Loveland Ski Area is hoping to add a guided catskiing experience to their ski offerings for the upcoming season. The terrain would include the areas known as Dry Gulch and Mt Trelease.
Related:Â Loveland Is Giving Away A Season Pass To Whoever Comes Up With The Best Name For Their New Lift
The Loveland Ski Area masterplan indicated that terrain will be added periodically in what they refer to as a “phased approach.” All the terrain being considered amounts to roughly 1,200 acres. Each area would be opened based on snowcover and managed on a “season-to-season” basis, permits pending.
“Five distinct areas are planned be brought operationally on-line in the following order: the Western Slope of Mt. Trelease; Mt. Trelease; and then the three areas in Dry Gulch from East to West.”
Ski area officials hope they can open all the areas in question at the same time. Right now, they’re hoping to start with the northern end of the resort beyond the Lift 8 backcountry gate in Dry Gulch before adding other permitted terrain.
Loveland Proposal
Loveland Ski Area is requesting permission to introduce guided snowcat (over-the-snow only tracked vehicle) tours into the upper reaches of the Dry Gulch area. Tours would begin at the Lift 8 backcountry access point and head north over a saddle west of the ridge line of Mt. Trelease. Once over the saddle, the snowcat would travel along the natural drainage within Loveland’s Special Use Permit (SUP) boundary. Loveland Ski Area is looking to extend this guided snowcat experience into 210 acres that is adjacent to the northern edge, but outside of the SUP boundary through an Outfitter-Guide permit. The operation would establish three seasonal snowcat snow routes to allow the snowcat to access pick up and drop off points for customers participating in the guided tours. The ski area estimates five to seven runs per trip, with total runs of 160-224 per day. Only one snowcat would be used for these trips. Avalanche mitigation would be achieved by hand tossed charges below the mountain ridgeline.
Find the entire USFS release here:Â Public Scoping for Guided Snowcat Tours at Loveland Ski Area
