Wolf Creek Ski Area, CO, Conditions Report: Strong Early Season Conditions as the 85th Season Ramps Up

Current conditions at Wolf Creek Ski Area | Image: Brett Ploss

Report from November 24, 2024

Wolf Creek Ski Area, Colorado, opened a month ago as the first major ski resort in North America. Wolf Creek opened 100% of its terrain by mid-November, the earliest ski area in the country to claim that feat, thanks to its usual early-season snow. So it was high time to pay a visit, especially after the resort had seen a total of 72 inches of snowfall to date. The early opening means snow has already been skied into the trees, making the available terrain the most in North America this early in the season. Groomed trails like Tranquility and Charisma are skiing beautifully, while Montezuma Bowl and Alberta Peak offer great options to find powder stashes even this early in the season. Thumper and Treasure Falls were both great options for off-piste skiing

The mountain’s 1,604 vertical feet may sound modest, but its nearly seven-mile-wide expanse, including 1,600 acres, 144 named trails, and eleven lifts deliver terrain for all skill levels. Powder seekers love Alberta Peak and Montezuma Bowl, while beginners and intermediates flock to groomers like Bunny Hop and Powder Puff. The snowcat operation at Horseshoe Bowl is a standout feature, offering backcountry-like terrain beyond Knife Ridge into Horseshoe Bowl—completely free of charge.

We started our day exploring the groomed trails off of Bonanza and Raven chairs, admiring the wide-open spaces Wolf Creek is known for.

A view of Wolf Creek from Treasure Stoke Chair | Image: Brett Ploss

The runs were groomed to perfection. With low crowds, only expecting 500-1,000 people on a typical day, the runs were empty, leading to long, fast GS turns.

The resort prides itself on a fleet of 10 modern snowcats acquired over the last 10 years. The owners enjoy a collection of 35 including vintage cats from the 1950s. These are used for various tasks around the mountain from ferrying supplies to the upper mountain to refilling propane tanks.

We then headed towards the other side of the mountain exploring Treasure Stoke Chairlift and pausing for a quick break at the Continental. A coffee shop warming hut at the peak.

Inside the Continental at Wolf Creek Ski Area | Image: Brett Ploss

As the day progressed, Alberta Peak and its surrounding terrain delivered the best off-piste terrain. This is what makes Wolf Creek a favorite for powder chasers, even this early in the season. We were able to find untouched stashes throughout the vast amount of terrain this single lift services.

From the top, a short boot pack leads to the Knife Ridge Staircase. The area still needs to fill in, and after another few storms it will provide steep chutes. As we traversed from the top of Knife Ridge, there were too many entrances to chutes with fresh, untracked snow to count. At the end lies the beginning of the cat skiing operation that takes skiers 3,000 feet along the ridge and up around 250 vertical feet to the top of Horseshoe Bowl.

The Knife Ridge staircase at Wolf Creek in November | Image: Brett Ploss

We dropped in just below the cat and didn’t see one track for at least 500 feet. Despite a few days without snow, the weather and trees had kept conditions cold enough for it to ski light and powdery.

The rest of the day was filled with laps off of Alberta and Knife Ridge while it felt like we were skiing in late December. Throughout the day, we did not wait in a single lift line.

While at Wolf Creek, we had the opportunity to sit down with Wolf Creek’s CEO and owner, Davey Pitcher to discuss the history and future of the area. Follow SnowBrains for our interview with Davey and the exciting plans for the resort in the future.