jimk
Active member
I must have done something wrong in life. I'm reserving $59 motels for a visit to Monarch, Colorado later this week
Monarch and Salida
- Thread starter jimk
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Join the club, mate. I've stayed at the Great Western Colorado Lodge in Salida a few times!I must have done something wrong in life. I'm reserving $59 motels for a visit to Monarch, Colorado later this week
jimk
Active member
That's the place! How was it? Got any Salida restaurant/visitor tips? Did you do a write up on any visits to Monarch? I've never been before.
Monarch, CO: 04/03/21
For my final ski weekend of the season, I headed back to Colorado to get a few more days on my Loveland season pass. After a couple hours on Route 285 through expansive unpopulated valleys, you turn right onto Route 50 and head up toward Monarch Pass: Even though all of the snow in the Front...
www.firsttracksonline.com
This one from Dec 2019 also has links to previous visits in 2008 and 2017.
jimk
Active member
Perfect, thanks. Nice photos by James. The layout looks good for a geezer like me hoping to do my first serious skiing of the winter. (I have four days of mellow groomer skiing in VA over the last month.) Only thing, that high elevation is sure to have me sucking wind. I'll be skiing there over MLK weekend and forecast indicates I might see some much needed fresh snow.
jimk
Active member
Nice. Probably more like the weather and temps I'll see next week.
I drove over Monarch pass on Rt 50 about five years ago on the way to Crested Butte. Didn't stop at Monarch, but my Outback went into an out-of-control 50 yard downhill slide in snow heading west down the pass. Fortunately, I was only going about 5 MPH. But still memorable, especially for my wife sitting beside me.
PS: is there a thread here on "hairy winter driving experiences"? I'm sure we collectively have some great stories.
"Cheap and cheerful" as the British say. Just a place to shower and sleep. I don't recall any bad issues.
January 2017, I barely made it up Monarch Pass in my econo rental. As I mention in Post #3, "Who needs chains or 4WD when you have dope Upstate NY driving skillz?" Lots of great pix in the Denver Post link, which still works.
jimk
Active member
This time around I have snow tires on my Subie for Monarch Pass. Forecast is Looking like I'll need them. I'll try to post some photos of my visit here. Likely to visit Copper and Steamboat for a day or two after Monarch.
BTW, this will be the second place I've visited this winter after turning age 70 and getting free skiing. Thinking about doing some sort of article on capitalizing on the age 70 thing, but not sure if I'll visit any more mtns this season that offer that particular deal.
BTW, this will be the second place I've visited this winter after turning age 70 and getting free skiing. Thinking about doing some sort of article on capitalizing on the age 70 thing, but not sure if I'll visit any more mtns this season that offer that particular deal.
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I'm not sure if all Powder Alliance areas have ski free at 70 season passes, but my Mt. High age 70 pass is good at other Powder Alliance areas, used at Lost Trail last March.
As more of us boomers get into this category, the age for free skiing if any gets pushed up. 80 is typical for larger areas I think.
As more of us boomers get into this category, the age for free skiing if any gets pushed up. 80 is typical for larger areas I think.
jimk
Active member
Was up at Monarch yesterday 12jan2024. For about 4 hrs. I've been skiing in 50 degs temps in VA. This was a rocky mtn wake up call!! 2 degs, windy, low viz, only Garfield double running. Snow was great. Skied like about 6" cut up powder. One chairlift companion used the adjective brutal to describe the weather.
Today 13 Jan US50 and Monarch ski area are closed for avalanche mitigation work. Believe there was a small slide on 50 last night. 1-2 foot storm coming in next 48 hours with more wind, single digit high temps.
20 miles down in Salida it's 25 degrees and partly sunny. The Monarch Cloud
Thought about commuting Salida to Copper 85 miles to ski today, but would have been a late start, short day, and harsh weather conditions might have made return trip rough.
Yesterday was not a good photo day, the old Garfield double chair (850' vert), low profile, nape of the earth, came in handy, all other chairs at Monarch closed due to high winds:
Staying in Salida's beautiful Great Western Colorado Lodge for $59 per night. I'd recommend this for clean old school motor court. (Has James Deluxe seal of approval.)
Today 13 Jan US50 and Monarch ski area are closed for avalanche mitigation work. Believe there was a small slide on 50 last night. 1-2 foot storm coming in next 48 hours with more wind, single digit high temps.
20 miles down in Salida it's 25 degrees and partly sunny. The Monarch Cloud
Thought about commuting Salida to Copper 85 miles to ski today, but would have been a late start, short day, and harsh weather conditions might have made return trip rough.
Yesterday was not a good photo day, the old Garfield double chair (850' vert), low profile, nape of the earth, came in handy, all other chairs at Monarch closed due to high winds:
Staying in Salida's beautiful Great Western Colorado Lodge for $59 per night. I'd recommend this for clean old school motor court. (Has James Deluxe seal of approval.)
