Powderhorn, CO: 01/19/20

[jamesdeluxe]

After yesterday at Sunlight, I drove an hour west to Grand Junction's hometown hill, Powderhorn:

For those who haven't been to that part of Colorado, as you head west on I-70 from Glenwood Springs, the landscape quickly transforms into a high desert similar to southern Utah or New Mexico. Here are shots from the last 20 minutes of the drive to Powderhorn:

I don't have much to add to what Tony covered in his 2013 TR other than to say that I had a great day. While Powderhorn's vertical drop of 1,650 feet isn't overwhelming on paper, it seemed to ski larger than that although the reported 1,600 acres felt a bit on the high side. In addition to all the rolling blue squares, there was more challenging terrain than I'd expected, especially if you like trees.

Two lifts serve the entire ski area; the one on the looker's left is a HSQ that was installed three years ago; the one on the right is a really slow double. People were happy to have the new lift as previously you were looking at 15-minute rides on both sides of the mountain:

The most unique part of the Powderhorn experience is that it's literally where the desert meets the mountain, on the edge of what's reportedly the world's largest flat-topped mountain, the Grand Mesa. Visually, it reminded me a lot of skiing at Pajarito near Los Alamos, New Mexico. My pix don't convey the breathtaking vista but here's what I have:

It was a busy day there -- full parking lots and locals said it was at 100% capacity; however, as a single I skied onto virtually every chair and I'd often have to wait several minutes for someone to ski by me on trails to use as a photo subject. Powderhorn didn't get quite as much snow as what I skied the previous day at Sunlight; however, conditions were good on-piste with only a few scratchy spots in high-traffic areas. Offpiste it was quite nice:

Aspen groves all over the mountain:

A dumping ground for boulders becomes a quasi terrain park -- reminded me of Corvatsch at St. Moritz:

I ended the day with a Shock Top and watched the end of the Chiefs/Titans game:

 

[EMSC]

That's pretty much what I figured was stop #2. Spectacular scenery over there for sure.

While I've never skied Powderhorn, I've definitely been in the area at other times of year:

 

[Tony Crocker]

It was a busy day there -- full parking lots and locals said it was at 100% capacity

Powderhorn is the local hill for Grand Junction, sort of like Bridger Bowl for Bozeman and Montana Snowbowl for Missoula, similar sized towns. That means they can be busy on weekends.

Sunlight by contrast is a dead zone. The local population base is tiny and 99% of those passing through are on their way to/from Aspen. Plus for a big ski complex, Aspen has minimal crowd issues itself.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

Sunlight by contrast is a dead zone. The local population base is tiny and 99% of those passing through are on their way to/from Aspen.

The day I was at Sunlight; they were likewise at 100% capacity in the parking lot and at the base lodge; however, on the hill it was very quiet.

 

[Sbooker]

Nice reports. These lesser know ski areas look to be a great experience.
I assume these areas are most reliable for decent conditions mid season? For us that have to work around holiday times like Christmas and Easter they're not a reliable enough?

 

[Tony Crocker]

Liz and I skied them on Dec. 30-31, 2013. But we made our decision on Dec. 22 to hit the road for Colorado based upon snow that had fallen by then. Sunlight gets a little bit less snow than Aspen and I'd guess Powderhorn less than Sunlight. And yes since both areas top out around 10,000 they are not going to be as good in spring as the numerous Colorado areas that go well over 11,000.

James has so far optimized his Colorado weekends. In December he hit the bullseye of a big dump at Monarch when most of the Front Range was still low tide. And this past weekend was the MLK holiday, so best to avoid the high profile places.

James has been a bit of a road warrior for these trips but it will get easier in spring when Loveland and A-Basin at 12,000+ are in their prime. He can daytrip those from Denver.

The day I was at Sunlight; they were likewise at 100% capacity in the parking lot and at the base lodge; however, on the hill it was very quiet.

I don't remember the precise details. Skier density was definitely lower at Sunlight, but it was a cloudy day with some fog and snow flurries while it was sunny at Powderhorn. So no surprise the small lodge at Sunlight was packed. I have a vague impression Powderhorn's parking lot was bigger than Sunlight's. I'm sure James knows whether that's correct or not.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

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

I was pleasantly surprised by Powderhorn's terrain and wouldn't rank it behind Sunlight. In any event, they've both been added to my list of preferred western locals/off-the-beaten-path areas, along with Snow King, 49 Degrees North, Santa Fe, Pajarito, Sundance, Loveland, Norquay, and Monarch. I obviously still have many more such places to ski in coming years.

