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Years of Operation: 1972 - 1974
Vertical Drop: ~2000 ft
Average Snowfall: 300"
Lifts: 3 Double Chairs (Heron-Poma Lifts)
Facilities: 1 base lodge that was never finished, 1 temporary lodge
(now gone), ski patrol huts, condos, general store, leasing office, and
some various other buildings.
History:
Stagecoach State Park is home to one of Colorado’s largest lost
resorts. Original plans for the resort included five base areas, twenty-
two double chairs, thirty-four subdivisions, a golf course, and a
reservoir. The design of the area, created by Steven Arnold, won an
American Design Institute award. Plans for completing the area were on
schedule for 1972, as the resort opened with three Heron-Poma double
chairs, a temporary base lodge, a ski patrol hut, one subdivision, and a
leasing office. Former Colorado Governor John Vanderhoof presided
over the opening ceremonies as local residents watched the state’s next
major ski resort open.
The Woodmoor Company from Colorado Springs was the major
developing entity for the Stagecoach project. Their other projects
included Heritage Square in Golden and condo housing in Colorado
Springs. Westinghouse Credit Corporation, the company that financed
the area, pulled funding for the operation in 1973. This left three
chairlifts, twenty-two subdivisions partially finished, and a leasing center
abandoned. The current owner of Stagecoach’s land, Chris Wittemyer,
has no intention of reopening this ski area in the foreseeable future. He
said, “My family has owned the Stagecoach property for the past
twenty-five years. Though we have run some snow cat operations in the
past, at this time we have no plans to reopen the ski area.”
Directions: From Steamboat take US 40 south to CO 131 then to CR
14 and follow signs to Stagecoach Lake. The area should be on the
other side of the lake. The area's parking lot is blocked off so you could
either park on the road or at the condos.
This area is on private property - please keep out!!!
Vertical Drop: ~2000 ft
Average Snowfall: 300"
Lifts: 3 Double Chairs (Heron-Poma Lifts)
Facilities: 1 base lodge that was never finished, 1 temporary lodge
(now gone), ski patrol huts, condos, general store, leasing office, and
some various other buildings.
History:
Stagecoach State Park is home to one of Colorado’s largest lost
resorts. Original plans for the resort included five base areas, twenty-
two double chairs, thirty-four subdivisions, a golf course, and a
reservoir. The design of the area, created by Steven Arnold, won an
American Design Institute award. Plans for completing the area were on
schedule for 1972, as the resort opened with three Heron-Poma double
chairs, a temporary base lodge, a ski patrol hut, one subdivision, and a
leasing office. Former Colorado Governor John Vanderhoof presided
over the opening ceremonies as local residents watched the state’s next
major ski resort open.
The Woodmoor Company from Colorado Springs was the major
developing entity for the Stagecoach project. Their other projects
included Heritage Square in Golden and condo housing in Colorado
Springs. Westinghouse Credit Corporation, the company that financed
the area, pulled funding for the operation in 1973. This left three
chairlifts, twenty-two subdivisions partially finished, and a leasing center
abandoned. The current owner of Stagecoach’s land, Chris Wittemyer,
has no intention of reopening this ski area in the foreseeable future. He
said, “My family has owned the Stagecoach property for the past
twenty-five years. Though we have run some snow cat operations in the
past, at this time we have no plans to reopen the ski area.”
Directions: From Steamboat take US 40 south to CO 131 then to CR
14 and follow signs to Stagecoach Lake. The area should be on the
other side of the lake. The area's parking lot is blocked off so you could
either park on the road or at the condos.
This area is on private property - please keep out!!!
| Terraserver overview of Stagecoach Resort. # (Click for larger image!) |
| Trail Maps: (Click for larger view!) |
| 1972-3 |
| 1973-4 |
| The Area Overview from the North Side of Stagecoach Lake ** |
| Area Pictures: |
* The Base Area:
| Stagecoach during the heart of winter. # |
* The Little Hitch Lift:
* The Yellow Jacket Express and trails:
* The Big Hitch Lift and Runs:
The Big Hitch double chair before it was
removed and relocated to Silver Creek
and then again to Winter Park.
Stagecoach's base facilities.
The ski area's sign, which is still visible
when driving to the area.
removed and relocated to Silver Creek
and then again to Winter Park.
Stagecoach's base facilities.
