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| Beaver Creek Resort |
| Old Beaver Creek Trail Maps: |
| 1980-81 |
| 1987-88 |
| The Larkspur Bowl with the main mountain on the right |
| 1988-89 |
| 1992-93 |
| Resort History: |
The idea of building a new ski resort in the Beaver and McCoy Creek
areas came about in 1956, when Earl Eaton and John Burke discussed
future possibilities. At this time, Vail was about five years from opening.
Talks for a ski area on this site became more plausible when Denver won
the bid for the 1976 Winter Olympics. Alternative sites to host Olympic
events included Mount Sniktau near Loveland Valley and Copper
Mountain.
The Forest Service conducted a land use analysis in 1972 to determine if
the Beaver Creek drainage could host a ski area. The report, overseen
by Ed Browning, the District Ranger, concluded that the area was "good
to outstanding" for skiing potential. By February of the same year, the
Olympic Committee decided that Beaver Creek would hold the alpine
events. This prompted Vail Associates to file for a new ski area permit
with the Forest Service.
To the world's surprise, Denver voters turned down their successful bid
by a margin of 3 to 2 with ballot "Initiative #8." The movement against the
Winter Games was lead by State Representatives Dick Lamm (who
would become governor in 1975) and Bob Jackson. Their stance was
against development of the Front Range, which they thought would be
inevitable if the Olympics came to town. A Denver newspaper said Vail
Associates were, "Up the creek without a permit." Having the Olympics
skip town was almost fatal to the development of this resort. After a few
years of persistence, Vail was awarded a special use permit on March 22,
1976.
The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Beaver Creek was
released and approved by the U.S. Forest Service later that year. It did
not go unnoticed. Statements from local people read, "We're getting
another ski area and we're getting it with the blessing of Colorado's
biggest and most ruthless land developer, the U.S. Forest Service."
Colorado's political environment at the time also did not favor the resort.
Just hours before leaving office, Governor Vanderhoof signed the state
approval documents allowing the development of Beaver Creek to begin.
As Governor Lamm entered the position he stated he would block all
development even if approved by the U.S. Forest Service. This measure
was also supported by the Sierra Club.
After reviewing the concerns of the governor, the Forest Service (F.S.)
decided there were no grounds for delaying construction of the resort.
The special use permit granted by the F.S. allowed 2,775 acres of public
land with 2,200 acres for private land for the resort. On July 28, 1977,
the ground breaking ceremonies began. Former President Gerald Ford
and Vail Associates president Jack Marshall attended the celebrations.
Having construction work begin was a large obstacle because no ski area
had been challenged as aggressively as Beaver Creek to date.
Initial plans for the resort included a 2.5 mile access road from Interstate
70, 6 chairlifts, and a base village. The area was meant to serve around
3,000 skiers per day, with final development of about 15 lifts serving
7,500 skiers each day.
Beaver Creek opened on December 15, 1980 with new 6 Doppelmayr
chairlifts and a temporary base lodge. Costs for development ranged in
the neighborhood of about 300 million dollars.
The decade of the 1980's led to much growth for the resort. The
following ski season the Larkspur Bowl opened, providing skiers with
expert mogul runs as well as wide open intermediate terrain. Beaver
Creek invested in the new high-speed lift technology the same year as
Vail. In 1986, they purchased a new Doppelmayr lift and named it the
Centennial Express. This vastly improved access from the village to mid
mountain. During 1989, the World Ski Championship came to Beaver
Creek. This was the first time the resort attracted a major racing event
since its loss of the Olympic bid in the 1970's.
During the 1990's Beaver Creek continued to upgrade lifts and expand
new terrain. Grouse Mountain opened in 1991 with the addition of a
CTEC high-speed quad chair. The Bachelor Gulch development, which
included another quad chair, new ski-in houses, and a hotel greeted skiers
and riders in 1997. During this year, Beaver Creek connected with the
Arrowhead Ski Area. It was originally purchased during the 1993
season. In 1999, Vail and Beaver Creek hosted the World Alpine Ski
Championships. They were held on the newly completed Birds of Prey
downhill course and on the Giant Steps course at Vail.
Recently, Beaver Creek continued upgrading their facilities. During the
summer of 2003, a new Doppelmayr CTEC high-speed quad chair was
installed replacing the old Westfall lift. The new chair now provides better
access to the Birds of Prey downhill course. The following year, the
Beaver Creek Mountain lifts were installed to US Highway 6. For
summer 2005, the Larkspur lift was upgraded to a high-speed quad. This
new lift now provides better access to Strawberry Park and the Larkspur
area. It is also a Doppelmayr CTEC lift.
areas came about in 1956, when Earl Eaton and John Burke discussed
future possibilities. At this time, Vail was about five years from opening.
