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WinterParkCO

The Resort

Arrowhead Loop. Riflesight Notch. Golden Spike. Gandy Dancer. The names of the ski trails at Winter Park are as colorful as the town’s history. It all began with the railroad…

Back in the 20's, as the Moffat Tunnel was being bored under the Continental Divide, early-day skiers used the construction sheds as warming houses. They hiked up the mountain and threaded their way down through the forest on 7-foot long skis. And when gandy dancers laid the last track through the tunnel to Winter Park's doorstep, skiers began arriving by train.

Within a few years, volunteer families, using axes and skid horses, were hard at work cutting the trails. The backbreaking work not only created a ski area, it created the first downhill ski trail ever for Colorado!

Winter Park has come a long way since the first rope tow. The Resort is comprised of three adjoining mountains-Winter Park, Mary Jane, and Vasquez. Winter Park has 588 acres of skiing, a vertical drop of 1,800 ft., and an average snowfall of 250 inches. Mary Jane has 419 acres of skiing, a vertical drop of 1,770 ft., and an average snowfall of 364 inches. Vasquez has 88 acres of skiing, and a vertical drop of 1,214 ft. Together, they compose one of the finest skiing complexes in Colorado with ample terrain for all ability levels.

Winter Park hosts famed cruising runs for beginners and intermediates while Mary Jane offers enough challenge for the most aggressive skiers. There are 1,115 total acres plus 220 acres in Parsenn Bowl, 19 lifts (11 doubles, 4 triples, 4 high speed quads), and a wellspring of programs and activities to satisfy any skier. The towns of Winter Park and Fraser are snuggled into a beautiful mountain valley where the people are just as relaxed as the dress code. Winter Park will impress you with the inclusive conveniences of a modern ski resort and the charm and character of Old Colorado.

Mountain Stats

Winter Park College Ski Trips

365" Annual Snowfall (Highest average in Colorado)
Vertical Rise: 3,060
3,065 Acres of Rideable Terrain (3rd Largest in Colorado)
Longest Run: 5.1 Miles
Lifts: 25 lifts
1 High Speed six person Chairlift
4 Triple Chairlifts
7 High-Speed Express Quads
7 Double Chairlifts
3 Surface Lifts

Winter Park College Ski Trips

Terrain:
25% Beginner/ Intermediate
19% Advanced
53% Most Difficult
3% Expert Only!

Trailmap

MARY JANE'S HISTORY

As bits and pieces of history and lore are revealed, what began as an innocent settlement of miners, rail yard workers and loggers in the late 1800s, would later mark the "peak" of a woman named Mary Jane and her clever business sense for supply and demand.

A well-known madam and local lady of the evening, Mary Jane's good fortune for services rendered would turn what was once a lonely sheep trail used for grazing into a highly sought-after winter playground.

Mary Jane lived in the town of Arrow, about 3-4 miles up the old railroad bed. The parcel of land that is the base of Mary Jane sits on what was called the Mary Jane Placer. It is unknown whether Mary Jane bought this parcel of land with her earnings or if it was given to her by a grateful client.

Winter Park In 1975, Mary Jane opened, adding 18 new trails (350 acres) and increasing the size of Winter Park Resort by 80%.

By 1986, Winter Park/Mary Jane enjoyed the benefits of a $9 million dollar capital improvement plan. Mary Jane gained an additional 20 trails (200 acres), which included some of Colorado's steepest trails in The Chutes.

The 90's brought additional favors to "the Lady." The Sunnyside chairlift begins operation on the backside of Mary Jane. In addition, Club Car restaurant increased capacity by 50% and snowmaking was expanded to Mary Jane.

When Mary Jane opens for the 2007-2008 ski season, she will don a new triple chairlift on the back side of Parsenn Bowl and 7 new runs to hand deliver you to powder heaven. Fortunately, this lady just keeps getting better.

While Mary Jane may have been a lady of ill repute, her namesake trail is one of the finest to be found anywhere in the country.

Snow Report

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