Ski Cooper, Leadville, CO 11/18/13

[BushMogulMaster]

Well... it's not your typical TR. We're not open at Cooper yet. But I've done these when I was at Sugarbush, so I guess I'll just keep it up now that I'm out in the Rockies.

Started off the morning 7:30 in the BR350. Spent the whole day packing the 13" of fresh snow we got this weekend. We don't make any snow, so rely entirely on natural. And it's shaping up very nicely, as you will no doubt see in the pictures below. It's still a bumpy ride on lower mountain, but there are some really deep spots up there. I jumped out of the cat on the backside to take one of the pictures, and was nearly waist-deep when I stepped off the tracks. But we also had some serious wind Saturday night, so the high spots on the front side are a little scoured. But that's nothing the blade of a snowcat can't fix! We're getting pretty close now... another storm or two and we'll be ready to turn the lifts.

The pictures can tell the rest of the tale.

 

[Nick]

Love it! So, do you work at Cooper? Are you interested in becoming an official "Industry Rep" title?

 

[JimG.]

Hey Patrick! Good to hear from you.

Where are the bumps?

 

[4aprice]

Cool I plan on getting to Cooper/Chicago Ridge some day. Good high elevation, plenty of snow.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

 

[snoseek]

I went there twice, both times with a timid skier, the place was perfect and empty. Really one of the more out there, scenic resorts in Colorado. Someone seeking out steeps should keep driving but this has to be the best place ever to get someone back into skiing, really cheap too!

 

[wa-loaf]

Nice, taking a break from divinity school?

 

[thetrailboss]

Glad to see that BMM and his TR's are back!

And God's place for him is on the mountain....paradoxically in the bumps AND in the cat!

Are you their snowcat tour driver?

 

[thetrailboss]

And I nominate Ski Cooper as a site for an AZ Meetup.

 

[BushMogulMaster]

Love it! So, do you work at Cooper? Are you interested in becoming an official "Industry Rep" title?

Yeah, I'm "officially" Director of IT and "Special Tasks". The "Special Tasks" part basically means I do a little of everything (that's why smaller ski areas are more fun!). IT mostly in the summer, my focus will be primarily in the grooming department during the season, while still maintaining all of the web presence, corporate network, and providing tech support. And I'm the vinyl cutter/sign maker. And last week I was the painter. The week before that I was the drywall finisher. Yup... that's what Director of IT means! :beer:

Anyway... sure, I'd be honored to be an AZ industry rep.

 

[BushMogulMaster]

Cool I plan on getting to Cooper/Chicago Ridge some day. Good high elevation, plenty of snow.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

And it's all natural! Plus, we simply don't get rain during the season here, and the "January Thaw" is nonexistent out here. So the snow is always soft!

I went there twice, both times with a timid skier, the place was perfect and empty. Really one of the more out there, scenic resorts in Colorado. Someone seeking out steeps should keep driving but this has to be the best place ever to get someone back into skiing, really cheap too!

Best deal out there. And it's definitely some of the best learning terrain you'll find. You're right that there's nothing super steep; however, we'll have some nice bump lines on single diamond pitches this season. In the future, it would be nice to put another lift down the backside into some undeveloped terrain that is much steeper (30+ degree pitches). It would certainly round out our offerings.

Nice, taking a break from divinity school?

I spent two phenomenal years in the seminary, but discerned that God has other plans for me. So I'm back in the ski industry.

Are you their snowcat tour driver?

No, although I've run the tour cats here before. I'll always be available if they need an extra operator, but we have a dedicated staff for the Chicago Ridge operation.

And I nominate Ski Cooper as a site for an AZ Meetup.

Sounds good to me!

 

[Nick]

New shiney "Industry Rep" is in place

 

[skiNEwhere]

I will have to hit up cooper this year, it's only an hour and a half from my house and I've heard on a powder day you can get quite a few laps before trails get tracked out.

I'm interested in going on the Chicago ridge too, not sure about the cost though

I'm kind of curious as to how many people have ended up at the wrong ski area meeting their friends since "Copper" and "Cooper" are off of the same route and only about 30 miles apart

 

[Cannonball]

When I lived in Leadville I worked at Copper so that's where I had a pass and where I tended to go. But some of my favorite days where at Ski Cooper. Just love that place.

 

[BushMogulMaster]

New shiney "Industry Rep" is in place

8)

I will have to hit up cooper this year, it's only an hour and a half from my house and I've heard on a powder day you can get quite a few laps before trails get tracked out.

I'm interested in going on the Chicago ridge too, not sure about the cost though

I'm kind of curious as to how many people have ended up at the wrong ski area meeting their friends since "Copper" and "Cooper" are off of the same route and only about 30 miles apart

Tons of mistakes re:Copper vs. Cooper. We get calls for Copper often, and I can only assume they get the same. People have mistakenly put the wrong one in their GPS and ended up in the wrong spot. Lots of confusion can ensue if the error isn't picked up right away (like the the Chinese folks on the phone who kept insisting that they were at Ski Cooper, but couldn't find the place to get "the shoes" [i.e. ski boots], until our phone rep finally asked them exactly what they could see and they said "condominiums," or something like that. They were clearly at Copper, not Ski Cooper!).

But anyways... definitely make the trip. It's worth it. You won't find 40 degree lines with cliff drops in-bounds, but it's surely a ton of fun, and there is almost always untracked powder, even days after a storm. Let me know if you decide to come. I'll give you the "grand tour."

Chicago Ridge runs $299 per person per day, and includes high performance ski rental and a gourmet lunch in the backcountry yurt. 2,460 acres of powder waiting up there for you! http://skicooper.com/snowcat-skiing/

 

[powhunter]

Good to hear from you BMM!!

 

[wa-loaf]

I went cat skiing there in the early nineties. It was a great time, nothing too difficult, but I sure wish I had had something other than the K2 Extreme's I was sporting then.

 

[skiNEwhere]

We get calls for Copper often, and I can only assume they get the same. People have mistakenly put the wrong one in their GPS and ended up in the wrong spot.

That's pretty funny people end up at Cooper, considering that if you are coming from Denver you will pass directly by Copper.


What's your guys status?

We will be closed midweek again until December 14th (the originally scheduled opening day), after which we will be open 7 days a week.

But the site also says 0/35 trails and 0/5 lifts open

 

[BushMogulMaster]

That's pretty funny people end up at Cooper, considering that if you are coming from Denver you will pass directly by Copper.


What's your guys status?




But the site also says 0/35 trails and 0/5 lifts open

We're up and running 100%. The snow report was wrong because the Director of IT spends too much time in a snowcat... ;-)

Conditions are awesome. We haven't had early snow like this in years.

 

[snoseek]

We're up and running 100%. The snow report was wrong because the Director of IT spends too much time in a snowcat... ;-)

Conditions are awesome. We haven't had early snow like this in years.

Right now I'm wishing I never left Colorado for Tahoe. Two dry years and starting a third. I may have to evaluate things come spring.

 

[skiNEwhere]

I came here in January 2012. The 11-12 season was pretty bad. A Basin didn't even make it halfway through May.
12-13 Season much better, but still not that good according to locals who've been here a while.

This season (13-14) seems to be off to a good start. I don't know how the snow patterns are supposed to look on a normal year, but so far it seems like it's 8-12 inches then 7-10 days of absolutely nothing. Some areas (like Steamboat) are off to a much better start than the rest of the ski areas thus far.

But let me know if you come here. Always looking for a BC partner!