Talks for a ski area on this site became more plausible when Denver won
the bid for the 1976 Winter Olympics. Alternative sites to host Olympic
events included Mount Sniktau near Loveland Valley and Copper
Mountain.
The Forest Service conducted a land use analysis in 1972 to determine if
the Beaver Creek drainage could host a ski area. The report, overseen
by Ed Browning, the District Ranger, concluded that the area was "good
to outstanding" for skiing potential. By February of the same year, the
Olympic Committee decided that Beaver Creek would hold the alpine
events. This prompted Vail Associates to file for a new ski area permit
with the Forest Service.
To the world's surprise, Denver voters turned down their successful bid
by a margin of 3 to 2 with ballot "Initiative #8." The movement against the
Winter Games was lead by State Representatives Dick Lamm (who
would become governor in 1975) and Bob Jackson. Their stance was
against development of the Front Range, which they thought would be
inevitable if the Olympics came to town. A Denver newspaper said Vail
Associates were, "Up the creek without a permit." Having the Olympics
skip town was almost fatal to the development of this resort. After a few
years of persistence, Vail was awarded a special use permit on March 22,
1976.
The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Beaver Creek was
released and approved by the U.S. Forest Service later that year. It did
not go unnoticed. Statements from local people read, "We're getting
another ski area and we're getting it with the blessing of Colorado's
biggest and most ruthless land developer, the U.S. Forest Service."
Colorado's political environment at the time also did not favor the resort.
Just hours before leaving office, Governor Vanderhoof signed the state
approval documents allowing the development of Beaver Creek to begin.
As Governor Lamm entered the position he stated he would block all
development even if approved by the U.S. Forest Service. This measure
was also supported by the Sierra Club.
After reviewing the concerns of the governor, the Forest Service (F.S.)
decided there were no grounds for delaying construction of the resort.
The special use permit granted by the F.S. allowed 2,775 acres of public
land with 2,200 acres for private land for the resort. On July 28, 1977,
the ground breaking ceremonies began. Former President Gerald Ford
and Vail Associates president Jack Marshall attended the celebrations.
Having construction work begin was a large obstacle because no ski area
had been challenged as aggressively as Beaver Creek to date.
Initial plans for the resort included a 2.5 mile access road from Interstate
70, 6 chairlifts, and a base village. The area was meant to serve around
3,000 skiers per day, with final development of about 15 lifts serving
7,500 skiers each day.
Beaver Creek opened on December 15, 1980 with new 6 Doppelmayr
chairlifts and a temporary base lodge. Costs for development ranged in
the neighborhood of about 300 million dollars.
The decade of the 1980's led to much growth for the resort. The
following ski season the Larkspur Bowl opened, providing skiers with
expert mogul runs as well as wide open intermediate terrain. Beaver
Creek invested in the new high-speed lift technology the same year as
Vail. In 1986, they purchased a new Doppelmayr lift and named it the
Centennial Express. This vastly improved access from the village to mid
mountain. During 1989, the World Ski Championship came to Beaver
Creek. This was the first time the resort attracted a major racing event
since its loss of the Olympic bid in the 1970's.
During the 1990's Beaver Creek continued to upgrade lifts and expand
new terrain. Grouse Mountain opened in 1991 with the addition of a
CTEC high-speed quad chair. The Bachelor Gulch development, which
included another quad chair, new ski-in houses, and a hotel greeted skiers
and riders in 1997. During this year, Beaver Creek connected with the
Arrowhead Ski Area. It was originally purchased during the 1993
season. In 1999, Vail and Beaver Creek hosted the World Alpine Ski
Championships. They were held on the newly completed Birds of Prey
downhill course and on the Giant Steps course at Vail.
Recently, Beaver Creek continued upgrading their facilities. During the
summer of 2003, a new Doppelmayr CTEC high-speed quad chair was
installed replacing the old Westfall lift. The new chair now provides better
access to the Birds of Prey downhill course. The following year, the
Beaver Creek Mountain lifts were installed to US Highway 6. For
summer 2005, the Larkspur lift was upgraded to a high-speed quad. This
new lift now provides better access to Strawberry Park and the Larkspur
area. It is also a Doppelmayr CTEC lift.