 

[Tony Crocker]

I have slightly higher standards for terrain quantity/quality, lack of crowds and/or abundant snow than James.

My list: Castle Mt., Apex, Red Mt., Silver Mt., Brundage, Lost Trail, Discovery, Grand Targhee, Powder Mt., Sunlight, Wolf Creek. Solitude has been removed from this list due to the impact of the Ikon Pass. For many of the others I have seen annual skier visit numbers that validate the impression of very low skier density. Sundance was on the list until I found out how low the skier visits were for Silver and Targhee, which are larger areas with far more snow. I can see putting Sundance back on to replace Solitude.

I was told by a Colorado local when this topic was under discussion on the Epic Forum that Monarch can be busy but that Sunlight is almost never busy. Wolf Creek is an odd case. It's a zoo during Christmas and Texas spring break but very quiet the rest of the season.

Santa Fe and Loveland fall into a similar category as Bridger/Montana Snowbowl and Powderhorn as being local weekend spots for a moderate sized population base. In the case of the two Montana areas there is not enough lift capacity to handle the weekends without noticeable lift lines. Santa Fe was definitely hopping that Saturday we were there last March.

 

[MarzNC]

<BUMP>
Powderhorn expects to replace the West End double with a detachable for the 2026-27 season.

September 2025

Powderhorn Announces West End Replacement

Powderhorn, Colorado will welcome a new lift for its 60th season, expanding detachable access to 100 percent of terrain in 2026. The new Wild West Express will replace the venerable West End double…

liftblog.com

"Powderhorn, Colorado will welcome a new lift for its 60th season, expanding detachable access to 100 percent of terrain in 2026. The new Wild West Express will replace the venerable West End double, which has served the western half of the resort since 1972. The new lift will cut ride time by more than half from 13-plus minutes to about six. . . ."

PGRI gained majority ownership for Powderhorn earlier this year. PGRI bought Jay Peak in 2022. After operating Wisp in MD and Wintergreen in VA for a while, PGRI became the owner of both resorts in 2021.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

I have slightly higher standards for terrain quantity/quality, lack of crowds and/or abundant snow than James.

5.5 years later, you still have to admire the pomposity of that comment.

 

[Tony Crocker]

I doubt James would dispute any of the areas I listed. Most of them he has not skied and since I will be in the neighborhood of some of them in 2026, he is welcome to join me. Not explicitly mentioned on either list was reasonable cost, and while Powder Mt. met that criterion in 2020 it does not now. I had not skied 49 Degrees North until 2021 and would definitely pick that now to replace Solitude.

I stand by the statement but perhaps the adjective "stringent" would have been a better choice than "higher."

 

[jamesdeluxe]

I have slightly higher standards for terrain quantity/quality, lack of crowds and/or abundant snow than James.

perhaps the adjective "stringent" would have been a better choice than "higher."

Fine. Not sure why it's necessary to be competitive at our respective stations in life. In any case, I believe that my stringent standard for "lack of crowds" is well documented.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

Powderhorn expects to replace the West End double with a detachable for the 2026-27 season.

Good news. I was impressed that a 53-year-old lift was able to pass inspection; however, this article explains "With proper maintenance and timely component replacement, fixed-grip chairlifts can last for decades, often up to 70 years. Their simple design gives them a longer lifespan than more mechanically complex detachable chairlifts, which typically need replacement after 30 to 40 years."

The new lift will cut ride time by more than half from 13-plus minutes to about six.

I remember that ride felt longer than 13 minutes. Luckily, you could enjoy the view of the Grand Mesa.

 

[MarzNC]

I remember that ride felt longer than 13 minutes. Luckily, you could enjoy the view of the Grand Mesa.

With an old lift, quite possible that for it to not be run at max speed. So a lift with an expected ride time of 12 minutes could often be more on the order of 15 minutes. Or 20 minutes when an old lift serves green, blue, and black trails. There used to me more than one old double in the southeast (NC, VA, WV) that took at least 15 minutes . . . for a run that was at most 3 minutes for an intermediate because the total vert was 1000 ft or less. With relatively high humidity, if temps were in the low 20s, it was a long, cold ride.

