Places

Our Ode to Loveland Ski Area

It’s a special thing. 

You’re staring down steep, powder-blanketed bumps between rock piles and tree alleys with no one around. A thousand feet below, the Chet’s Dream chair waits, only a 210-second ride bottom to top. Beyond that, truckers and Ikon and Epic passholders have turned Interstate 70 into a parking lot. By the time they escape the Eisenhower Tunnel, you’ll be 10 laps deep. It’s all part of Loveland Ski Area’s small-mountain (read “ski area”) appeal.

Don’t let the quaint vibes fool you, though. Perched on the Continental Divide, Loveland Basin covers a surprising swath of land. Five thousand acres of skiable mountainside, a free snowcat, a mix of trees, bumps, and wide-open alpine terrain. 

No crowds, check. Fun terrain, check. Good vibes, check. Each season, Powder7 staffers spend the majority of their time at Loveland, it’s easy to see why. 

A little bit of everything.

Chet’s Dream indeed.

Chair 1 (one of the first chairlifts in Colorado) was replaced in 2018 with a high speed quad, Chet’s Dream. Chet’s whisks you up nearly 1,000 vertical feet in less than three minutes. As you might imagine, this makes Chet’s the ideal hot laps zone. You can get loads of runs in a fraction of time that it would take on other lifts. Not to mention, there’s a little something for everyone. Rolling groomers for perfect carves, a sidehit loaded cat track, playful and mellow ungroomed runs, and top it off with steep bump runs right under lift line. Hollywood line, anyone?

Mikey skiing Chet's Dream at Loveland Ski Area
Perfect corduroy can be found for hours in the morning. | Skier: Mikey Lucas | Photo: Mitch Warnick

Continental Divide skiing.

Most ski areas offer access to high points and peaks, but not all have chair lifts that take you directly to the Continental Divide. Chair 9 brings you right up to the ridge and offers steep skiing and deep snow directly from the lift or a quick hike. The skiing off Chair 9 feels like miniature big mountain terrain, with features to pop off of and steep and deep skiing Loveland also runs the Ridge Cat along the terrain, offering easier (and free!) access to fun, alpine terrain. If you catch the ridge on a sunny day with powder, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to buy a lottery ticket.

Some of Colorado’s best beginner and intermediate terrain.

The Ridge, Chet’s, and zones around Lift 4 and Lift 8 all offer killer advanced and expert terrain. But Loveland Ski Area works double time with one of the best places for beginners and budding intermediates to learn. Loveland Valley is just down the road from the main ski hill, with designated beginner terrain and wide open mellow slopes. You can feel comfortable meandering around the whole area, without worry of accidentally winding up in some steeper terrain. Loveland usually hosts ski school down here, making for an awesome way to learn away from the crowds.

Ptarmigan Lift offers some of the best intermediate terrain around, with the always-good-snow South Chutes, a perfect mellow bump line under the lift line, and some fun groomed trails.

Justin skiing at Loveland Ski Area
South Chutes always holds good snow. | Skier: Justin Thibault | Photo: Mitch Warnick

And of course, the Rathskeller.

It’s safe to say the Powder7 staff would claim the Rathskeller as the best ski mountain bar in Colorado. It’s easy to talk yourself into taking a lap on Chair 9, even when the weather is less ideal, knowing you can ski straight to the Rathskeller. They offer everything you need to warm up: a fireplace, spicy beverages, hot mulled wine, and German bar food.

Maybe we’re biased—since we have our spicy margarita orders dialed there—but there are few places you can run into so many familiar faces all at once. Whether it’s coming in for a quick refreshment before power hour on Chet’s, or calling it a day and soaking up the sunshine on the picnic tables outside in the spring, you’re bound to see a friend or two enjoying the day. After all, so much of going skiing is an excuse to spend time with your people. Gathering around a few beverages and recapping the day together is some of the best parts of the day.

Comments

Similar Posts