Copper Mountain (Colorado): Difference between revisions

Copper Mountain
Copper Mountain
	View of Copper Mountain base area
Location	Summit County, Colorado, USA
Nearest major city	Frisco, Colorado
Top elevation	Template:Ft to m
Base elevation	Template:Ft to m
Skiable area	2,433 acres (9.85 km2)
Trails	125 total ; 21% beginner ; 25% intermediate ; 36% advanced ; 18% expert
Lift system	22 total (5 high-speed chairs, 10 chairs, 6 surface, 1 tubing)
Snowfall	280 in (7.1 m)
Website	http://www.coppercolorado.com

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Copper Mountain is a mountain located in Summit County, Colorado, about 75 miles (121 kilometres) 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 transferred to Powdr Corporation ^[1]. It provides golf and mountain biking activities during the warmer months, and is well-known for its wide variety of naturally separated terrain.

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. Copper Mountain Ski Resort is the largest resort in Summit County when measured by area.

Character of the Slopes

Like other nearby resorts, Arapahoe Basin and Ski Cooper, Copper Mountain is considered by many a local's mountain; although they have a ski school and beginner's terrain, Copper tends to be frequented by Coloradans rather than out-of-state tourists. ^{[citation needed]} Unlike resorts like Vail or Winter Park, Copper tends to have fewer lines and shorter wait times, even at the height of tourist ski season (exceptions to this rule are limited to the two quad lifts servicing Center Village, American Eagle and American Flyer, which often experience long lift lines due both to the centrality of their locations and the terrain accessible by them: a combination of green and blue runs, Copper's Superpipe, and its premier terrain park, Catalyst. Although virtually every lift at Copper can be directly skied to from the top of either the American Eagle or the American Flyer, many tourists unfamiliar with the resort tend to funnel into Center Village). ^{[citation needed]} Copper's expert bowls are comparable in difficulty to the infamous bowls at Vail, as well as the lesser-known Independence Bowl at Keystone, Imperial Bowl at Breckenridge Ski Resort, and Vasquez Cirque at Winter Park/Mary Jane.

Copper Mountain hosted the World Cup tour in 1976 with four alpine ski races: slalom and giant slalom for both men and women.

Nearby Attractions

Frisco, about five minutes from Copper Mountain, is the closest town to the resort proper. Silverthorne, including an array of outlet stores, is a 12 minute drive from the mountain. There are some restaurants in Silverthorne, and it can be much cheaper to lodge there than it is to stay in Copper itself. Copper is about 25 minutes from Vail, and is also very close to Breckenridge, Beaver Creek, Keystone, and Leadville, Colorado. Copper itself is about an hour and half outside of Denver.

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.

On February 2009 Woodward Camp at Copper opened its doors to the Barn as the first year round ski and snowboard training facility dedicated to terrain park and pipe progression. The 20,000 square foot 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.

Resort

Pravda is one of the bars in the villages.

In recent years, after purchasing the Resort and base area interests, Intrawest Corporation has vastly improved the three villages at Copper Mountain. Currently they are constructing or have recently completed dozens of new hotels, condominiums, restaurants, shops, and bars. These new amenities are designed to help facilitate the use of the new found lift system on the mountain, the world class golf courses, tennis clubs, gold medal fishing streams, and other amenities available.

The base area is ever expanding, but at the time of writing, the lodging, dining, and entertainment facilities at Copper Mountain are divided into three villages: East Village, The Village at Copper (AKA Center Village) and Union Creek.

The Village at Copper - AKA Center Village is the main village at Copper Mountain, located in the center of town, the mountain, and near most amenities this is where most folks go. Historically this is where the closest parking lots, now hotels, and the base of the only high speed quads were. That has all changed these days. The American Eagle and American Flyer high speed quads provide mountain access out to the west, central, and lower east sides. The new touches to this portion of the mountain village include a new pavilion; complete with public address system, outdoor disco lights, and warming fire pits for on the spot concerts. New restaurants, hotels, and upgrades to existing structures.

East Village at Copper Mountain - AKA Super BEE Base is the more challenging side of the ski resort front side. 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 Located a few hundred yards/meters to the west is the Alpine lift, a double chairlift servicing more mogul runs. This side of the resort is also home to one of the golf courses, and many of the condominiums and private cabins in the valley. Alpine Lift & Super BEE are located in East Village.

Union Creek at Copper Mountain - AKA West Village is home to the Kokomo, High Point, Slingshot, Glide, and Rugrat lifts. This is predominantly the beginner or learning portion of the mountain. All of the terrain off of the lifts based in the west village serve green beginner terrain. The ski school, teaching, and many of the tourist amenities are therefore also located on this side of the village and mountain. Above Union Creek is one of two areas with blue runs, with the other being the area off of the American Eagle lift. This area, reached from Center Village by American Flyer, is serviced by a Dopplemayr high speed quad known as the Timberline Express lift.

Statistics

Elevation

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

Trails

Acres: 2,433 acres (9.85 km²)
Vertical: 2,601 ft (793 m)
Trails: 125 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 of Copper Mountain's back side from Peak 8 of the Tenmile Range and Breckenridge Ski Resort

Lifts

22 total
- 1 high speed six pack
  - Super Bee - photo
- 4 high speed quad lifts
  - American Flyer
  - American Eagle
  - Timberline Express
  - Excelerator
- 5 triple chairlifts
  - Sierra
  - Resolution
  - Rendezvous
  - Kokomo
  - Lumberjack
- 5 double chairlifts
  - Alpine
  - Blackjack
  - Highpoint
  - Mountain Chief
  - Pitchfork
- 2 surface lifts
  - Storm King
  - Gem
- 4 conveyor lifts
  - Easy Rider
  - The Glide
  - Rugrat
  - Slingshot
- 1 tubing zone lift

References

^ [http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_13811097 Copper Mountain sold to Powdr Corporation

External links

[1] [http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_13811097 Copper Mountain sold to Powdr Corporation

[1]

@@ Line 27: / Line 27: @@
 [[File:Breck & CuMtn.jpg|thumb|400px|'''Copper Mountain''' and Breckenridge Ski Slopes, Colorado. Astronaut photo, October 24, 2008]]
-'''Copper Mountain''' is a [[mountain]] located in [[Summit County, Colorado|Summit County]], [[Colorado]], about {{convert|75|mi|km|abbr=off|lk=off}} west of [[Denver, Colorado|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 transferred to [[Powdr Corporation]] <ref>[http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_13811097 Copper Mountain sold to [[Powdr Corporation]]</ref>. Although it provides [[golf]] and [[mountain biking]] activities during the warmer months. It is well-known for its wide variety of naturally separated terrain.
+'''Copper Mountain''' is a [[mountain]] located in [[Summit County, Colorado|Summit County]], [[Colorado]], about {{convert|75|mi|km|abbr=off|lk=off}} west of [[Denver, Colorado|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 transferred to [[Powdr Corporation]] <ref>[http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_13811097 Copper Mountain sold to [[Powdr Corporation]]</ref>. It provides [[golf]] and [[mountain biking]] activities during the warmer months, and is well-known for its wide variety of naturally separated terrain.
 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. Copper Mountain Ski Resort is the largest resort in [[Summit County, Colorado|Summit County]] when measured by area.