When I head for the mountains I’m usually trying to leave the rat race behind me. That’s why I’m always on the lookout for outliers – intimate, friendly and isolated areas that are less “resort” and more “ski”. Don’t get me wrong… I love Colorado’s big areas, but when I want to get away, sometimes I really want to get away, if you catch my (snow) drift.
Last year we discovered Monarch Mountain atop Monarch Pass between Salida and Gunnison. We loved it. Monarch is everything a local’s mountain should be. The atmosphere is laid back, the lift lines practically non-existent, the snow is fantastic (or at least it was when we were there) and it has an outstanding mix of terrain for everyone.
This season, my clan plans to check out SolVista Basin at Granby Ranch. When our kids were a lot younger, toddling around aimlessly, my wife and I thought what was then known as Silver Creek would be the perfect spot for our young family. As with many things, the best laid plans don’t always come to pass and we never made it.
Now, Silver Creek is called SolVista Basin and is part of Granby Ranch, a four-season resort community with golf, mountain biking, hiking and other mountain activities during the other three pointless seasons.
What appealed to us about SolVista Basin back in the day still appeals to us today. According to everything I’ve seen and heard about SolVista Basin, its emphasis is on the family experience without compromising the skiing in the process.
I like the way SolVista Basin is divided between a mountain with only beginner and intermediate runs (East Mountain) and one with only advanced and intermediate runs (West Mountain). SolVista Basin appears to be the perfect place to learn and improve. With SolVista Basin’s Get on the Snow program (GOTS), you get a GOTS season pass and a 20-percent-off discount coupon for a retail merchandise purchase when you complete two ski or snowboarding Level 1 lesson packages. If you’re just starting to ski and want to practice, you can use the Milestone lift all day long for only $20.
Children five and under ski and ride for free while seniors over 70 get a lift ticket for $10 during the regular season, $15 during the holiday season and $13 during Spring Break. Regular season full-day lift tickets are $38 for ages 6-12, $56 for adults (13-60) and $42 for seniors under 70. Those lift ticket rates vary up or down five bucks or so depending on the time of season and whether you buy multiple-day tickets or as part of a rental package.
This season’s improvements at SolVista Basin include an all-natural log park off the run Jackalope called Ted’s Secret Stash; two new bump runs, Ghost Rider and Speculator; beginner mini-terrain park features found on the side of the Milestone lift at the base area; and The Tank, a new Terrain Park feature that’s eight feet in diameter and 30 feet long with a quarter-pipe on each side.
From Jan. 1 through April 2, SolVista Basin provides night skiing and tubing from 5-8 p.m. every Saturday and every night from Dec. 26 through Dec. 30- during Winter Wonderland. Night skiing is $10, tubing is $11 and a combo ticket is $18.
Starting at about the time SolVista Basin opens on Dec. 15, there will be a number of ongoing special events and competitions throughout the season, including a free après ski songwriter series called Fireside Acoustics at Seven Trails Grille every Saturday from 2-5 p.m. (go to www.ThisSideofBerthoud.com for more info); SolVista Basin Terrain Park competitions starting Dec. 18 with a Rail Jam for all ages; Local Appreciation day on Dec. 18; Santa Claus visit on Dec. 24; Winter Wonderland at Granby Ranch from Dec. 26-30; Fireworks over Granby Ranch on New Year’s Eve; Kid’s Totally Insane Winter Blast on Feb. 5; Snowfest Movie Night on Feb. 19; Beach Bash on March 19 and the Season-Ending Splash on April 2.
SolVista Basin is 17 miles from Winter Park on Highway 40 going toward Rocky Mountain National Park. A great way to sample SolVista and ski Winter Park/Mary Jane during the same vacation or weekend is to stay in Fraser, which is kind of in between the two (it’s closer to Winter Park).
After we’ve visited SolVista Basin and checked everything out I’ll give you a first-person, hands-on account of the area, so keep an eye out for it this season. In the meantime, go to www.granbyranch.com for more info and http://173.164.40.18/ to view SolVista Basin’s webcam (it’s snowing right now).
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