 

[MarzNC]

Interesting . . . Powderhorn froze prices for 2024-25. I'm used to the Mission Affordable 4-pack because PGRI also owns Wisp in MD and Wintergreen in VA. 2025-26 lift ticket prices aren't posted yet for Powderhorn.

2024-25 Price Freeze - Powderhorn Mountain Resort

Ski and snowboard or bike the Mesa in Colorado at Powderhorn Mountain Resort

www.powderhorn.com

Powderhorn Mountain Resort Announces Price Freeze and Reductions Through its Mission Affordability Plan in 2024-25​

MESA, COLORADO – Powderhorn Mountain Resort announced a comprehensive initiative to freeze or reduce pricing on all lift ticket window rates and the Mission Affordable 4-Pack for the upcoming 2024-25 winter season. The resort says this proactive measure is a response to the economic challenges posed by inflation, ensuring guests can continue to enjoy their favorite winter sports more affordably.

This initiative extends beyond lift ticket prices. Guests will find new, everyday lower-priced menu options and a renewed emphasis on learning programs. The resort plans to expand its highly successful Bob Beverly Free Learn to Ski or Snowboard program which has provided free lessons to over 3,000 participants since its inception.

Lift pass products will also benefit such as college student season passes which have been reduced by $100 to $299 through October 14. Active-duty and retired military personnel, including the National Guard, and registered dependents season pass pricing will be frozen at $299 after its inaugural launch last season. Bike Park season pass add-ons and daily lift ticket prices are also holding steady for Summer 2024. Additional price freezes and reductions are set to be announced throughout the summer.

Ryan Schramm, General Manager of Powderhorn Mountain Resort, emphasized the resort’s commitment to affordability, “Inflation has made the last few seasons challenging for everyone. For the 2024-25 season, we are dedicated to freezing or reducing prices on most of our lift access products, food and beverage offerings, and various other services at the resort. Our hope is that by holding the line or reducing prices where we can, we provide some relief to our guests while we all navigate these economic conditions. Our goal is to make the Powderhorn experience as accessible as possible to all.”

The commitment to affordability is encouraged by Pacific Group Resorts, Inc. (PGRI), Powderhorn’s parent company based in Park City, Utah. A core tenet of the company’s long-term strategic position has been offering affordable mountain escapes starting with the introduction of the Mission Affordable suite of lift products and extending to the most comprehensive Free Learn to Ski and Ride programs in the industry. By prioritizing value-driven initiatives, through this new Mission Affordability program, PGRI’s resorts aim to make mountain recreation accessible to a broader audience ensuring more people can enjoy the scenic beauty and activities more often, without compromising on the quality of the guest experience.

Schramm added, “While it’s crucial for Powderhorn to remain financially stable, we recognize the impact of broader economic factors on our guests. We are committed to examining all areas where we can freeze or reduce prices, focusing on how we can make the most meaningful impacts.”

 

[MarzNC]

I was pleasantly surprised by Powderhorn's terrain and wouldn't rank it behind Sunlight. In any event, they've both been added to my list of preferred western locals/off-the-beaten-path areas, along with Snow King, 49 Degrees North, Santa Fe, Pajarito, Sundance, Loveland, Norquay, and Monarch. I obviously still have many more such places to ski in coming years.

With faster lifts, Sunlight and Powderhorn are of more interest than before.

Off topic question . . .

If you had an extra day in NM, would you choose Santa Fe or Pajarito? I've skied a few hours at SF but not in good conditions. Have only looked around the Pajarito base on the way to Taos. Have the impression that Pajarito gets more days when powder turns are possible.

Out of this list, I've checked out Santa Fe, Sundance, Loveland, and Monarch. Sundance and Monarch are on my list for a potential return visit as part of a trip to another resort or resorts nearby.

 

[MarzNC]

Powderhorn expects to replace the West End double with a detachable for the 2026-27 season.

The detachable that will be rebuilt for Powderhorn is the former Elk Camp lift from Snowmass.

