New high Colorado ski area planned

19th January 2013, by Abi Butcher

Developers say ski touring, snow cat skiing and heli skiing will be allowed at Bear Creek

A new ski area of 1,300 acres for all levels of skier is being planned to open adjacent to Telluride in Colorado.

Bear Creek is being billed as the highest ski area in North America — 4,132m (13,555ft) at its highest point of Wasatch Mountain, 3,524m (11,562ft) its base — and will be open to heliskiers, snow cat skiers and ski tourers.

Plans for the new area were announced on Friday 19 January by Colorado real estate broker Tom Chapman and his business partner Ron Curry. But they have yet to obtain permits for their plans, though Mr Curry has said “the permit process has begun”.

The pair bought the land, former mining parcels, in 2010. They plan to build a 1,000 square-foot yurt on site, which they say would be “Telluride’s ultimate ski-in, ski-out homesite”.

A website for the proposed ski area says “The Creek” will offer avalanche-controlled snow but no grooming, no ski lifts, no permanent structures and no traditional ski area lift facilities. It will offer “human-powered skiing”, optional helicopter lift skiing and optional snowcat assisted skiing, subject to permit.

It states the area will offer: “Reliable deep powder snow. No trees, no cut-out trails, steep and deep couloirs, cliffs, bowls,and all levels of expert, advanced and even intermediate skiing.”

Silverton Mountain, the last new ski area to be developed in Colorado, took almost six years in planning before its permit was approved.

• colorado
• heli-ski
• heliski
• heli skiing
• telluride

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