There are plenty of ways to keep your 12-months-of-skiing/snowboarding streak alive. You could hop on a plane down to the southern hemisphere where the snow is deep and winter is going strong or you could head up to Mt. Hood in Oregon, where Timberline Lodge continues to offer lift-accessed skiing on the Palmer Snowfield.
If you’re a Colorado weekend warrior aiming to get on some snow, a day trip into the Rocky Mountains might be your only option. Fortunately there’s still many ways to get on your skis or snowboard throughout the summer, it just takes a little bit more work. So if you’re planning a weekend excursion, here are 5 things you should know about summer skiing in Colorado.
1. If you’re looking for a terrain park, head to Copper Mountain.
If summer turns about keeping your park skills fresh, Copper Mountain‘s summer hike park is still open thanks to some “snow farming”. The park is located in the Center Village right in front of Downhill Duke’s, and it’s open from 10am-5pm, Friday through Sunday as long as conditions will allow. Hike park day tickets are $25 and season passes can be purchased for $199.
2. There are plenty of places to find snow, but St. Mary’s Glacier is a great place to start.
There will be decent patches of snow available across Colorado throughout the entire summer if you’re willing to look, but St. Mary’s Glacier is a great place to start if this is your first summer skiing adventure.
It takes just about 1 hour to access the trailhead from Denver, and the hike to the top of the snow field is usually less than 2 miles. In the early summer the snow patch can stretch around half a mile, and even when it’s shortened there’s plenty of room for snow. Plus the lake below offers a great place to cool off after you get some skiing in. Parking does cost $20 at the closest lots and the trail can get crowded, so head out early if you want the best experience (I would recommend getting there around 7:30am).
3. Pack light and prepare your ski carry system.
Pack the necessities like a first aid kit, layers, extra food & water, layers, and any thing else you need to remain safe while hiking, but try to keep things as light as you can. This is not a normal hike, you’ll be carrying skis and boots (or snowboard) along with everything else. If you have lighter touring gear, you probably want to prioritize bringing that.
Practice mounting your gear on your backpack before you hit the road. Are you going to a-frame or diagonal carry your skis? Are you going to hike in your ski boots or put them on when you get to the top (I recommend putting them on when you get to the top, but it depends on your boots and how comfortable you are in them). If you’re going to carry your boots, how will you? It’s better to figure this all out at home than to fumble in the parking lot for 30 minutes.
4. Don’t expect good snow.
It’s the middle of summer, you can’t expect deep powder or well-groomed snow. Instead expect some serious suncups and scratchy surfaces mixed with rocks, dirt, and other debris. There’s a decent chance you’ll do some damage to the base of your skis and falling can have some seriously painful consequences, so bring gear you don’t mind scratching and wear longer clothing if you don’t want to scratch up your arms and legs.
If you’re more on the beginner side of skiing, it’s probably best if you avoid summer backcountry skiing. Summer runs are often steep and treacherous with potentially high consequences if you fall. Personally I would recommend only pursuing summer backcountry slopes if you’re comfortable skiing any and all in-bound terrain throughout the winter.
5. Start early and end early.
In the mountains of Colorado the weather can be unpredictable and it can change fast. At the end of the day, summer backcountry skiing is still hiking, so follow the same safety precautions plus some that you would while hiking your favorite 14er. Check the weather before you go but be prepared to change your plans if you start to notice cauliflower-like clouds or dark storm clouds in the distance.
Storms like to pop up in the afternoon. Sometimes they just bring mild snowfall, sometimes they bring dangerous thunderstorms, and there’s a good chance you won’t know until it’s overhead. So start your hike/ski early and get off the mountain early.