Is it possible to take the shuttle up and ski down?
Which trails are suitable, if any. Where would i get more info on this?
Which trails are suitable, if any. Where would i get more info on this?
-
For more information on how to avoid pop-up ads and still support SkiTalk click HERE.
Ski Rocky Mountain National Park?
Buses already stopped running if schedule at https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/shuttle_bus_route.htm is accurate. Will resume Memorial Day weekend.
RMNP is all backcountry at this point. Strictly human powered. There is a lot of great skiing there -- from mellow areas like Flattop / Banana bowls, and Hidden Valley, to a bunch of gnarly spring-only descents.
Skiing anywhere in RMNP will require touring gear, avalanche gear, and knowledge of how to use it all. There are a number of guiding companies that guide in the area.
Skiing anywhere in RMNP will require touring gear, avalanche gear, and knowledge of how to use it all. There are a number of guiding companies that guide in the area.
- Joined
- Jul 3, 2016
- Posts
- 1,900
Both Open Snow and The Powder Project have info on skiing in RMNP. Just do a search on RMNP or Estes Park when on either site. Just to echo what @jmeb brought up, not being familiar with the area you might want to check out one of the back country groups or guide services. From a personal perspective, Colorado Mountain School works for me. They have some good classes and will get you familiar with the area.
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2015
- Posts
- 518
I've bc skied Flattop and Hidden Valley. Hidden Valley is the most straightforward, you park at a giant area with a big warming hut and sledding hill and take the big trail up as far as you want to go. You can see the old ski trails and ski down them or head all the way up across Trail Ridge Road to the area thats above treeline. BC skiing, so you will need your avy gear and knowledge of how to use it. Flattop approach is a bit more difficult and requires navigation through the trees to follow the trail up, where you eventually get to Banana Bowl. The CMS usually runs their avy 1 courses either at Hidden Valley or up around the Flattop/Bear Lake area of RMNP so taking Avy 1 with them will give you a general knowledge of some of those areas.
Thread Starter
TS
Got it. Thanks for the heads up. I was there Sunday and the shuttle was running, so I thought about this. But I guess that was the last day it ran for the year.
"far" LOL. Dunno about you, but I grew up in Virginia!
You were probably less than 2 hours from lift served skiing! I am in Virginia anyway. At least, what we call skiing.
Grew up in Ohio, where I was technically closer to lift served than FoCo is. I guess Loveland is ~2hrs on a good day. But it is far relative to its backcountry skiing access.
Uh, yeah. Wisp != Breck. Or even Eldora. But you ski what you can get ... but yeah, backcountry was thin on the ground ;-)
Thread Starter
TS
Yep, I was thinking the same thing. I just moved to FOCO from Florida. Now I'm CLOSE to skiing.
Me too.
Five hour drive to a few hundred feet of vertical (uphill both ways) and loved every minute of it.
Don’t let living in Colorado spoil you.