Unfortunately, Ski Cooper in Leadville no longer offers snowcat skiing on Chicago Ridge. Please check out other Colorado snowcat and heli-skiing for your backcountry adventures.
If you’ve ever wanted to explore 2600 snowy acres of sublime terrain in the San Isabel and White River National Forests, Chicago Ridge Snowcat Tours had you covered. Based at Ski Cooper, the open powder bowls Chicago Ridge offered were similar to Vail’s Black Bowls in terms of length, pitch, and vertical.
With elevations accessed as high as 12,850 feet, Chicago Ridge gave expert riders challenging conditions in an unbelievably gorgeous mountain setting. You could expect to go on 8-12 runs through the course of a day, as well as a tasty hot lunch served up in a whimsical backcountry yurt.
Ski Cooper sits about 110 miles away from Denver and is just a few hours from Summit and Eagle County. The place provides a fantastic and undistracted view of other mountains such as Mt. Massive and Mt. Elbert. You will be passing through other resorts on your way to Cooper, so consider covering the extra mile.
Don’t worry as this comes with a prize – you will surely escape the sea of crowds, long lines, and jaw-dropping price tags. The mountain boasts of its 39 trails served by 4 lifts that extend across 400 lift-served acres. Cooper prides itself as one of the oldest ski resorts in the US and the resort that has the softest snow around.
Backcountry Snowcat Skiing in Leadville
Their snowcat ski tour used Bombardier snowcats that held a maximum of 12 persons. A typical day started with the guests having a hearty breakfast.
Guests were then requested to be at the base lodge by 8:15 am to meet the target departure of 8:45 am. Hot lunch was provided in their backcountry yurt. Runs were between 8 to 12 times a day on average, and the return to the base lodge was around 4 pm.
To ensure the best probable experience for all of the guests, every snowcat tour was accompanied by expert guides, all trained and certified to maintain people’s safety throughout the tour. Snow conditions were continuously monitored before the actual tour, and everything was communicated to the guests.
Overall, Ski Cooper gives you a breath of fresh air. It’s the kind of resort you’d want to spend every winter on. It offers simple, affordable, and most of all, great cross-country skiing for you and your family.
Details
Address: 232 County Rd 29, Leadville, CO 80461
Phone: 800-707-6114
Season: Snowcat skiing closed indefinitely; Ski Cooper’s ski area is still open each winter