September 25, 2025

Powderhorn to Install Refurbished Detachable Quad for 2026-27

SAM Magazine—Mesa, Colo., Sept. 25, 2025—Subject to approval of the U.S. Forest Service, Powderhorn Mountain Resort will replace the 1972 West End double c

www.saminfo.com

"Subject to approval of the U.S. Forest Service, Powderhorn Mountain Resort will replace the 1972 West End double chairlift with a high-speed detachable quad lift in the summer of 2026. The quad is the former Elk Camp chair at Snowmass and is being completely refurbished by Leitner-Poma of America (LPOA) at its Grand Junction, Colo., headquarters.
. . .

LPOA has been contracted to completely refurbish the lift, which was originally installed at Snowmass by Poma in 1995. The refurbishment will include a new electrical drive system, overhauls of the tower sheave trains, replacement of chair grips, and complete upgrades to the top and bottom terminals. Nearly everything except for the carriers, towers, and other support infrastructure will be replaced. The haul rope will be inspected to determine whether it needs replacement.

“Powderhorn has a special place in my heart, both personally and professionally,” said Leitner-Poma of America president and CEO Daren Cole, who also served as Powderhorn general manager from 2011 to 2014. “Our teams are excited to work on our hometown mountain. Once the lift goes through our rigorous refurbishment process, it will feel like a brand-new installation. Powderhorn is an essential asset for this community, and we are honored to be a part of their future.”
. . ."

 

[ChrisC]

With faster lifts, Sunlight and Powderhorn are of more interest than before.

Powderhorn is a tremendous local hill that skis very similarly to Purgatory, with long, high-speed Quad chairs serving nearly the entire 1,700 ft vertical drop. Significant improvements for this area with high-speed lifts!

This is one of the better intermediate mountains in Colorado, featuring long, swooping runs with dips and stairsteps, as well as easy-access glades for a few hundred feet if desired. It compares favorably, as mentioned above, with Purgatory, but also Copper, Snowmass, Beaver Creek, Vail, etc. Very few ski resorts have ski pods with intermediate lifts serving terrain exceeding 1,500 vertical feet and approaching 2,000 vertical feet.

Powderhorn performs very well with Northwest Flow storms that hit the mesa after the flat deserts - similar to Steamboat, Telluride, and often Beaver Creek/Vail. However, its lower elevations and open valleys do not preserve snow well into spring or March.



Sunlight's expansion lifts are likely not faster—just a required lift replacement due to normal wear and tear. Often, fixed-grip Quads will run a bit slower than doubles due to loading/unloading issues, really negating any benefit of a replacement.

It also appears that the new lifts, unfortunately, follow a poorly chosen lift routing, requiring multiple lift rides. Reminds me a bit of the constant reconfiguration of the lift system of Solitude.

I would much rather ski at Monarch or Powderhorn due to the lifts serving well-defined pods. Also, Monarch's expansion into Mirkwood is a much more interesting upgrade than anything Sunlight is doing. This is ex-cat skiing terrain, facing north - a great addition to a high-altitude, mostly south- and east-facing mountain.

 

[MarzNC]

Sunlight's expansion lifts are likely not faster—just a required lift replacement due to normal wear and tear. Often, fixed-grip Quads will run a bit slower than doubles due to loading/unloading issues, really negating any benefit of a replacement.

It also appears that the new lifts, unfortunately, follow a poorly chosen lift routing, requiring multiple lift rides. Reminds me a bit of the constant reconfiguration of the lift system of Solitude.

I would much rather ski at Monarch or Powderhorn due to the lifts serving well-defined pods. Also, Monarch's expansion into Mirkwood is a much more interesting upgrade than anything Sunlight is doing. This is ex-cat skiing terrain, facing north - a great addition to a high-altitude, mostly south- and east-facing mountain.

Good to know.

My interest would simply be to check out Sunlight or Powderhorn for a day when I plan to be in the vicinity for other skiing. Mostly to satisfy my curiosity after reading about them for years. A friend who is a terminal intermediate checked out Sunlight in 2018 before skiing Aspen/Snowmass for the first time. That was the first trip report I read about Sunlight.

For context, I like Brighton better than Solitude. I like Alta better than Snowbird. Have skied all four multiple times in the last 15 years in good conditions during mid-season and late season. For skiing out west I have the most experience at Alta, starting back decades ago as an adventurous intermediate.

My primary ski buddy (Albuquerque Bill) skied Powderhorn once on a drive between Albuquerque and SLC for our annual stay at Alta Lodge. Pretty late in the season. He had a good time. So heading there with him might happen after the new lift is installed.

