Sunlight, CO: 01/18/20

I'm back in Colorado for the next 11 days so this weekend a couple areas are on the docket that virtually no one mentions in the online ski world (other than Tony's helpful TRs in 2013). Even if I had an Epic or Ikon Pass, I'm not sure I'd want to be at any of those major ski areas over a busy holiday weekend.

Opened in 1966, it's an unpretentious, old-school ski area frequented exclusively by locals.


I hadn't seen any of these in a while!


From the map, it doesn't look like much compared to the monster ski areas to the east, but it covers 2,000 verts/680 skiable acres and has a surprising amount of variety, including a lot of tree skiing in the aspen groves, some steep chutes, and on the lower looker's left a good-sized sector of double-black terrain that's going to be served next year with the ski area's first new lift in decades: the East Ridge expansion. I'd bet a doughnut that it won't be a high-speed chair, which they don't really need.


The two main chairs are Riblets from the late 60s/early 70s. The lifties patiently remind every person or couple boarding the chair "watch out for the center pole."




Overnight, Sunlight picked up 4-6 inches. Here I am in my first pix on a ski-area's social-media feed. It only took 20 seasons of skiing for someone to notice me.




Sorry for my sometimes blurry pix; I had to zoom in for a few of them, and the high clouds never completely dissipated until around 2 pm. Still, a fun day.




I caught up to a posse of telegirlz on one run:






By early afternoon, most of the obvious new snow had been tracked up but there was plenty of soft chop that was fun to play in:


They use old snowboards for trail signs:




Heading into the aspens for additional untracked mid-afternoon:


I shared a chair with the only other skier on the hill on Kästle skis. Turns out that she'd lived a couple years in Lake Placid, was well acquainted with the good/bad/ugly of skiing in the northeast, and said that her preferred mountains were Whiteface and Jay Peak.


Despite the long drive from Denver, Sunlight is a fun off-the-beaten-path area only 15 minutes from I-70 and a great place to avoid the holiday hordes. So far this season, I'm three for three in Colorado for fresh snow.

I think the statement 'tracked out by early afternoon' can only be used on a holiday weekend at a tiny number of ski areas. Most are tracked out by 9am.

Probably no TRs for me for Sunlight since I haven't skied there since before I joined FTO. Lifts are just too slow for me. I swear they run slower than normal fixed grips.

Even though the parking lots were full, density was not an issue

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The day I was there was a Dec. 31, at least as good a stress test for crowds as MLK. James had a bit nicer weather than we did though.

There's no question Sunlight belongs on the list of "best uncrowded areas." I'm guessing it's a notch ahead of James' next stop in terms of both terrain quality and lack of crowds.

Thanks for sharing this, brings back happy memories of one of my favourite smaller places!

Indy Pass finally announces its first ski area in Colorado.

I was hoping to try Sunlight a week from Sat. as I have reservations for both Fri. and Sat. nights in Glenwood, but it looks like I am cancelling. Will update thread at https://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards/threads/heavenly-ca-and-nv-1-11-1-13-22.14471/ with details.

tseeb said:

I have reservations for both Fri. and Sat. nights in Glenwood, but it looks like I am cancelling.

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You're cancelling due to the lack of new snow? During my Sunlight/Powderhorn visit two years ago, I wanted to stay overnight in cute Glenwood Springs; however, it was too expensive over the holiday MLK weekend so I ended up at a budget hotel in Rifle.

Edit: just read about Tseeb's wife being injured, which is why he's not going to Glenwood -- sorry to hear.

I'm planning a couple days at Sunlight in late March on Spring Break as it's on the Freedom Pass part of my Greek Peak Season Pass. I might even get up to 8 or 9 days on my Greek Peak pass by the time the season is over (only one or two at Greek Peak itself).

EMSC said:

part of my Greek Peak Season Pass

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I forgot that you bought one. Is that because you expected to be going back a lot this winter?

Congrats on the fame! Looks like a fun little area, however I also couldn't handle the painfully slow lifts.

snowave said:

I also couldn't handle the painfully slow lifts.

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We were at Silver Mountain together -- where all of the lifts servicing the skiable terrain are old and slow too -- and I don't recall you complaining.

Slow doesn't necessarily mean inefficient. If lifts ascend relatively steep terrain at a length to vertical ratio of not much more than 3-1, skiing can be quite efficient even if lifts are not high speed. Thus I've hit 30K a couple of times skiing mostly Baldy's Thunder Mt. and once also at Castle Mt. And recall ChrisC's trip through the interior Northwest last March, averaging over 30K per day even though only one of the 8 areas he skied had any high speed lifts.

I recall that the most inefficient place I skied was probably Snowmass in 1980. Nearly all of those lifts all have ratios over 5-1, several rides were close to 20 minutes and I was often chilled by the time I exited a lift. That type of place is where high speed lifts are needed most. The Canyons, with its long runouts, would not have been a viable ski area without high speed lifts IMHO.

Sunlight and Silver are both mainstream in this regard, probably with key lifts in the 4-1 range.

jamesdeluxe said:

I forgot that you bought one. Is that because you expected to be going back a lot this winter?

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I didn't actually buy it. My father bought it for me in an attempt to lure me back this winter which didn't make sense. He wasn't thinking all that clearly of course during his final months. In fact he was adamant that he was going to go spend this winter in Florida since he was miserable and freezing cold all the time last winter in CNY.

Thus far I have used it to get one summer time lift ride when MTB was in operation at Greek. Just to say I did, really.

Tony Crocker said:

Sunlight and Silver are both mainstream in this regard, probably with key lifts in the 4-1 range.

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I find Sunlight iffy in this regard. The lifts are mostly logically placed, but not sure I'd call them very efficient.

I only had one day at Sunlight. The base area and thus the lower portion of the lift rides are fairly flat. We are all spoiled by the proliferation of high speed lifts. Any old lift that is not relatively steep is going to seem slow these days.

jamesdeluxe said:

We were at Silver Mountain together -- where all of the lifts servicing the skiable terrain are old and slow too -- and I don't recall you complaining.

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Probably cuz I had someone to talk to (and not bitch about it in my head like I usually do when I'm alone). Also, the weather was beautiful, too.

Sometimes, I don't mind slow lifts when I'm just chillin' and it's a nice day, or as mentioned, I have someone to talk to. Also, I'm generally ok with the more modern slow chairs, like the triples, etc. It's those center bar doubles/riblets that I struggle with most because it's hard to relax on those things, partly due to being on a board.. partly do to the fear of falling off, and partly do to the idea of the 80 yr old chairlift finally breaking down.

I'll admit, I enjoy the nostalgia/history of those older chairs though.

I'll admit, I'm spoiled by the HSQ's.