On Lift Chairs and Legacies with Mark Phillips

Eldora: Boulder’s Backyard With a View

By Mark Phillips, 1-19-06

The busy holiday weekend found us close to home. Oscar and I slept at home on Friday and headed to Eldora for a day-trip on Saturday. The magic of backyard skiing made itself apparent from the time my alarm rang…7:00, not 5:30. It continued as the light pulled us through 15 miles of world-class Boulder Canyon, from the first glimpse of Red Rocks to the site of Eldora as we crested above Barker Dam. On the mountain, we had clear skies and Spring Snow conditions.

As Loveland does, Eldora offer close-in, free parking. We arrived just before 9:00 and the main parking lot was already about 85% full. Perhaps it was the three-day weekend or perhaps people are just now shaking off their holiday hangovers. We made quick work of the Passport check-in and made our way to the Challenge Lift. If you’re with beginners, I recommend that you only put two in a chair at a time. The exit ramp comes up quick and it’s easy to get tangled up as you exit the lift. Note: lifties all over the mountain will slow the lift down for boarding and exit if you ask. As you make your way up the mountain on Challenge, make sure you crank your neck around (but be careful…there are no safety bars) and take in the view. You won’t see it from the top of the mountain and the view of Nederland, Barker Dam, Boulder Canyon, and Boulder is spectacular.

At the top of Challenge, you can go left and take one of two blues back down to the base. Powderhorn can be fun if there’s good snow (especially if you can find your way into the glade off to the left), and Jolly Jug has a quick steep, a few rollers, and a wide, river-like bend before you get to Sunset. Boarders should make sure to get good speed on the steep section: the river requires paddling if you don’t motor through.

La Belle Dame is a good run to the right of Challenge. I like to stay far right on the steep and take the service traverse to the section under the Challenge lift. It sneaks up on you, so go slow. Under the lift, you can usually find great snow long after the rest of the mountain is chopped up, plus you can show off to the lift-riders.

With so many good choices, Oscar and I chose to head right to our favorite section of the mountain, Indian Peaks. There are a few merges to manage, but I’ve often found myself sticking to the Hornblower/Sidewinder/Lower Diamondback combination run for two or three hours at a time and never get bored. Lower Diamondback (and it’s nearly-as-good sister, Lower Ambush) is probably only ½ to ¾ of a mile long, but if they had a lift dedicated to it, I probably wouldn’t venture far beyond than this run. For a more experienced rider, Lower Diamondback offers a nice short steep with a few small jumps, a refreshing push through a hollow to the golden finale. If you stay left after the hollow and carve big wide turns, you’ll swear you’re at Malibu surfing perfect five-foot rollers. For a second-year boarder like Oscar, the run offers an under-traveled section of varied terrain that can gently encourage you to use both sides of your board on the steep, reward you with a push through a few, widely-spaced trees, and give you the chance to see your Dad giggling and begging for a repeat run at the bottom of the trail.

The Indian Peaks and Corona lifts are the only two on the mountain with lift bars. At the top of the Indian Peaks lift, make sure to take the trail that goes directly under the lift. There are many tiny bumps that even beginning skiers/boarders can manage: kids love them.

After a few shots at that run, stay left where you would have taken Sidewinder. This trail, Around the Horn, will take you over to the Corona lift. The lines are usually longer at Corona than Indian Peaks (where there are never any), especially between 12:30 and 1. Even so, I’ve never waited longer than five minutes. At the top of the Corona lift, make sure to grab a cup of hot chocolate and a bathroom break at The Lookout (they also serve a limited lunch menu). From here, you can see the Continental Divide and spend a few minutes reading the plaque that gives a short description of the terrain and of Eldora’s history. I love this view, especially after lunch when the deck is warmed by the afternoon sun. Beware. The Lookout is packed with ski-school groups from 11:30-12:30.

