You've heard about Vail, Aspen and Steamboat, but have you ever heard of Copper Mountain? Although it's not one of the larger Colorado resorts, it's a gem of a mountain that has charm, awesome terrain and...free snowcat skiing!
Getting here: I won't lie: it's not a walk in the park once you fly into Denver to get to Copper. Once you're at the airport, be prepared for a trek if you want to get there by renting a car.
After grabbing all your gear from baggage claim, you have to board a bus to the rental agency and then take 1.5 hour drive to Copper. [tip: if your accommodations include a
kitchen, stop in Frisco on the way to Copper to snag up some groceries! It's right on the way and has larger grocery stores that will be cheaper than on-mountain options. In addition, there are some wildlife viewing areas to make the drive more scenic: check out the Bison and Bighorn Sheep!] There are also other
alternatives if you do not require a rental car including the 'Summit Express' shuttle service which picks up at Denver airport daily. You have the options of booking a shared shuttle or private SUVs; check here for more information. In addition, there is a free bus, called the Summit Stage within Summit County with routes throughout Frisco, Breckenridge, Silverthorne and Dillon that will take you to the Mountain; for more information check here.
Places to stay: Central village is where it's at!! Location, location, location! Central village has a variety of shops and restaurants which the other villages (East and West) do not have. All the accommodations in Central Village are within walking distance to two lifts (American Eagle and American Flyer) which makes it even better. My family stayed at Tucker Mountain Lodge, which can be rented from VRBO. Additional sites, such as Home Away and Air BnB will also have similar options.
Cheap tickets: This year, it was all about the M.A.X. pass which included 5 days of skiing at Copper. Next year, the M.A.X. pass is no more *cue the tears*, but there is a new pass call the IKON pass which unlimited skiing at Copper is included in both the base IKON pass and the full IKON pass. I also suggest checking out ski and stay packages and cheap ticket websites like liftopia.com.
Trails to ski: Copper is a smaller mountain compared to others out west, with a total of 2,490 skiable acres, but it still ranks high in my book. There are 3 different peaks with varied terrain
that is naturally divided into skill levels. Stick to the west side for beginner terrain, or start venturing eastward for intermediate and then advanced terrain. The mountain is broken up as 21% beginner, 25% intermediate, 36% advanced and 18% expert. Here's some of my favorites across the terrain:
Easy beginners (O): Test out some favorites like Loverly and Carefree or lap the Kokomo and Lumberjack lifts for nice easy rollers all day.
Intermediate cruisers (▢): Stick near the center of the mountain on the Timberline Express lift for most intermediate runs. Head to the back of the mountain for some bowls with Otto Bahn.
Advanced steeps (♢): Head over to the east side for the steeps. Some personal favorites of mine include Gold Digger and Lillie G in addition to the Union Peak if you don't mind a short hike. Also try out a bunch of steeps in the Copper Bowl.
Expert steeper (♢♢): It's all about the bowls and backside!! I thoroughly enjoy the Spaulding bowl and some of the chutes nearby, like Patroler's Chute or Cornice Chute. If you really want an adventure, head over to hike Tucker Mountain and try my favorite, The Taco.
Tucker Mountain: There are free snowcats to take you part of the way up Tucker on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. It picks up at the bottom of Copper Bowl a bit above the Mountain
Chief lift. If you're adventurous enough to do it, I highly suggest it. But...be prepared for a 30-40 minute hike from the snowcat drop off depending on where you want to go. Also be ready to battle strong winds while hiking in your ski boots and carrying your skis. It always seems to be windy on Tucker..I mean, you are 12,000+ feet up. The morning of, get there early (around 9:30-ish) to get in line and avoid long waits; we arrived at 9:30 on Friday and were in the first cat up! The snowcats begin at 10am and there's always a group waiting. Those with avalanche beacons do get their own line which is much shorter, so bring one along if you have one! Another helpful tip is to ask the ski patrol which line they would take and how the snow is looking from the top. Ski patrol is awesome at Copper and there is always at least 1 patroler with each snowcat going up. Personally, I suggest hiking to 'The Taco' if you can make it there. It's well worth it..I promise.
Lunch suggestions: Pack a brown bag lunch and hit one of the many picnic tables on mountain with stellar views. There also is a nice, outdoor eatery with picnic tables available and small fare for purchase (like hot dogs, etc) called T-Rex right at the base of the Timberline lift. There are some lounge chairs in the snow to hang and chat as well. It's a great place on a sunny warm day. Want to go where the locals hang? Head to Flyers near the top of the American Flyer lift. Or, head to center village at the base for American fare at places like Incline, Jack's and Ten Mile Tavern; all have outdoor seating available on sunny warm days. Want grab and go? Check out Mountain Melt in center village for some delicious mac and cheese options. There are also cafeteria style options at the base in Jack's or on mountain near the American Eagle lift called Solitude. Check out all on-mountain options here.
Après: It's all about Jack's Slopeside Grill and Bar! They have a great patio area outside and inside in the car area, try to catch Lefty Lucy starting at 3:00pm every Wedneday, Thursday and Friday. Other options also include Downhill Dukes, Ten Mile Tavern and Incline. Check them all out! You can even bar crawl within center village for a taste of all the hot spots!
Other adventures: If you want to take a break and give those legs some rest after you've been shredding it up, check out some of the non-skiing, on-mountain options including the tubing hill, the mountain coaster or ice skating in central village. It all looks awesome!
Unique to Copper: Check out the Woodward Barn! It's a a 19,400 square foot indoor training facility with skateparks, Olympic-grade trampolines, foam pit jumps, indoor ski and snowboard training and more! You can practice your skills in a safer environment and crash
into foam pits instead of hard packed snow. There are day passes, lessons and camps as well. Get more info about Woodward here. Other unique experiences include the free Tucker Mountain snowcat skiing (see above) and the recently announced future upgrades to the center village lifts! The American Eagle lift will be replaced by a high-speed lift with a mixture of six-person chairs and eight-person gondola cabins, increasing uphill capacity by more than 40 percent. In addition, the American Flyer lift will be replaced by a high-speed six-person chair with a bubble enclosure. Better book your trip now!
The 'Copper' take-away: It's a hidden gem on the west coast that is both family friendly and full of a variety of terrain. You can take it easy on the west side of the mountain or take as many challenges as you want over at Tucker Mountain. It's a mountain that is charming and in my opinion, worthwhile to visit.
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