Loveland, Colorado Ski Area Guide -- Very Complete

Please note that this website is not affiliated with Loveland Ski Resort...we just happen to be its biggest fans. If you are looking for the official Loveland Ski Resort website, please click here.

But first, check out the following first-timers tips on working Loveland Basin...

lift 1 - Mostly steep bump runs...not a lot for average skiers. This lift is best known for long bump runs with a sustained steep pitch; these bump runs are purely for experts. Intermediates and advanced skiers will need to unload right and move skier's left where there are a couple of trails and one winding turnpike. It's nice and all, but really I generally only use this lift as a starting point to avoid using...

lift 2 - a long, long ride out of the base area. trails on the top are terrific, and terrain can be worked if they allow re-loading at mid station. re-loading depends on conditions I think. I've seen it both ways. If you want to use lift #2 to reach lift #9, you need to go to South Chutes.

lift 9 - services the open terrain on the Continental Divide. A must do. From the top you can look west and see Keystone, parts of Breck too. I usually go left off this chair and take the least bumped up route down. I've also taken the cat track (hang a right off the chair) when coverage is thin. No shame in that. Anyway, scout it out as you ride up, and you can generally find something that even a solid intermediate can handle. And almost any skier with experience can handle Rookie Road (the cat track).

lift 4 - some of the terrain off the summit of this lift is pretty cool. I don't care much for the big bowl under the lower liftline, I'm usually exhausted and it's usually all bumps. Here I use the Zip trail to get to...

lift 8 -- this is the really cool stuff, point your skis any downhill direction and go. The run right under the chair is great, Awesome is also great, just make sure you get speed for the long run out. this terrain feels like you're in the middle of nowhere, but fact is you're right above the base lodge. only problem is there's a highway and a very steep ravine between lift 8 and the lodge. A skier's tunnel solves the highway issue, but the trail down the ravine is usually nasty, bumps, ice, trees. So I suggest riding back up to work your way back.

lift 6 -- I've saved the best for last, so should you. This is the shortest lift at Loveland, generally easy terrain and virtually empty most of the time. They put a terrain park to draw more people to this section, but it's failed in that respect as far as I can tell. Runs through the woods like Blackjack are simply a cruising pleasure. So I save this lift for the last hour or so, then just yo-yo the lift, getting in some nice easy runs before the cruise back to the lodge.

Trail Map: An absolute must at Loveland. I don't even use the map at Vail as much as I do here at Loveland.

Loveland Valley - connector lift from the Basin no longer running, no point in taking the shuttle unless you plan to stay at Valley. The Valley terrain is very nice, worth a couple hrs if skiing with a group and you don't want to become separated.

Remember...tickets are reasonable, parking is free, condos are nonexistent. Loveland is probably the most underrated, under-appreciated ski area in the USA.

I-70 Eisenhower Tunnel • Loveland

Some more Colorado ski links...

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Best all-around Skiing Guide for Women...

Mom has a pretty raw deal on the average ski trip. They're expected to make sure every child is geared up and ready to go...settle the arguments, feed the family, prepare the snacks, pack the chapstick, and so on...and then ski the black diamonds with dad after the second lesson.

Sound familiar?

The book, Skiing: A Woman's Guide by Maggie Loring and Molly Mulhern Gross ought to be mandatory reading for every ski mom. It not only provides the basics for managing the gang, it also gives a step-by-step instructional guide from a woman's point-of-view. This link is to amazon.com, where you can usually pick up a used copy for about two bucks. Mom, it's the best two bucks you'll spend all winter.

Trail to Improvement

Probably the most helpful book I've seen to help you make the jump from strong blue to expert or hotshot level, is All-Mountain Skier: The Way to Expert Skiing, by R. Mark Elling. If you've tried to follow the recommendations in magazines and books, and had trouble mimicking the photos, this book somehow makes it all work, makes it understandable and easier to apply on the slopes. This link goes to amazon.com, where you can generally snag a used copy for about six bucks, or buy a nice squeaky clean one for about 20% less than retail.

-- Rick Bolger

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