Loveland Ski Area

The Loveland Ski Area is the combination of two separate areas—Loveland Basin and Loveland Valley. The two areas, formerly connected by a double chairlift, are now served by bus. The area is one of Colorado’s highest ski areas with a summit of {{convert|13010|ft|0|abbr=on}} and the third highest lift-served areas in North America at {{convert|12697|ft|abbr=on}}. The ski area takes its name from adjacent Loveland Pass, which separates it from the nearby Arapahoe Basin ski area, on the west side of the Divide via U.S. Route 6.

The ski area is situated on the east side of the Eisenhower Tunnel, through which I-70 crosses the Continental Divide. Because of its lofty elevation, Loveland is typically one of the first ski areas to open; the earliest opening record on October 7, 2009. It also has the most "first" victories (five and one tie) in recent years.{{cite web|url=http://www.thedenverchannel.com/money/business-news/loveland-ski-area-to-open-tuesday|title=Loveland Ski Area to open Tuesday|work=ABC 7News|location=Denver, Colorado, USA|date=21 October 2012|publisher=Scripps TV Station Group|author=Hendrick, Thomas}}

It is generally regarded as the closest major ski area open to the Denver market. Due to its lack of on-site lodging, Loveland often has shorter lift lines and less-expensive lift tickets, particularly midweek.

Loveland Basin is the windiest of the two areas that compose Loveland Ski Area.

It contains most of the runs and lifts in the ski area, including all of the "Most Difficult" and "Expert" terrain.{{cite web|url=http://skiloveland.com/the-mountain/trail-map-mountain-stats/|title=Loveland Map | 9-Ski Lifts & 1,800 Acres of Trails | Loveland Ski Area }} Eight of the ten chairlifts are located in the Basin. The bottom of the mountain contains the Basin Lodge. The basin lodge is a building that contains the Loveland Grill, as well as a Deli, and two bars. There are also many cabins on the mountain, which contain both warming huts and some are food service. All have propane grills and heated insides. The historic E-Tow Cabin is one of these, which was the site of the original E-Tow Lift. Most can be rented out.{{cite web|url=http://skiloveland.com/the-mountain/cabin-rental/|title=Mountainside Loveland Cabins | Loveland Ski Area }}

Image:Loveland Ridge.jpg|View of the ridge above Loveland Ski Area.

Image:LovelandSkiArea.jpg|The view from Chair 1 at Loveland Ski Area.

Image:The Ridge at Loveland Basin.png|Views of The Ridge from the top of chair 9 at Loveland Basin.

Loveland Valley is geared toward beginners. It has two chair lifts, Chair 3, which serves its intermediate and racing runs, and Chair 7, which exclusively serves its beginner slopes, All Smiles and Take Off. Generally, its slopes are gentler which suits itself well to be the home of Loveland’s Ski and Ride School.

Loveland Valley has a lodge building that consists of a cafeteria, bar, the Ski and Ride School office, a ticket office, a rental shop, lockers, hygiene services and a retail area.

Loveland Race Club is also located within the Valley. The Club practices and races at the upper end of the Valley’s Switchback Trail. Practices are held every afternoon and races are held on the weekend. The Club also has a lodge just below the base of Chair 3.[http://www.lovelandracing.com Loveland Racing Club] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080312181844/http://www.lovelandracing.com/ |date=2008-03-12 }}

There is a big race that happens at Loveland Valley every year called the Loveland Derby that is put on by the Loveland Ski Club.

Loveland has a combination volunteer and paid patrol that services the mountain and leads the way for other volunteer patrols with their extensive camaraderie. It is one of the few patrols in the Rocky Mountain Division that has an active young adult program, who share the same responsibilities as their adult compatriots.

In 2024, Loveland Ski Patrol became the latest to join the United Professional Ski Patrols of America union, part of the Communication Workers of America. {{citation needed|date=May 2013}}

Loveland was first opened as a ski area in 1936 by J.C. Blickensderfer, who installed a portable tow rope in what is now Loveland Basin. The following year, operations were taken over by Al Bennett who used a modified Model T to power the tow. In 1941 the area was named Loveland Ski Tow Inc. and through the 1940s the area grew to boast 4 tows.

Many changes occurred during the 1950s and 1960s which made the area much more accessible. In 1955, Loveland Ski Tow Inc. was purchased by stockholders and Pete Seibert, the future co-founder of the Vail Ski Resort, was hired as General Manager.

