Many folks think of Colorado’s Monarch Mountain as the least crowded ski area in the state. It’s tucked away along a remote section of the Continental Divide, further from major travel corridors than anywhere in Vail Nation, and it receives 350 inches of snow per year. Pretty dreamy. But like the nearby town of Salida, which was a lonesome railroad outpost when several of Monarch’s current employees started work, the mountain has been put on the map by expanded opportunities for prime recreation. Namely—cat skiing.
Monarch’s snowcat accesses around 1,000 acres of backcountry-style terrain beyond the resort’s Mirkwood area. The Powder7 crew scored a prime day for our trip to Monarch at the end of March. Storm skiing in the morning gave way to bluebird soul turns in the afternoon. Out here, chutes, tree runs, bowls, and faces drop you to a number of pickups. The vertical is typically short—runs range from about 400-1,400 feet in length. But with the schedule, routes, and road maintenance dialed, plus a high-powered and surprisingly nimble snowcat, cat skiing Monarch means possibly scoring your best-ever day of hot laps.
The Powder7 crew scored a prime day for our trip to Monarch at the end of March. Storm skiing in the morning gave way to sunny soul turns under bluebird skies in the afternoon. In our giddy group-joy, we did manage to stop and snap some highlights.
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Learn more about Monarch cat skiing, and start coaxing your friends to join.
Want to see more highlights from the Powder7 team’s mountain exploits? Watch the video from our company ski-treat to Wolf Creek.