 

[Tony Crocker]

Fine. Not sure why it's necessary to be competitive at our respective stations in life. In any case, I believe that my stringent standard for "lack of crowds" is well documented.

Yes it is. In the current era I believe more people are raising their priorities for lack of crowds. According I have given the topic a lot of thought in recent years, and thus had posted it on the TGR thread of ski area count thread over a year ago.

A minimum consideration is that an area should be very quiet midweek, to the stringent standard that powder days are not too competitive. I believe weekends need to be reasonable in terms of liftlines and skier density as well. The elite places are quiet on weekends too.

I still believe that a ski area needs to have some scale (which is why James' bias works so well in the Alps), variety of terrain and some level of reliable snow conditions. For these other factors, if one of them is superlative, that's enough to "make the list" if others are mediocre. If they are all mediocre, I say no.

The other point is that I was probably wrong to have an arbitrary "Top 10" cutoff. There are many borderline cases probably including some we may have all overlooked.

Castle and Discovery are the terrain superlatives. I think Discovery is quiet even on weekends. Castle's upper Red chair can run 10 minute lines on the weekends, but it's fairly efficient so not hard to get 20-25K of low density skiing even then. Castle's caveat is that it's a much diminished area if that Red chair is closed for wind. Discovery's caveat is modest snowfall, so a February/March mountain for its premier Limelight steeps.

Targhee and Wolf Creek are the snow superlatives. Some people, particularly snowboarders, don't like Wolf Creek's benchy topography and it is crowded at Christmas and Texas spring break. A decade ago Targhee was only getting 160K skier visits. I suspect that it's getting busier but I haven't read anything negative about that yet. If Targhee were growing at Jackson's rate I think we would know about it.

Powder Mt. has always been on this type of list due to large scale (if not that exciting) terrain, above average snowfall and very low skier density. I can understand if people want to remove it for its new pricing strategy. Lost Trail is an obvious substitute, even quieter, almost as much snowfall with much better preservation.

Apex is sort of the Canadian Discovery, quietness and snow reliability similar, terrain not as distinctive but still excellent. Red Mt. has perhaps the best expert lift served tree skiing anywhere, enough to be on a short list though it has snow reliability issues. I've never seen crowds there.

Brundage may not have a superlative but it's solidly above average in all criteria discussed here. Silver Mt. and 49 Degrees North are in this class too.

The above are I believe the cream of the crop of uncrowded ski areas.

Monarch has not impressed me. All the lifts are short vertical and inefficient by western standards. I'm sure it's great on a powder day, but to get on a recommended list I want something to impress me the other 85% of the time. Maybe the Mirkwood expansion will do that. Lookout is possibly a Monarch terrain analogy, but it gets 400+ inches of snow and has somewhat more vertical.

I reviewed my Powderhorn and Sunlight TRs, which were back to back on Dec. 30 and 31, 2013. Powderhorn was busier, and that impression was reinforced by lots of mogul runs vs. Sunlight. West End had quite few rocks showing. Neither of the long lifts at Powderhorn was high speed then, and they were long lifts. Powderhorn is more attractive now with those lifts being high speed, and I suspect that also makes the Grand Junction weekenders easier to manage. Sunlight's lifts are remaining somewhat inefficient, so overall these areas are probably a tossup now. Both of them are far superior to Monarch in terrain scale and variety though neither gets as much snow. Sundance from a ski perspective is in the same ballpark, though ambience is quite different. I'd rate all 3 of these above Santa Fe (see below).

Snow King and Norquay might as well be in New Hampshire for the their heavy snowmaking dependence and meager natural snowfall. Nakiska is the extreme western example of this.

If you had an extra day in NM, would you choose Santa Fe or Pajarito?

90% of the time you should choose Santa Fe. It's higher, terrain more varied, gets more snow and has better preservation. Pajarito is a case of where I got a completely uncontested powder day (that's most of your 10%) but recognize that's rare. Terrain is very homogenous intermediate cut trails, and that does not make the cut IMHO for a "Best of" list combined with average snowfall of estimated 160 inches even if it's deserted.

Santa Fe is a borderline case. Medium terrain scale and variety, modest snowfall though excellent preservation. It's also the home area for a big enough population base to generate some weekend lift lines. I would guess Santa Fe's weekend crowds are not as severe as at Bridger or Montana Snowbowl.