After Hours

The days are getting just a bit longer as the calendar turns. For those who enjoy the uphill, the sun is rising just a bit earlier in the morning and the evening light is extending a few minutes each day. We are seeing a lot more uphill traffic each season. We encourage the enjoyment of skinning uphill and earning your…

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Clear as a Bell

Cold as…you get the idea. These cold, clear nights can be extreme. We have experienced the coldest temperatures of the season this week. Both of the previous day’s low temps came in at a balmy -12oF. This is due to a massive amount of polar air that shifted south into the Continental United States this week. For more on these…

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New Cat Terrain

As described in an earlier post over the summer, our proposal and subsequent USFS/FWS approval have allowed us to open up a new piece of MCS terrain. This area was previously in our permitted area, it just was not able to be utilized efficiently. The trees that were cleared in the fall have provided access for our cat operators to…

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Mountain Flight

With a few military bases located nearby in Colorado Springs, we get several flights over the ski area each winter. I was standing right on top of Pano ridge when I was buzzed by this transport plane today. I believe the majority of these pilot’s missions originate from either Peterson Air Force Base or Ft Carson Army Base. The military…

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Parking Pinch

Many ski areas in the west are seeing parking as one of the biggest operational challenges. Monarch can experience this as well during what I call, “A perfect storm”. It should really be called something else because it’s usually far from perfect. A big 24-hour snow report over the holidays or diring a prime weekend can lead to this type…

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Steel City

Our terrain park on the Breezeway side has once again taken on a new name. This trail has seen changes in nomenclature over the last 15 years that have included Slo-Motion, K2 Organic Terrain Park, Never Summer, Ramble On and now adds Steel City to the mix. The trail has transitioned from a full on intermediate trail, to a top…

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Bluebird Week

After the 10-day tempest, we have now put together a string of brilliant, bluebird days of skiing. This break in the weather has allowed the crews to catch up on clearing piles of snow from our lots and buttering the edges, mucking out areas around the base area, opening the mountain wall to wall, grooming additional trails, beginning cat skiing…

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Cat Skiing Underway

Monarch Cat Skiing has started taking guests out beyond the boundary ropes for the 2021-22 winter season. We had our first day of cat skiing/riding over the weekend and the calendar is open for booking trips. The guides have been working diligently on Avi mitigation in our open bowls and chutes while our skilled operators have been dialing in our…

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