One of the oldest ski areas in Colorado is aiming to expand. On Friday, Monarch Mountain announced that the US Forest Service is now seeking public comments on the proposed No Name Expansion Project.
If approved, the expansion will grow Monarch’s special use permit from 769 acres to 1,146 acres. The proposed terrain, which is currently used for Monarch’s cat-skiing operations, is a mix of intermediate of advanced trails and glades. Sixty-two acres of trees would be cleared for the trails, while seventy-five acres would be thinned out for the proposed glade areas.
This terrain pod would be serviced by a 2,700-foot-long fixed-grip chairlift. This could potentially be a quad. Near the base terminal of the new chairlift would be a warming hut and restrooms. In addition, an 8,600-foot-long permanent access road would be sculpted to access the new lift’s base terminal. With this project being reviewed by the Forest Service, a construction timeline has yet to be announced.
A lot of changes have been afoot at Monarch lately. Improvements that have been done this offseason include tree thinning in Mirkwood Ridge, replacing the haul rope for the Garfield chairlift, purchasing a new shuttle for their fleet, adding a new vault toilet in the Paradise parking lot, and repainting & remodeling their facilities.
In terms of summer activities, they purchased The Crest last year. This scenic gondola, which is located two miles away from the ski area, with “360-degree views of five of the mountain ranges in the Rocky Mountains.” The Crest also has a visitor center, which features a gift shop, museum space, and various food outlets.
If you have some thoughts about the proposed expansion project, you can submit your comments here.
Image Credits: Monarch Mountain