Wow, I've skied in some challenging weather there but don't recall chair closures.
Good call. It's a pretty but long drive - I've done it two different times one-way from Salida to Cooper. Would've been exhausting to say nothing of the jarring culture clash between old-school Monarch and industrial Copper.
For consistency: it's the "jamesdeluxe bankrupt-jetset seal of approval®"
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EMSC
Well-known member
Yes but what was your choice of restaurant for dinner?
Have you stopped by Woods High Mtn Distillery (might be a bit pricy relative to $69 hotels though)?
(-6F so far tonight here. Can't imagine many restaurants doing well this evening in this area).
This pic from my early April 2021 report linked above was taken from that bridge. Something tells me that no one was there yesterday in swimming apparel!
jimk
Active member
14 Jan 2024 was a very good powder day at Monarch. Enjoyed a full day, rode all the lifts multiple times. Didn't get into Mirkwood, maybe next time when I'm better adjusted to the altitude? Really leaves me with a nice memory of the mountain. Not feather light, but powder is powder. Skied like 1 foot on the trails, like 18" in the trees. Later in day the deep chop worked me, worked me hard
Lift line a few minutes before opening bell. I can handle that crowd! Other photos are random skiers.
My main Monarch take away: Big enough to be entertaining, small enough to be very friendly.
Skied it two days, Jan 12 and 14, 2024, parked 50-100 yards from ticket window each day. The elevation (~10,800 - 12,000) was hard for me coming from sea level. Felt better the second day, but deep snow skiing was demanding and I had to stop frequently mid-run to breathe. Age 69+ ski free thing is real. I paid $5 for and rfid card on first day and they just reloaded it every day thereafter for free. CDot did a good job keeping US 50 open in both directions all day on the 14th. Monarch is not probably the kind of place you'd build a whole ski week around, but I liked it and would consider returning in the future for a few days.
Heading to Copper Mtn and A-Basin next three days, then on to Utah. This is quite a significant storm cycle I'm driving through, the entire CO mtns are going to get 2 feet out of it before done. I'm facing a snowy 85 mile drive this AM from Salida to Copper, but at least the roads are open. The drive I've got to make from Silverthorne CO to SLC UT on Wednesday afternoon/evening has got me watching weather reports carefully too.
Lift line a few minutes before opening bell. I can handle that crowd! Other photos are random skiers.
My main Monarch take away: Big enough to be entertaining, small enough to be very friendly.
Skied it two days, Jan 12 and 14, 2024, parked 50-100 yards from ticket window each day. The elevation (~10,800 - 12,000) was hard for me coming from sea level. Felt better the second day, but deep snow skiing was demanding and I had to stop frequently mid-run to breathe. Age 69+ ski free thing is real. I paid $5 for and rfid card on first day and they just reloaded it every day thereafter for free. CDot did a good job keeping US 50 open in both directions all day on the 14th. Monarch is not probably the kind of place you'd build a whole ski week around, but I liked it and would consider returning in the future for a few days.
Heading to Copper Mtn and A-Basin next three days, then on to Utah. This is quite a significant storm cycle I'm driving through, the entire CO mtns are going to get 2 feet out of it before done. I'm facing a snowy 85 mile drive this AM from Salida to Copper, but at least the roads are open. The drive I've got to make from Silverthorne CO to SLC UT on Wednesday afternoon/evening has got me watching weather reports carefully too.
Well put!
EMSC
Well-known member
Any actual lift lines during the day on a holiday weekend? Or was it mostly locals with a smattering of Texans?
jimk
Active member
Yes, but minor (20 people) on most lifts. The Panorama lift in the upper center of the mtn seemed to be the most popular and it had 5 minute lines much of the day. Again, an instructor told me Saturday might have been the busiest day yet this season.
My regret is that I didn't do the little climb to get up into Mirkwood Bowl. Maybe next time, My excuses: elevation, age, skinny skis (I keep more skis in UT), early season lack of fitness. You are basically spending your whole day between ~11-12k feet, and that's no joke for altitude sensitive folks like myself that need a little adjustment time coming from sea level.
Yesterday 15 Jan 2024 I drove 100 miles in the high country from Salida to Silverthorne with a five hour ski stop at Copper Mtn in between. I70 was messed up and subject of much chatter on lift rides as sections were closed on and off all day. When I hit it around 5pm for short drive Copper-Silverthorne it was snowy/icy but moving. I got lucky.
Here's a photo from HW 91 going over Fremont Pass between Leadville and Copper Mtn yesterday, glad to follow a plow over the worst of it:
PS: I did not enjoy my ski day yesterday at Copper as much as Monarch the day before. Snow was good (but not as good as Monarch), temps were colder (7 degrees at 3pm), and worse visibility. But good for growing hair on chest. The sun is out today and I'm going back to Copper. Should be much more comfortable day.