate terrain and mogul runs. In 1997, 435 acres (176 ha) of backcountry terrain in Vasquez Cirque were opened to skiing, although access required hiking from the top of Mary Jane;[5] the 2006 relocation of the former Outrigger triple chairlift to the backside of Parsenn Bowl provides an easier escape back to Mary Jane after descending Vasquez Cirque.

During Intrawest's stint operating the resort, they made several changes to the mountain's infrastructure, renovating the food services in the West Portal base lodge, opening new lifts in 2005 and 2006, and a new base village with hundreds of condominia, a parking structure, a "Village Pond," retail space, and an open-air gondola known as "The Village Cabriolet."[6] The historic 1955 Balcony House was listed as one of Colorado's Most Endangered Places by Colorado Preservation, Inc.[7][8] This historic building was designed in the Googie style of architecture, which was a popular style in the 1940s to the 1960s.

Winter Park is a year-round resort; the resort operates the lifts during the summer months for mountain biking, hiking and sightseeing. The Arrow chairlift also services an alpine slide in the summer, and the base area features miniature golf, a climbing wall, and other diversions. While the Winter Park area is also a popular destination for golf, there are no golf courses located at, or operated by, the resort itself. Winter Park boasts the most extensive lift access summer mountain biking trails in Colorado.

In 2018 Winter Park Resort was named "Best ski resort in North America" as voted by the readers of USA Today.[9] In 2019 Winter Park Resort was named "Number 1 Ski Resort in North America".[10]

Winter Park hosted the NCAA Skiing Championships in 1956, 1959, 1972, and 1977. The team title went to Denver in 1956 and Colorado took the latter three.

Statistics
View looking north from the top of Parsenn Bowl prior to the construction of the Panoramic Express.
View looking east at Parry's Peak from near the top of the Mary Jane.
Panoramic view of the Zephyr Express and Zephyr Mountain Lodge.
A panorama taken on Whistlestop run at Winter Park Resort.

Elevation
  • Base: 9,000 ft (2,743 m)
  • Summit: 12,060 ft (3,676 m)
  • Vertical rise: 3,060 ft (933 m)

Trails
  • Skiable area: 3,081 acres (4.8 sq mi; 12.5 km2)
  • Trails: 166 total (8% beginner, 18% intermediate, 19% advanced, 52% difficult, 3% expert)
  • Average annual snowfall: 317.5 inches (26.5 ft; 8.1 m)

Slope Aspects
  • North: 50%[11]
  • East: 10%
  • South: 2%
  • West: 38%

Lifts
  • Winter Park currently has 23 operating lifts.[12]
Lift Name Type Manufacturer Year Built Notes
The Gondola Gondola 10 Leitner-Poma 2018
Village Cabriolet Gondola 8 Leitner-Poma 2008 Does not serve any terrain, used as transportation between Vintage parking lot to Winter Park Village.
Panoramic Express Six Person Detachable Leitner-Poma 2007 When opened, it was marketed as being the highest high-speed six pack in North America, a title it retained until the Kensho SuperChair at Breckenridge Ski Resort was built in 2013.
Super Gauge Express Six Person Detachable Leitner-Poma 2005
Sunnyside Six Person Detachable Leitner-Poma 2019
Explorer Express High Speed Quad Poma 1999 Formerly called the Eskimo Express. Name was changed in late 2020.
Gemini Express High Speed Quad Poma 1993
High Lonesome Express High Speed Quad Poma 1991
Olympia Express High Speed Quad Poma 1996
Pioneer Express High Speed Quad Poma 1986
Prospector Express High Speed Quad Poma 1994
Arrow Triple Yan 1979
Eagle Wind Triple Yan 2006 former Outrigger chair
Endeavour Triple Poma 1993
Challenger Double Heron-Poma 1974
Discovery Double Heron-Poma 1984
Galloping Goose Double Heron-Poma 1974
Iron Horse Double Heron-Poma 1974
Looking Glass Double Riblet 1966
Pony Express Double Heron-Poma 1974
Lariat Rope Tow Poma 2002
Spirit Platter surface lift Poma 2004
Comet Conveyor Magic Carpet 2019
Meteor Conveyor Magic Carpet 2019

Former lifts

Winter Park Colorado[12]

