Industry News
Monarch Mountain, Colorado, located in the heart of the Rocky Mountains near the town of Salida, offers an authentic and independent skiing experience. This gem is known for its abundant natural snowfall, averaging around 350 inches per year, ensuring consistent snow conditions. Unlike many larger, more commercialized resorts, Monarch Mountain prides itself on a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, attracting families and avid skiers alike who appreciate its no-frills approach and affordability. The resort’s elevation, with a base at 10,790 feet and a summit at 11,952 feet, ensures not only reliable snow but also stunning panoramic views of the surrounding Sawatch Range.
Earlier this month, the resort announced that it received official approval from the United States Forest Service to expand its special use permit boundary into the No Name Basin after a decade of planning.
The development adds 377 acres of terrain to the existing 800 acres for nearly a 50% increase in total acreage. This summer, the plan is to build the access road, extend the powerline, and cut runs. In the summer of 2025, the ski area plans to install a three-person, 2,700-foot-long fixed grip lift with a warming hut and restroom facility. The expansion will open early in the 2025/26 season.
Over the last five years, season pass sales at Monarch have grown 25-30% annually and more than doubled in the last three seasons. With more visitation and the town of Salida quickly growing, it appears the timing for expansion is perfect. Partly thanks to the increased sales, the resort is flush with enough cash that it is not financing any of the expansion costs. This is impressive given that the resort also tries to keep an entire season of operating costs on hand in the case of a “nuclear winter,” where a low snowfall year could cause it to have limited to no operations.
Both sides of the Continental Divide
As it sits now, Monarch’s footprint primarily faces on the east side of the Continental Divide. The new expansion will sit towards the west-facing backside, where current cat skiing operations take place. The west side tends to receive equal to or more snow than the east side and will also give Monarch the distinction of being the second resort to provide lift-provided access to both sides of the Continental Divide of the Americas.
Since The Divide acts as the border between the Gunnison and Pike-San Isabel national forests, this doubled the government hurdles that had to be crossed during the project approval process. Communicating with Forest Service districts proved challenging, but resort officials worked diligently to streamline the process.
The Continental Divide, also known as the Great Divide, is the most prominent hydrological divide in America that separates the watersheds that drain into the Pacific Ocean from those that drain into the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. It also includes those that drain into the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, and Hudson Bay. It extends from the Bering Strait in Alaska to the Strait of Magellan in southern Chile.
Skiing on both sides of the Continental Divide will be a unique experience for any skier to check off their bucket list. The rare opportunity to ski across this natural divide will provide spectacular views, varied terrain, and a profound connection to the continent’s topography.
There is another resort in North America that sits on the Continental Divide that allows visitors to ski both sides of it. Banff Sunshine in Alberta sits right atop the Continental Divide as well as on the border of British Columbia and Alberta. Guests can ride up the Great Divide Express and not only ski two provinces in one run, but also both sides of the Continental Divide.
There is still another ski resort in North America that sits on a continental divide. Buena Vista Ski Area in Bemidji, Minnesota, sits astride the Laurentian continental divide. In the spring, melting snow on the east-facing slope eventually will end up in the Gulf of Mexico. Snow melting on the west-facing side drains into the Hudson Bay in Canada.
Until now, many Colorado skiers have been uninterested or unaware of Monarch as it lies far off the I-70 Corridor and the major resorts of Epic and Ikon. But perched high in the Rocky Mountains, it provides a unique skiing experience of flowy terrain, ample snowfall, sunshine, small crowds, and the unparalleled opportunity to carve through pristine snow while crossing one of the continent’s most significant geographical landmarks.
A-Basin
Isn’t Wolf Creek Pass in Colorado also on the Continental Divide?
Wolf Creek Ski Area does not straddle both sides of the Continental Divide. The ski resort is located entirely on the eastern side of the Continental Divide in Colorado. Wolf Creek Pass, where the ski area is situated, does cross the Continental Divide along U.S. Highway 160 between the San Luis Valley and southwest Colorado. However, the ski resort itself is positioned only on the eastern slope of the pass.