Copper Mountain (Colorado)

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Copper Mountain

View of Copper Mountain base area
Location White River National Forest
Summit County, Colorado, USA
Nearest city Frisco, Colorado
Coordinates 39°30′06″N 106°09′23″W / 39.50167°N 106.15639°W / 39.50167; -106.15639 (Copper Mountain)
Top elevation 12,313 feet (3,753 m)
Base elevation 9,712 feet (2,960 m)
Skiable area 2,465 acres (9.98 km2)
Runs 126 total
21% beginner
25% intermediate
36% advanced
18% expert
Lift system 22 total (5 high-speed chairs, 10 chairs, 6 surface, 1 tubing)
Snowfall 282 in/year (720 cm/year)
Web site coppercolorado.com
Copper Mountain and Breckenridge Ski Slopes, Colorado. Astronaut photo, October 24, 2008
Spaulding Ridge wildflowers, summer 2008.

Copper Mountain is a mountain located in Summit County, Colorado, about 75 miles (121 km) west of Denver on Interstate 70. Opened in late 1972, its most notable use is as a ski resort, owned and operated by Intrawest until Dec. 2009, when operations were sold to Powdr Corporation[1].

The ski area features beginner slopes on the western side of the mountain, intermediate slopes in the center, and expert terrain on the eastern side. Advanced "double black diamond" slopes are located on the two peaks above 12,000 feet (Copper and Union Peaks), including four expert-only bowls: Copper Bowl, Union Bowl, Spaulding Bowl, and Resolution Bowl. The resort offers free snowcat skiing to ticketed guests on it's extreme terrain, Tucker Mountain. Copper Mountain Ski Resort has 2,465 acres of in-bounds terrain under lease from the United States Forest Service, White River National Forest, Dillon Ranger District.

Copper Mountain hosted the World Cup tour in 1976 with four alpine ski races: slalom and giant slalom for both men and women. Copper Mountain became an Official US Ski Team downhill training venue as of the 2011/2012 season.

Contents

[edit] Nearby Attractions

Frisco, eight miles (13 km) east of Copper Mountain, is the closest town to the Village at Copper. Silverthorne is twelve miles (19 km) east the mountain. Copper Mountain is twenty miles (32 km) from Vail and five miles (8 km) east of Vail Pass. Leadville is twenty four miles (39 km) south west of Copper. Breckenridge Ski Resort is about three air miles directly east, but about 18 miles by road. Keystone Resort, and Arapahoe Basin also lie within Summit County, Colorado.

The Eagles Nest Wilderness Area is immediately north of Copper Mountain. Across Interstate 70, the Gore Range Trail and Wheeler Lakes Trail ascend across an aspen meadow and north through a gulch lined with spruce and fir. A few miles north, the North Tenmile Creek Trail and Meadow Creek Trail descend into Frisco from the Gore Range Trail.

Copper Mountain is the starting point of Colorado's Copper Triangle, a road cycling circuit that is the home of the Colorado Cyclist Copper Triangle Alpine Cycling Classic. This event benefits the Davis Phinney Foundation, an organization committed to improving the lives of those with Parkinson's Disease.

In February, 2009, Woodward Camp opened a ski and snowboard training facility dedicated to terrain park and pipe progression. The 20,000-square-foot (1,900 m2) indoor facility features a Snowflex big air jump to a 55' long foam pit as well as a Snowflex slope with rails and boxes that end in a quarterpipe. The facility also features fly bed trampolines, a tumble track, skate bowls, mini-ramps, and a spring floor all dedicated to terrain park and pipe progression.

[edit] Resort

The lodging, dining, and entertainment facilities at Copper Mountain are divided into three villages: East Village, The Village at Copper (AKA Center Village) and West Village (formerly "Union Creek").

The Village at Copper - AKA Center Village is the main village at Copper Mountain. The American Eagle and American Flyer high speed quads provide mountain access out to the west, central, and east sides. The American Flyer accesses the generally easier terrain.

East Village provides access to primarily expert terrain on the northeast face of Copper Mountain. The East Village has the Super Bee high speed six pack coming for its mountain access and a brand new restaurant, bar, cafeteria, and base area. photo The Super Bee life, or "B" lift, is a high-speed six-person lift to the summit of Copper Mountain. Alpine lift, or "A" lift, is a double chairlift servicing mogul runs on the northeast area of Copper Mountain. These lifts should only be used by intermediate or expert skiers and snowboarders.

West Village is home to the Kokomo easy lift, Union Creek Quad, Slingshot, Glide, and Rugrat lifts. This is predominantly the beginner or learning portion of the mountain. The main ski school is located on this side of the village and mountain. Above West Village, the American Flyer lift serves blue runs from Center Village. Timberline Express lift retrieves skiers and snowboarders from the intermediate terrain in the western meadows above Union Creek.

[edit] Notable Employees

Olympic medalist Putzi Frandl worked here as a ski instructor for many years beginning in 1984.[2]

[edit] Statistics

Early morning fog, top of the American Flyer lift, 2006

[edit] Elevation

  • Base: 9,712 ft (2,960 m)
  • Summit: 12,313 ft (3,753 m)

[edit] Trails

  • Acres: 2,465 acres (9.98 km2)
  • Vertical: 2,601 ft (793 m)
  • Trails: 126 total (21% beginner, 25% intermediate, 36% advanced, 18% expert)
  • Average annual snowfall: 280 in (710 cm)
  • Snowmaking 05/06 : 380 acres (1.5 km2)
View looking west from Copper Peak at Copper and Union Bowls
Resolution Bowl as seen from the top of Peak 8 at Breckenridge Ski Resort
View looking up Copper Bowl
Ski run in the Union Meadows area, looking west towards Vail Pass. I-70 can be seen down in the valley.

[edit] Lifts

  • 22 total
    • 1 high speed six pack
    • 5 high speed quad lifts
      • American Flyer
      • American Eagle
      • Timberline Express
      • Excelerator
      • Union Creek Quad (replacing the Highpoint double chair as of 2011/2012 season)
    • 5 triple chairlifts
      • Sierra
      • Resolution
      • Rendezvous
      • Kokomo
      • Lumberjack
    • 4 double chairlifts
      • Alpine
      • Blackjack
      • Mountain Chief
      • Pitchfork
    • 2 surface lifts
      • Storm King
      • Gem
    • 4 conveyor lifts
      • Easy Rider
      • The Glide
      • Rugrat
      • Slingshot
    • 1 tubing zone lift

[edit] References

  1. ^ [http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_13811097 Copper Mountain sold to Powdr Corporation
  2. ^ "My Famous Friend". http://justformyboys.blogspot.com. http://justformyboys.blogspot.com/2011/04/my-famous-friend.html. 

[edit] External links

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