Lift Name Type Manufacturer Years of Operation Notes
Sunnyside Triple 1989-2019 Replaced with high-speed, detachable, Six-Pack lift
Apollo Platter Leitner-Poma 2004-2009
Apollo Double Riblet 1969-1998
Comet T-Bar 1957-1977 Replaced with Arrow triple
Eskimo Double Riblet 1963-1990 Replaced with Eskimo triple
Eskimo Triple Yan 1990-1999 Replaced with Eskimo Express; Relocated from Zephyr
Gemini Double Miner-Denver 1969-1993 Replaced with Gemini Express
High Lonesome Quad Poma 1985-1991
Hughes Double Riblet 1962-1993
Meteor T-Bar Swiss 1957-1977 Replaced with Outrigger triple
Olympia Double Heron-Poma 1971-1996 Replaced by Olympia Express
Outrigger T-Bar Swiss 1948-1978
Outrigger Triple Yan 1978-2005 SBNO from 2003 to 2005; relocated to Vasquez Ridge and operates as Eagle Wind
Prospector Double Riblet 1963-1994 Replaced with Prospector Express
Summit Express High Speed Quad Poma 1985-2005 This lift now runs at the Mission Ridge Ski Area in Washington state. Replaced with Super Gauge Express.
Timberline Double Heron-Poma/Thiokol 1992-2007 Relocated from Sol Vista Basin (Ski Granby Ranch); replaced by Panoramic Express
Zephyr Triple Yan 1983-1990 Replaced with Zephyr Express
Zephyr Express High Speed Quad Poma 1990-2018 Replaced with ten-person The Gondola
Bob Woods T-bar 1940-1969 Replaced with Apollo double

Historic Trails
Ski trail near the top of Winter Park Resort.

During Winter Park's 75-year history, many individuals have made significant contributions to the development and image of the ski area. Several ski trails have been identified on the resort's website as "historical trails," and even more exist on the mountain. A commemorative sign, with a brief narrative about the individual's contribution to the ski area, has been installed along each historical trail. Listed are both the run and in parentheses the lift that reaches them:

Winter Park Resort nestled in with the Continental Divide
  • Hughes (The Gondola or Explorer Express)
  • Cranmer (The Gondola or Explorer Express)
  • Allan Phipps (The Gondola, Explorer Express or Prospector Express)
  • Bradley's Bash (The Gondola or Explorer Express)
  • Mulligan's Mile (The Gondola or Explorer Express)
  • Jack Kendrick (Prospector Express or Looking Glass)
  • Mt. Maury (learning slope with carpet)
  • Retta's Run (Explorer Express lift line)
  • Engeldive (Prospector Express and Looking Glass)
  • Balch (The Gondola or Explorer Express)
  • Wilson's Way (Discovery learning double)
  • Mary Jane Trail (reached from Super Gauge Express, Olympia Express or High Lonesome Express)
  • Over N' Underwood (Prospector Express or Looking Glass) (not listed on website)
  • Butch's Breezeway (Prospector Express or Looking Glass) (not listed on website)

Notable people
  • Elizabeth McIntyre (born 1965), freestyle skier, Olympic silver medalist; lives in Winter Park
  • Ryan Max Riley (born 1979), freestyle skier, US Champion, and humorist; lived in Winter Park
  • Ryan St. Onge (born 1983), freestyle skier, World Champion and two-time Olympian; lived in Winter Park
  • Michelle Roark (born 1974), freestyle skier, World Champion silver medalist and two-time Olympian; lived in Winter Park

See also

References
  1. "Winter Park". Winter Park Resort - Official Ski Resort Website - Winter Park, Colorado. Retrieved June 19, 2015.
  2. "Who We Are". Intrawest. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  3. Jason Blevins (January 11, 2018). "The new name in ski resorts you need to know: Alterra Mountain". The Denver Post. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
  4. Danika Worthington (January 7, 2017). "Winter Park Express brings back train service between Denver and Winter Park". The Denver Post. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
  5. TCSP. "History of the Winter Park Resort". Retrieved June 16, 2018.
  6. "Winter Park". Winter Park Resort - Real Estate – Winter Park, Colorado. Winter Park Resort. Archived from the original on June 19, 2015. Retrieved June 19, 2015.
  7. "Winter Park's Balcony House, Red Cliff Bridge Join the List of Colorado's Most Endangered Places".
  8. "'Remarkable' Winter Park Balcony House Placed on This Year's Colorado Endangered Places List". 12 February 2021.
  9. "Best ski resort in North America? Readers vote Winter Park Resort". USA Today. 2018. Retrieved November 29, 2019.
  10. "Voted #1 Ski Resort In North America Two Years In A Row". Winter Park Resort. Retrieved November 29, 2019.
  11. "Best Ski Resorts: Winter Park Resort Terrain, Snow Quality and Mountain Ranks". ZRankings. ZRankings, LLC. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
  12. Landsman, Peter (28 August 2016). "Winter Park, CO". LIFTBLOG. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
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