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Colorado uphill skiing: What you need to know about this season

John Meyer
The Denver Post
A racer ascends uphill as part of Copper Mountain Resort's first Uphill Race Series this winter.
Photo by Curtis DeVore / Copper Mountain Resort

A dizzying array of price and policy differences await uphill skiers at Colorado resorts this winter.

Most require buying an uphill season pass for a nominal fee, but uphilling is free at all five Vail Resorts properties in the state: Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Crested Butte.

Some areas will allow uphilling only outside of ski area operating hours, meaning only when the lifts aren’t running, but others will allow it during operating hours as well. All restrict uphill travel to certain routes, with most offering only a handful of trails, but a third or so of Winter Park’s terrain will be open for skinning.



Very little terrain is open for uphilling now because of thin snow conditions with only a few areas currently allowing it, including Arapahoe Basin, Breckenridge, Aspen Highlands, Snowmass, Buttermilk and Crested Butte.

But it won’t be long, we hope, before snow conditions allow for widespread uphilling across Colorado, so we’ve compiled an overview of what you’ll find once we get into the heart of winter. Keep in mind that most resorts recommend or require headlamps and reflective clothing when uphilling in the dark. They have a lot of other rules, too, which you will find on their websites.

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