By the time most of us arrive at the mountain, our Slope Maintenance crew has already been hard at work all night. These guys show up around 11pm, fire up our fleet of snowcats and hit the slopes. There are the regular grooming missions that include the majority of our easiest trails, about half to two-thirds of our intermediate trails…
There are a lot of options to choose from after your Mirkwood hike. Most drop directly into Mirkwood Bowl or Orcs. Others choose the NE facing trees to be found in Mirkwood Trees or Staircase. The more adventurous find themselves poking through the cliff bands in East Trees. For skiers/riders wanting a return view to the ski area may pick…
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…
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…
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…
It looks like another perfect bluebird weekend is on tap. Blues skies, temps in the high 20’s, 100% of the mountain open with all lifts spinning. Have fun!
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…
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…
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…
