Let me start by saying that this is not an article about whether or not there are quality ski resorts in Colorado. Because there are certainly some very good ski resorts in Colorado. The question I’m looking at is whether Colorado ski resorts get more press or publicity than they deserve. I’ll also look at this question based on what these resorts offer ski wise rather than how nice the hotels and restaurants are.
Colorado has more ski days than any other state in the nation. Why does Colorado receive so many skiers? Let’s look at some factors.
Population
Colorado has a much larger population than other great ski states like Wyoming, Montana, and Vermont. But if population were the reason for Colorado’s large ski crowds, then California would surely hold the title for most ski days for a single state.
Snowfall
Most Colorado ski areas get between 300 and 350 inches of snow per season. This is a respectable amount, but certainly not enough to make it the gunpowder heaven that various marketing materials would have you believe. 300″ per year is what the best ski resorts on the East Coast get, and there’s a reason people don’t own fat skis on the East Coast. When you start looking at some of the other top ski destinations, you start Let’s see where the Utah, which can actually back it up when they claim to have ‘The Greatest Snow on Earth’, is home to Alta, which receives over 500″ of snow a year. The west coast also surpasses Colorado in annual snowfall. Washington, not generally considered a major state for skiing, claimed the most snowfall in a single season when Mt Baker got over 1000″ of snow in the 98-99 season.
Land
Beginner grounds, groomers, and terrain parks can be found anywhere there is enough snow. So let’s move on to an assessment of the cliffs and slopes that distinguish truly elite ski resorts. Colorado has some resorts known for their great terrain, like Crested Butte and Aspen, but the more popular resorts in the Summit County area don’t have the same caliber of terrain. And when you compare Summit County resorts to ski resorts like Squaw Valley, Jackson Hole, and Snowbird, which are consistently ranked as the best resorts by terrain, there isn’t much to compare.
Clearly this is a subjective analysis. So what do you think? Is Colorado overrated or do you think all the people who ski there can’t be wrong?