| The Drink of Water lift serves as an excellent beginner area. |
| Spring Skiing at Arrowhead |
| The new Larkspur Express |
| Bachelor Gulch |
| The Birds of Prey Express. |
| Strawberry Park |
| Looking down at mid-mountain |
| Current Resort Stats: * |
* Elevations: Base: 7,400' Summit: 11,400' Vertical Drop: 4,040'
* Ski Runs: 146; Beginner: 34% Intermediate: 39% Expert: 27%
* Skiable Acres: 1,625
* Lifts: Total: 16; Types: 2 Eight-Passenger Gondolas, 10 Express
Quads, 2 Triples, 2 Doubles, and 1 surface lift
* Lift Capacity: 25,939 people/hour
* Average Snowfall: 310"
* Hours of Operation: 9-4 pm Weekdays, 8:30-4 Weekends
* Typical Season Dates: Mid-November to Early April
* Snowmaking Acres: 650
* New This Season: Two new gondolas open for this season, the first
serves the beginner area, the second Avon.
* Resort Contact: Website: www.beavercreek.com
* Area Owner: Vail Resorts
* Ski Runs: 146; Beginner: 34% Intermediate: 39% Expert: 27%
* Skiable Acres: 1,625
* Lifts: Total: 16; Types: 2 Eight-Passenger Gondolas, 10 Express
Quads, 2 Triples, 2 Doubles, and 1 surface lift
* Lift Capacity: 25,939 people/hour
* Average Snowfall: 310"
* Hours of Operation: 9-4 pm Weekdays, 8:30-4 Weekends
* Typical Season Dates: Mid-November to Early April
* Snowmaking Acres: 650
* New This Season: Two new gondolas open for this season, the first
serves the beginner area, the second Avon.
* Resort Contact: Website: www.beavercreek.com
* Area Owner: Vail Resorts
| Arrowhead Ski Area |
| Pros and Cons to Skiing Here: |
| Overlooking Lower B.C. |
|
| Great beginner terrain is located off of the Cinch Express at the summit of the mountain. |
| Beaver Creek operates during the summer months with the Centennial Express. Activities include biking, hiking and base area games. |
| Copyright © coloradoskihistory.com All Rights Reserved. *Resort Stats Current for 2007-2008 Sources: The Colorado Ski Museum Picture Credits: Brad C. |
| Insider Tips to Skiing Here: |
Beaver Creeks is often much less crowded when compared to its sister
resort, Vail. The area offers excellent groomed terrain. Runs such as
Centennial, Harrier and Redtail are good examples of perfectly maintained
runs!
Experts should not fear, 'The Beav' offers challenging terrain. Grouse
Mountain is home to thousands of moguls. Trails from this peak typically
provide the rider with about a thousand vertical feet of pure pain.
Recommended runs include Bald Eagle, Osprey, and Falcon Park.
The other expert area is located off of the Rose Bowl Lift. This chair is
considerably slower when compared to the Grouse Mountain Express.
Despite this, runs like Ripsaw, Web, and Cataract offer moderate moguls
with a good view of the Vail Valley.
Beaver Creek also offers an abundance of beginner terrain. Lifts like
Haymeadow and Highlands are great places to begin your skiing career.
Once an advanced beginner level is reached, The Cinch Express and the
Drink of Water lifts offer a high alpine experience for the inexperience
skier.
Arrowhead was incorporated into Beaver Creek in 1997 with the addition
of Bachelor Gulch. Both of these areas offer intermediate terrain suitable
for most skiers. Lift lines can become long especially on the Bachelor
Gulch Express.
resort, Vail. The area offers excellent groomed terrain. Runs such as
Centennial, Harrier and Redtail are good examples of perfectly maintained
runs!
Experts should not fear, 'The Beav' offers challenging terrain. Grouse
Mountain is home to thousands of moguls. Trails from this peak typically
provide the rider with about a thousand vertical feet of pure pain.
Recommended runs include Bald Eagle, Osprey, and Falcon Park.
The other expert area is located off of the Rose Bowl Lift. This chair is
considerably slower when compared to the Grouse Mountain Express.
Despite this, runs like Ripsaw, Web, and Cataract offer moderate moguls
with a good view of the Vail Valley.
Beaver Creek also offers an abundance of beginner terrain. Lifts like
Haymeadow and Highlands are great places to begin your skiing career.
Once an advanced beginner level is reached, The Cinch Express and the
Drink of Water lifts offer a high alpine experience for the inexperience
skier.
Arrowhead was incorporated into Beaver Creek in 1997 with the addition
of Bachelor Gulch. Both of these areas offer intermediate terrain suitable
for most skiers. Lift lines can become long especially on the Bachelor
Gulch Express.
| Grouse Mountain |
| 1982-83 |