The ski area's sign, which is still visible
when driving to the area.
| Have you ever skied at Stagecoach? If so, contact us with your memories! Memories: "I worked at Stagecoach during its opening season, 1972-73. A friend and I turned up around Christmas looking for work and we were hired as general back-up, which means we filled in as cafeteria cooks, trail crew, van drivers, janitors and lift operators. I think we earned $3.50 an hour. With precious few customers to serve, we skied a lot. I also took photos for what passed as the marketing department. The General Manager of the ski area was Jim Prendergast, I believe he owns a tree nursery in Steamboat Springs now. Patrol chief was Dick Jimmerson, who used to fly a hang glider off the butte just north of the base area. I'm told he went on to a career with the airlines. The high point of the season was when we hosted a FIS cross country race on what was supposed to become the golf course. The low point, I think, was when patroller Ken Salomon fell out of chair 1, breaking his leg. He made the mistake of trying to carry a sled across his lap, and when the handles fouled in a lift tower he was catapulted into space. It wasn't a lot of fun working for a bankrupt corporation. Paychecks were often late; and there really wasn't much money to do routine maintenance, which at that point consisted of fixing construction blunders. I can remember spending a long cold day squatting in freezing mud trying to micro-mange a backhoe, searching for a leaking water valve buried five feet below the trailer that served as ski hill offices. At least we ate pretty well while working the cafeteria. The whole rationale for the ski area was to sell condos and home sites, but the area was such a ragtag operation that the real estate folks had to traction at all. I'm sure the OPEC oil embargo and subsequent recession didn't help. A sense of doom hung over the whole enterprise, but those of us who worked on the hill had a private ski area to play with all winter." -Seth M. -------------------- "I learned to ski at Stagecoach. I was a freshman in college at Oklahoma State, and my fraternity set up a 5-day trip during the week between Christmas and New Years 1972. We brought a bus load up for the week-skis - lift tickets, and lodging all included with the bus trip for about $250 as I recall. My first day was horrible. I’m convinced it happens all the time – my friends assured me they could teach me to ski! The first evening, a snow-cat picked me up hiking down the run with my skis under my arm. After a couple of lessons, I was up and running before the end of the trip. I’m 50 now and, living in Colorado (in no small part thanks to that 5 days at Stagecoach) my wife and I still ski ten to twenty days a year." -Paul C. ---------------------- "The information contained in the general information is pretty accurate, particularly the comment regarding Westinghouse Credit Corporation pulling their credit line. Once WCC would no longer purchase Woodmoor Corporation notes (generated by the sale of building sites), there was no money to continue the development. WCC lost a large class action suit brought by Woodmoor and by purchasers of lots (I was one) but that was too late to save the development. As an interesting note, all of the Stagecoach ski runs were on private land which allowed the corporation to set its own rules and to limit use to Stagecoach residents at some time in the future if crowding were to become an issue. During 1972 and 1973 I was part of the Woodmoor sales staff. While I worked at Woodmoor's Monument headquarters, I would be at Stagecoach every weekend to work with potential buyers. In the winter our lot "inspections" were done on snowmobiles and small snow "tractors". The Woodmoor reputation and the quality of the development made for a high percentage of closings. I skied when not working and Woodmoor always had some fun entertainment at the temporary "lodge" to enhance the experience of the prospective buyers." -Russ M. ------------------ "I was Patrol Leader from 1975-1977 (I think)...all those years ran together. We had a blast there. Some of the best un-tracked powder I ever skiied. I live in Northern California now, but talk and think about those days very fondly." -Tony C. ------------------ I had a friend come to visit me in Steamboat in December of 1972. He wanted to go skiing but was on a tight budget and could not afford to ski at Steamboat. We took a ride out to Stagecoach to see what was going on and found out they were offering free skiing that week prior to their official opening as training for new employees. On top of that they had box lunches for a dollar. Russ and I skied there for 5 days that week for five dollars including lunch each day. -Jim C. |
| Copyright © coloradoskihistory.com All Rights Reserved ^ Pictures thanks to Scott B. # Pictures thanks to Cameron ** Picture thanks to Jason S. @ Picture thanks to Dan G. All other pictures thanks to Brad C. |
* Trails on the Unfinished Summit Area:
* Pictures from the 1970's: ^
Here are some condos built by
Woodmoor at the base of Stagecoach
Ski Area.
The base area with the temporary
lodge and the construction of the actual
building.
Woodmoor's leasing and sales office
for Stagecoach.
Woodmoor at the base of Stagecoach
Ski Area.
The base area with the temporary
lodge and the construction of the actual
building.
Woodmoor's leasing and sales office
for Stagecoach.
| Looking at Stagecoach from Steamboat Ski Area @ |
* Pictures from 2002 & 2009: