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Copper Mountain (Colorado)

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Vertical
  
2,601 ft (793 m)

Base elevation
  
9,712 ft (2,960 m)

Owner
  
Powdr Corporation

Top elevation
  
12,313 ft (3,753 m)

Skiable area
  
2,465 acres (10.0 km)

Number of lifts
  
23

Copper Mountain (Colorado)

Location
  
White River National Forest Summit County, Colorado, U.S.

Nearest city
  
Frisco: 8 miles (13 km) Denver: 75 miles (120 km)

Similar
  
Breckenridge Ski Resort, Keystone Resort, Arapahoe Basin, Winter Park Resort, Rocky Mountains

Copper Mountain is a mountain and ski resort located in Summit County, Colorado, about 75 miles (120 km) west of Denver on Interstate 70. The resort has 2,465 acres (10.0 km2) of in-bounds terrain under lease from the U.S. Forest Service, White River National Forest, Dillon Ranger District. It is operated by Powdr Corporation.

Contents

Map of Copper Mountain, CO 80443, USA

History

The resort opened in November 1972 and was owned and operated by Intrawest until December 2009, when operations were sold to Powdr Corporation.

Copper Mountain hosted the World Cup tour in 1976 with four alpine ski races: slalom and giant slalom for both men and women. Copper was a late-season replacement for Heavenly Valley in California, which was low on snow. Rosi Mittermaier of West Germany won both women's races and wrapped up the 1976 overall and slalom titles, and Copper named "Rosi's Run" after her that same weekend.

The mountain is the starting point of the Colorado's Copper Triangle, a road cycling circuit that has been the home of the annual Colorado Cyclist Copper Triangle Alpine Cycling Classic since 2005. This event benefits the Davis Phinney Foundation, an organization committed to improving the lives of those with Parkinson's Disease.

In February, 2009, Woodward Camp opened a 20,000-square-foot (1,900 m2) indoor ski and snowboard training facility dedicated to terrain park and pipe progression.

The resort recently became an official U.S. Ski Team downhill training venue, beginning with the 2011–2012 season.

Location

The closest town is Frisco, 8 miles (13 km) east on the southwest shore of Dillon Reservoir, on an arm known as Frisco Bay. Nearby resorts within Summit County include Breckenridge, Keystone, and Arapahoe Basin, all just west of the Continental Divide.

The Eagles Nest Wilderness Area is immediately north of Copper Mountain. Across I-70 are the Gore Range Trail and Wheeler Lakes Trail. The North Tenmile Creek Trail and Meadow Creek Trail descend into Frisco from the Gore Range Trail.

Resort

The lodging, dining, and entertainment facilities at Copper Mountain are divided into three villages: East Village, The Village at Copper (AKA Center Village), and West Village (formerly Union Creek).

Olympic medalist Putzi Frandl worked at Copper Mountain as a ski instructor for many years beginning in 1984.

Elevation

  • Summit: 12,313 ft (3,753 m)
  • Base: 9,712 ft (2,960 m)
  • Vertical: 2,601 ft (793 m)
  • Slope Aspects

  • North: 55%
  • South: 5%
  • East: 25%
  • West: 15%
  • Trails

  • Trails: 140 total (21% beginner, 25% intermediate, 36% advanced, 18% expert)
  • Acres: 2,490 acres (10.1 km2)
  • Average annual snowfall: 310 in (790 cm)
  • Snowmaking 05/06 : 380 acres (1.5 km2)
  • Bowls: 3 (Resolution, Spaulding, Copper)
  • Peaks: 3 (Copper, Tucker, Union)
  • Snowcat: 1 (Tucker Mountain Snow Cat)
  • Lifts

  • 22 total
  • 1 high speed six pack
  • 5 high speed quad lifts
  • 5 triple chairlifts
  • 4 double chairlifts
  • 2 surface lifts
  • 4 conveyor lifts
  • 1 tubing zone lift
  • The ski scenes in the 1994 film Dumb and Dumber were filmed at Copper. The chairlift used was the E-Chair, which has since been replaced by the Excelerator High Speed Quad.

    References

    Copper Mountain (Colorado) Wikipedia