Located on the East facing side of the Continental Divide and directly adjacent to Interstate 70, Loveland Pass is home to two small ski areas.  Loveland Basin and Loveland Valley are located about ½ mile apart and they are under the same management.   One lift ticket works on both mountains and there is a shuttle bus running between the two.  Both areas are on the small end of the spectrum when it comes to the range of sizes of Colorado’s ski areas.  Partially because of this, the areas have a lot of character and charm that cannot be found at the larger mountains, which are mostly run by large commercial ski corporations. 

The smaller size and character of the mountains also tends to attract a different crowd from the larger mountains.  This includes a majority of visitors from inside the state of Colorado and lots of locals that come to the area.  Both mountains also experience much smaller crowds than most other resorts.  The lack of crowds and more consistent snow conditions that vary directly with the number of users is a major contributing factor to a large influx of Coloradoans.

Loveland Basin ski area is located right on the East facing ridge of the Continental Divide at an elevation of over 13,000 feet at the highest points on The Ridge, which can be accessed by the one of the highest chairlifts in North America.  This is the more serious of the two ski areas on the pass.  It has a large amount of terrain that is wide open and above the tree line. They also have a section of the mountain, located on lookers left, with steep chutes and mogul runs.  In addition, the entire 1/3 of the mountain located on looker’s right is literally on top of the Eisenhower auto tunnel that goes through the mountain.  This part of the mountain is comprised of terrain that is medium in pitch, but it has a lot of unique features like rollers and wind lips.  This is also one of the only spots on the mountain where you can duck into the trees for some turns.  All of these parts of the mountain are less traveled than similar areas at other resorts.  This means that powder can be found two, three, and even four or more days after a storm.  Once the freshies have finally been skied off by the locals and hard core visiting skiers, it is time to access the great backcountry playground of Loveland Pass via the backcountry gates on the top, looker’s left of the ski area.  Skiers can travel all over the giant cirque and are free to ski whatever looks best to them at their own risk!  Avalanche knowledge, equipment, and prepared partners are highly recommended. 

Loveland Basin even has something to entertain all those park rats out there.  They do have a pretty decent terrain park that definitely improves every year.  It has about five tabletops as well as hip jumps at the top.  The rest of the park is comprised of a pretty nice playground of rails.  They have all kinds of fun boxes and some really creative rails that you won’t see other places.  This mountain has something for every type of skier, but it truly caters to the versatile expert.

Loveland Valley ski area is used primarily for instruction and racing.  The main slope’s function is to be Loveland’s ski racecourse for the duration of the year.  Teams practice and compete on this run of a couple thousand vertical feet.  The other groomers are used by beginner and intermediate skiers and also come in handy for instructors when teaching their lower level classes.  This area is much smaller but can provide some groomed runs that are easier and more manageable for beginners and tired people.
   
Loveland Basin and Valley combine to make a smaller ski area that really can provide skiers with everything as far as terrain goes, and all of this can be attained at a much lower price than lift tickets at most other mountains in the area.  This area even tends to have more character than its competitors.  For example, there is a great warming hut in the middle of the mountain with a fire going constantly.  This is just one of the many places to chat and makes friends with some local hard-core skiers and riders. 

Another great thing about this place is that it can double as a jumping off point onto a very nice backcountry ridgeline.  Loveland can bring with it some mean winds because of its location on the Continental Divide, so be prepare for this and you will have a fantastic day at one of the finest small independent ski areas left in the nation.  By: Tim Pollack

Jason Palat


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