Loveland's first chairlift, Chair 1, opened in 1955. Chair 2 was added in 1957, as was the Mambo Café, which was situated near the base of what is now Chair 4. Chairs 3 and 4 were also constructed during the 1960s.

Loveland saw the construction of the Eisenhower Tunnel beginning in 1968, with tunnel openings in 1973 and 1979. The owner Upham and Loveland general manager Otto Werlin conceived the idea of artificial snow from observing the pumps and compressors being used to dig the tunnel.

The 1980s and 1990s brought about several upgrades to existing equipment. In 1984, snowmaking capabilities were installed. In 1985, Chair 2 was upgraded to a triple chairlift. The late 1980s also saw the construction of expanded lodge facilities at the Valley area. Lift 8, a fixed grip quad, was installed to access intermediate and advanced terrain in 1990. In 1995, the Basin’s lodge was remodeled and expanded. Lift #3 was replaced in 1996 with a fixed grip quad. 1998 saw the installation of another fixed grip quad, Lift #9, which provided access to

"The Ridge".[http://www.coloradoskihistory.com/areahistory/loveland.html Colorado Ski History][http://www.lovelandskipatrol.com/index.php?module=pagemaster&PAGE_user_op=view_page&PAGE_id=4&MMN_position=6:6 Loveland Ski Patrol History] Prior to Breckenridge Ski Resort's construction of the Imperial Express SuperChair in 2005, Lift 9 was the highest offloading chairlift in North America.

In 2011, the aging Lift 4 was replaced with a triple chairlift.{{cite web|title=Loveland Ski Area|url=http://leitner-poma.com/projects/loveland-ski-area/|work=Leitner-Poma.com|accessdate=12 May 2014|year=2011}}

For 2015, Lift 2 was split in half, and it was shortened to end at its midstation. The upper section of the lift was replaced with a new fixed grip triple called Ptarmigan, running in the alignment of the former platter.

In 2018, Lift 1 (a fixed-grip triple installed in 1981) was replaced by a Leitner-Poma high speed quad, named "Chet's Dream".{{cite web|title=Loveland Ski Area|url=https://skiloveland.com/chets-dream/}}

When the International Olympic Committee awarded the 1976 Winter Olympics to Denver in May 1970, the local organizers' proposal included the development of Mount Sniktau as the primary venue for alpine ski racing for downhill and giant slalom, with slalom at Loveland Ski Area.{{cite journal|url=http://si.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1084592/index.htm|journal=Sports Illustrated |title=Olympian snafu at Sniktau|last=Rapaport|first=Roger|date=February 15, 1971 |page=60}}{{cite web|url=http://history.denverlibrary.org/blog/content/denver-never-was-1976-winter-olympic-games |publisher=Denver Public Library |last= |first= |title=The Denver That Never Was: 1976 Winter Olympic Games |date=August 2013 |accessdate=December 27, 2013}} By early 1972, it was decided to move the alpine events to Vail because the proposals did not meet the Olympic standards.{{cite web|title=Denver Defers the 1976 Games|url=http://www.skimuseum.net/pdf/1972-76.pdf|work=Ski Museum.net|accessdate=12 May 2014|page=2|quote=...1976 Winter Games, they were originally awarded to Denver.}}{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19720201&id=YfcbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=qFMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3083,158024 |newspaper=Pittsburgh Press |agency=UPI |title=Olympic notes: Appeal on Schranz rejected |date=February 1, 1972|page=30 }} After the Colorado voters, in November, rejected public funding for the Olympics, it was relocated to Innsbruck, Austria.

{{Main|Wichita State University football team plane crash}}

On a clear Friday afternoon in early October 1970, a chartered airplane carrying half of the Wichita State University football team crashed just northeast of the ski area. A total of forty were on board and only nine survived; the cause was attributed to several pilot errors. First responders were Loveland Ski Patrol, motorists (I-70/US-6) and construction workers at the Eisenhower Tunnel.

{{Reflist|2}}

• {{Official website|http://www.skiloveland.com/}}
• [http://www.myspace.com/lovelandskiarea MySpace.com - Loveland]
• [http://www.3dskimaps.com/index.php?path=loveland 3dSkiMaps.com - Loveland Ski Area - 3-D map]
• [http://www.skiloveland.com/chair4/ New #4 Chair Development]

{{Authority control}}

Category:Buildings and structures in Clear Creek County, Colorado

Category:Ski areas and resorts in Colorado

Category:Tourist attractions in Clear Creek County, Colorado