ColoradoSkiHistory.com

[brad]

I got an email today from a site viewer that had some new infomation on the saint mary's glacier SA.

[Nic Jevad]

whoah - didn't even know there was anything up there...apart from teh glacier itself above that lovely lake. Where are the trails then?

[trooper1556]

the trails & old t-bar are right off the side of the road before you hit the lake & trail parking, it's hard to miss. i spoke with the then current owner(2003) at the time someone was trying to buy the place and open it up as a terrain park only like echo mountain. last i heard was that the county was going to reject the plan because of the increased traffic, and oppositon from residents - so maybe who ever is trying to reopen it now has overcome these obstacles.

[The Dude]

there is truth to it, according to the Denver Post:

http://denverpost.com/business/ci_3263445

[caroth]

I bet the owners of Echo Mtn is pissed. I would be...

Hmm, if this is such a trend, someone should buy Hesperus and do the same thing. It already has lights and is on private land. Perfect. The current owner of Hesperus is so burnt out, I doubt he would have the energy to do the park idea...

[brad]

competition is always good to see. this is crazy though. So it won't be open this ski season then...im confused.
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-Brad

ColoradoSkiHistory.com

[snowfish]

Hey Brad, word up the hill is that they will open in January. I'll get you some pictures to post this weekend. I also know the guy that's currently living in the lodge as a tenant (will probably be moving out soon) and I'll get some more details from him to post.

Ian

[brad]

sweet!
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-Brad

ColoradoSkiHistory.com

[porter]

What are they going to open with? Last time I was there thing seemed a little run down.

[skibum33]

you know this Snowboard Park idea is a big hit in the East (I think), atleast that's what I've heard. I would bet it's good money, since the snowboaders and skiers who like the terrain park don't have to deal with the resort like mountain, and the expensive lift tickets. If I had enough oney, I would do that too, it seems like it's one of today's big markets. Almost everyone in my school snowboards, and 80% of them are the terrain park type people. I bet they would love a place like this

[brad]

for the snowboarders in this forum, would you ride a T-bar at a snowboard park. I know many snowboarders dislike t-bars?
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-Brad

ColoradoSkiHistory.com

[brad]

Denver Post
Snow park's rough ride
Alice residents wary of plan to reopen ski area for boarders

By Gary Gerhardt, Rocky Mountain News
December 1, 2005

While snowboarders may be salivating at the thought of a new half-pipe challenge close to Denver, residents of a nearby former mining town fear what a proposed snowboard park could mean for their small community.

Alice is a community of a couple of hundred people nestled at the toe of St. Mary's Glacier northwest of Idaho Springs.

Residents recently learned that Mike Coors, 24, son of John K. Coors, the CEO of Coors Tek, and two other investors are seeking zoning approval to reopen a defunct ski area as a 60-to-70-acre snowboard park to be called Eclipse Snow Park.

He said that he hopes the snow park will attract up to 250 young boarders on any given day.

The boarding park would compete with the 240-acre Echo Mountain Park being developed by hotel man Gerald Petitt just 20 miles to the southwest as the crow flies.

Petitt bought the land for $700,000 and is planning on pumping another $4 million into it in hopes of luring the same metro- -area "Gen Y" snow riders, and he's way ahead because he already has nearly all the approvals he needs from Clear Creek County.

Coors, his father and Maria Steele, an event caterer, planner and wedding consultant, bought the property for $1.65 million from Iran Emeson, who ran a ski resort there until 1984.

Coors knows he's late to the game but still hopes to get Eclipse up and running this season.

"It eventually will cost another $1 million to put in the half-pipe and two or three jumps," Coors said Wednesday.

It isn't so much the numbers of visitors as the possible effect on the environment that bothers some residents in the old gold mining town, which was founded in 1881 and named for the wife of placer miner George Taylor.

Alice became a ghost town until recreation on the glacier and dude ranches brought people back in the 1960s and '70s.

Emeson's ski resort, which operated from the 1930s to 1986 and was variously known as Silver Lake and Silver Mountain, offered little more than a T-bar and some outhouses for its customers.

"We have a number of unanswered questions before we agree to let this go ahead," said Heather Ulrich, who lives with her husband, Marshall, in the area.

They include:

• How will the area get water for snowmaking, and will it affect three small lakes - St. Mary's, Silver and Quivira - locals use for recreation?

• Will the town be affected by noise from snowmaking equipment, ski lifts and air pollution?

• Will the town overflow with traffic, adding to parking problems?

"This town is nine miles up Fall River Road from I-70, and we want to know if the county is planning to do maintenance on the road that's already in bad shape?" Ulrich said.

"We're just beginning to put this together and have to face rezoning issues and other county requirements before we can go forward," said Coors, who sells residential real estate while completing his degree in mechanical engineering at the Colorado School of Mines.

He said water for snowmaking, which his group purchased from the towns of Idaho Springs and Empire, will be trucked to the area - two trucks a day - and held in four 5,000-gallon holding tanks until it is needed.

"We are very concerned that our operation isn't noisy and aren't using air pressure-type blowers that are loud," he said. "This is blown by fans that only put out 65 decibels at 25 feet, and our lifts are electrically powered.

"We won't touch water in the lakes and hope to be good enough stewards to keep noise, air pollution and trash to a minimum," Coors said.

He said they have two acres for parking that should handle all of the customers.

Clear Creek County Commissioner Harry Dale was somewhat taken aback to learn of the plan to truck in water.

"Wow, that's hard to believe," Dale said.

But Dale said nothing has been presented to the county commission. The proposal has to go through the county planning and zoning process, and there will be ample opportunity for public input before a final decision is made.

gerhardtg@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-892-5202
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-Brad

ColoradoSkiHistory.com

[porter]

Snowmaking at a ski area named after a glacier?

[snowfish]

I found out Sunday that Coors is planning for February 1st to open the lifts. Still seems like a stretch, but I guess we'll see. Although I don't know much more than that right now I can tell you there is a lot of activity in regards to the lifts being worked on and heavy equipment moving dirt, etc. Yes, the lifts are old and need repair, but they apparantly have the resources to get it done and things are definately happening up there. I still owe Brad some pictures, so will try and get those sent in this week.

-Ian
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RIDE BURTON.........

[brad]

sweet thanks for the update ian. if you could, just email the pictures to webmaster@coloradoskihistory.com when you get a chance.
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-Brad

ColoradoSkiHistory.com