Days on the Slope - Copper Mountain December Report

Sketch of my recent ski day at Copper Mountain.

I moved to back to Denver this past July and have been patiently waiting for the snow to fall so I can finally start skiing regularly. However, my patience has grown thinner and thinner since the Colorado resorts began their operations. In fact, a couple of weekends ago, I drove up to Copper Mountain and completed my 7th day of skiing this season, a personal record and one I think is impressive given the horrendous start to this season. While the conditions are improving, it's safe to say I, along with most skiers and snowboarders in the western United States, am still desperately waiting for more snow and a more regular weather pattern.

Making the Best of this Historically Low Start

In times of low snow and unfavorable weather, all I can think of is the scene of That '70s Show where Michael Kelso, played by Ashton Kutcher, exclaims, "I CAN'T CONTROL THE WEATHER, JACKIE!" Man, I wish I could, though. And right now, if I could turn a magical snow faucet on, I'd do it and never turn it off.

But until a higher power grants me access to that magical snow faucet, I'm trying to make the most out of every day and enjoy being in the outdoors, sharing the experience with the thousands of other skiers and snowboarders who are equally as ready for Winter to finally arrive. Plus, skiing is my favorite sport and a great way to get exercise, so it doesn't take much to motivate me to go, even when conditions are thin.

Copper Mountain - December Report

Copper Mountain is a super fun mountain with a diversity of terrain. From the endless mogul run underneath A-Chair to the gnarly chutes on Tucker Mountain to the short runs of tree skiing off of the Storm King T-Bar, there's an abundance of expert areas that are sure to make any day enjoyable... when it's fully open. When I went to Copper last weekend, it was disheartening - but certainly not unexpected - to check the snow report and operations status and see no new snow in the past week and minimal open terrain. Fortunately, there were quite a few lifts open - American Eagle, Americal Flyer, Woodwind Express, Super Bee, and Excelerator. I was able to take them all and was pleasantly surprised by the vertical feet that could be skied, as well as how well dispersed the crowds were. However, due to the lack of new snow, each run was groomed, and the conditions were icy all over the place. It was still fun to be out there, though.

A "Fun" Day Teaching a Novice Skier

One thing I haven't mentioned is that my girlfriend, who is still a novice skier, joined me on the mountain. Back in April of 2025, when we were certain we were moving to Colorado, I convinced her to buy an Ikon pass so she could learn to ski. So far, we have skied one day together at Winter Park. There, I taught her the skiing basics - snow plowing, turning, playing with different speeds - by taking laps on the Discovery Lift near the Snoasis Lodge. To me, skiing the longer beginner runs at Copper seemed like a logical next step... I was wrong. Everything started smoothly. We went up American Flyer and headed down High Point, a long green run that went from the top of the lift to the base. For the first half of the run, things were flat, and she was in complete control of her skis. However, things took a turn when the slope of the run started getting steeper (in my opinion, the run became a blue run). She started moving too fast. Due to the steepness of the slope and the extra icy conditions, (to my great concern) she could not use a snowplow to stop and (to my relief) crashed without injury and stopped before skiing off the main run. Although shaken up, we took things nice and slow the rest of the way down and made it to the lodge and got some much-needed (spiked) hot chocolate before trying again. That run was definitely scary for both of us, but in time, I'm sure we'll be ready to continue with her lessons - although definitely not at Copper.