Loveland Ski Area, CO, Report: Fresh Tracks All Day

Great turns all day at Loveland Ski Area. Photo Credit: SnowBrains

Report from Saturday, January 18

Loveland Ski Area is one of Colorado’s historic ski areas. It all started in 1936 when a portable rope tow was installed. The following season, in 1937, operations at the ski area began under the name Loveland Ski Tow Company. The ski area consisted of four rope tows until the 1956-57 season when the first chairlift was installed.

Today, Loveland Ski Area is one of the largest independent ski areas in the United States. It is along the continental divide and sits on top of I-70. The often-overlooked ski area is loved by locals for its intimate ski experience and by tourists for its affordable lift passes.

Nearly nonexistent lift lines at Loveland Ski Area. Photo Credit: SnowBrains

This Saturday, I had the pleasure of visiting the ski area with 4″ of fresh snow that fell overnight. By the time the lifts started spinning, it was -2 °F, with a wind chill plunging past -30 °F around mid-mountain. Most of us were too stoked to ski for the cold temperatures to bother us.

The little to no crowd at the mountain meant plenty of great pow laps. The snow was great, and I rode for the first two hours, exploring the mountain and finding the best pockets of snow before I needed to warm up at the Ptarmigan Roost, a mid-mountain cabin. The cabin was heated by a wood-burning stove that warmed my cold feet.

The snow rode much deeper than 4″ on east-facing aspects, so I stuck to a few zones that consistently delivered the goods. As I was lapping the Ptarmigan Lift, I noticed something odd in one of the trees, and for a few laps, I couldn’t quite tell what it was.

Can you spot the porcupine in the trees? Photo Credit: SnowBrains

The big porcupine blended with the pine needles, making it hard to spot. Porcupines are known to be spotted around the ski area, as some of the skiers on the lift mentioned they are seen all over.

After riding as much of the mountain as I could, I never ran out of fresh tracks. It had been nearly five years since I last rode this ski area, and I can’t believe I waited this long to return. As of October 2024, Loveland Ski Area is officially part of the Indy Pass, which offers two lift passes to over 230 independent ski areas.