The runs to the north of the lift are very advanced and, unless there’s heavy snow, are too steep for me to enjoy. If you like bumps, though, this is the place to ski. The traverse back to Indian Peaks is a calf-killer for regular-stance boarders, but there are some nice kickers just before the trail merges with Hornblower.

For freestyle boarders, I’ve heard that there are rails in the woods to skiers left of La Belle, though I’ve never seen them. Most of your time will probably be spent on the Sundance lift where there’s a nice group of jumps and rails. It looks like the half-pipe is gone for good. There’s even a fun green run called Foxtail that offers beginner-level park features.

Eldora gets a bad rap from Denverites and Summit County skiers. It’s not uncommon to hear a snicker when you tell someone from Highlands Ranch that you’re skiing Eldora on Saturday. But I say the laugh’s on them. It’s close, affordable, the lift lines are short, and the terrain is enjoyable and engaging.

Most importantly, a nearby resort like Eldora means less car time and more of the lift time I enjoy so much. Oscar started in Eldora’s Trek Program and even raced on the Junior Race Team for two years before he picked up the snowboard. Eldora is a special place for us, as I’m sure it is for many families, and I’m happy it’s been a part of our lives.


Trip Details
Where we stayed:
Home.
Check out couchsurfing.com for an interesting lodging option.
I’ve never stayed in Nederland, but there are several budget hotels available.
I stayed at the Boulder Mountain Lodge several times before I moved to Boulder and recommend it to families. They have kitchenette and full-kitchen rooms available for $63-$93 per night, are about 20 minutes from Eldora and 5 minutes from Downtown Boulder, and have a pond where Oscar and I often found ducklings to feed.
The Alps Inn looks nice, but I’ve never been. It’s also in the Canyon.
A quick glance at the Ski/Stay packages uncovered $129 per night deals, including two adult lift tickets.

Where we ate:
Breakfast: Home
Two of my favorites in Boulder are Dot's Diner (go to the one on Broadway) and Lucille's (Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous New Orleans breakfast!).

Lunch:
The Lookout
The food at Eldora is a little over-priced and about average. We had chili in a bread bowl, soft drinks, and a cookie for about $20.
Nederland has plenty of restaurants. The Pioneer Inn is a fun, Old West/mining sort of place. If you’re feeling adventurous, check out the Millsite Inn a few miles along Peak to Peak in Ward. They have great brats. If you’re feeling even more adventurous and want to see a still-authentic old mountain mining town, take the precarious drive to Gold Hill and get a snack at the hitching post.

Family Friendly High Points

If you’re driving from Denver, invest the extra 20 minutes, take in the perfect drive and morning-lit Flatirons along 93, and turn left on Canyon to Nederland. Make sure to honk the horn in the tunnel about 7 miles west of Boulder. Of course, the drive through Wondervu on 72 is gorgeous, too. Take your pick: you can’t go wrong.
If you decide to take Canyon, beware the speed trap. There’s usually a Boulder cruiser parked just before you enter the canyon and two or three Nederland traffic officers between Barker Dam and Eldora.
The Annex to the left of the main lodge has plenty of tables and some shelves for your bags. This is a nice place to get suited up, leave your gear, and return for lunch. It’s hard to find a seat from 11:30-12:30.
Make sure to visit the Gem and Mineral store at the corner of 119 and First St. in downtown Nederland. Kids love it.
On the way back down the Canyon, take a quick stop at the Boulder Waterfall. It’s close to the road and beautiful.
Warning: No cellular reception in Canyon or at Eldora.
Spring skiing is great anywhere, but if you go later this year, try to time your trip to see Nederland’s Frozen Dead Guy Days.

No lift lines.
Closest Resort to Denver and Boulder.
Great Snow.
Terrain Park for boarders.
Free, close-in parking.
Good Ski-Stay Packages.
Discounted Lesson Packages for learners ($72 per day for equipment, instruction, and lift passes)
Easy Bus Service from Boulder (Route N)

Like this story? Get more! Sign up for our free newsletters.