Loveland Ski Area, Georgetown, CO
(800) 736-3754 or (303) 571-5580
Internet: www.skiloveland.com
10 lifts; 1,365 acres; 2,410 vertical feet; 1 terrain park;
summit elevation 13,010 feet; base elevation 10,600 feet

Built in a basin at the foot of spectacular Loveland Pass, Loveland’s parking lot at 10,600 feet is higher than the tops of many ski areas. Like a man in his later years content with his lot in life, 70-year-old Loveland is happy with its niche in the ski market as a ski area, not a resort. You’ll find no condos, no fancy hotels, not even a hot tub here. But for 10 decades, day skiers coming up from Denver and Summit County know they’ll find everything they want from mid-October to early May — a nice variety of slopes (17 percent beginner, 42 percent intermediate, 41 percent advanced) spread across 1,365 acres, a couple of updated day lodges and abundant snow. In fact, if you find the snow conditions not up to par, you can return your ticket by 10 a.m. for a full refund. This doesn’t happen often, though, as Loveland gets an average of 400 inches a season, and at its high elevation, the snow stays friendly for a long, long time.

A lot about Loveland is easy to love — free parking, a short walk to the lifts, an intimate base area, a lack of traffic on the runs and zero lift lines on weekdays. One of the best parts is the easy drive from the city with no passes to cross.

The vantage point of Loveland from the east side of the Eisenhower tunnel is deceiving. You are looking at just the bottom tip of a vast horseshoe-shaped basin that sits right on top of the Continental Divide over the tunnel. Two separate areas — the Valley and the Basin — make up all of Loveland with a horizontal lift and a shuttle connecting the two. Beginners do well on the Valley’s gentle slopes, while the Basin has everything from mild to wild. This is a real stash, jammed with enough expert and advanced terrain to challenge the best and stuffed with intermediate runs and long cruisers, most of which you can’t see from I-70. Famous at the Basin is Chair 9 perched at 12,697 feet on top of the Divide. It’s the second highest lift in North America (it lost its “highest” designation when Breckenridge opened Imperial Lift at 12,840 feet in 2006). On a clear day, the ridge gives jaw-dropping 360-degree views of the Divide and beyond. From this access, take your pick of black and double-black chutes and bowls off the ridge on 400 acres of above-timberline terrain. Our fav is Patrol Bowl, a steep but smooth zone just to skier’s left of Chair 9. If you want an easier route, Rookie Road will get you down to where you can hook up to a number of blue runs off chair 4 that cruise to the base. Advanced skiers will like Chair 1 for bumps and chutes. Avalanche Bowl is a nasty short and sweet drop and Busy Gully demands tight turns right under the chair. Chairs 4 and 8 access the far right, a mix of wilderness-type bowls at the top, narrowing into tree bashing in the East and West Ropes and at Fail Safe.

On a powder day, there’s no better place to be than in Zip Basin off Chair 8. This above-timberline powder bowl on the right side of I-70 funnels into tree-lined runs that end at a little tunnel that goes under the highway and back to the base. Or, to avoid a steep face just before that tunnel, from Chair 8 take blue and green runs on skiers’ right that go over the I-70 tunnel. Less advanced ability levels will like Chairs 6 and 4. Beginners should stick to the Valley or Chairs 1 and 2 at the Basin. The resort and Airwalk created a terrain park together with rails and funboxes.

Here's a trail map.

Most people don’t know that Loveland boasts an award-winning retail and rental shop. For the past four years, SKI magazine has awarded the Loveland Sport Shop the Gold Medal Shop Award and tapped it as one of the top 60 ski shops in North America. So if you’re looking to demo, buy or rent, stop in and ask for manager Sue Booker. She likely will find what you need among her huge inventory of gear and clothing that you can check out ahead of your visit on skiloveland.com/shop/sportshops. The proximity of the shop to the hill makes it the perfect place to demo.

Child care (569-3203), a licensed facility, takes kids at 12 months. Kids must be able to walk. $55 per day with two snacks and lunch. Reservations are recommended. A variety of lesson programs and packages entice those wanting to improve snow-riding skills. Kids at level four or above can join the Polar Explorer program, a four-week series of instruction with the same coach each week. A popular event is the Vert Alert, a series of park competitions open to skiers and riders of any age or ability.

Lift tickets (2006/07 prices): Adults, $52; children (6–14), $24; seniors (60–69), $39; ages 5 and younger ski free. Lower rates early and late season. Skiers 70 and older can buy an unrestricted season pass for $49. The best deal is a four-pack ticket for $99 online that can be used all in one day or spread out over the season. It has no blackout dates and is fully transferable.

Distance from Denver: 56 miles west via I-70 (about 80 miles from Denver airport).

Lodging information: (800) 225-5683. Lodging can be found in Georgetown, Idaho Springs or Summit County, each within 15 minutes.