Kirkwood, California — It’s not often that a ski resort’s most iconic (dare I say epic) terrain pod is one that’s permanently closed. But there’s only one Kirkwood.
The Cirque is a series of cliffs, chutes, and other gnarly terrain features that used to be open to the public. However, an avalanche likely led to its permanent closure to the public. In the latest video by YouTuber Aaronventures, he dives into the reasons why The Cirque is defined as a “permanently closed area” by Kirkwood.
The legend goes that the daughter of Dick Reuter, who was the first Mountain Manager of Kirkwood, was skiing The Cirque when she triggered an avalanche. After this situation, Reuter decided to close The Cirque for good. After some research by Aaronventures, this story was corroborated from a Storm Skiing Podcast interview with Ricky Newberry, the VP & GM of Krikwood Mountain Resort.
If you’re looking for more reasons why this terrain zone is closed, it’s too dangerous for the general public, as it’s definitely a no-fall zone. In 2011, skier Ryan Hawks was killed following a nasty crash in The Cirque. Add in the liability for Kirkwood, along with the amount of avalanche mitigation that would be needed to open this terrain, and it’s a no-brainer.
Some skiers and riders have been able to take on this terrain, though, as they do open this area for competitions. This has included the Freeride World Tour, which has hosted three events in The Cirque.
Also, you can’t blame Vail Resorts for this one! It was permanently closed before their tenure at Kirkwood began.
Image/Video Credits: Kirkwood Mountain Resort, Aaronventures
