听is set to open in Colorado听next month with 1,500 acres on Peak Ranch, near Steamboat Springs, plus听a lodge, warming huts, gear rentals, and ski patrol. But instead of a chairlift, dedicated skin tracks will lead skiers to open meadows and aspen glades. When it debuts听for a trial month听starting听February 15, Bluebird will be the first human-powered, downhill-focused ski resort in North America, giving people an opportunity to explore the sport听in a safe and accessible location.
The concept has been around for some years, with cross-country resorts like 听in West Virginia and 听in California offering fun downhill routes but geared toward touring with more rolling terrain and up-down trails. Other resorts, like 听in Michigan, run a cat on the backcountry side of its mountain. Bluebird will stand out with its focus on big verticals and human-powered ascents. Here, you鈥檒l have to climb to earn your turns.听
鈥淏ackcountry skiing is intimidating,鈥 says Erik Lambert, who founded Bluebird with Jeff Woodward. 鈥淚t鈥檚 dangerous, it鈥檚 expensive, and it has a tight subculture that can be hard to break into. There aren鈥檛 a lot of obvious gateways into the sport, so Bluebird is designed to break down those barriers and give skiers a chance to experience and learn in a welcoming environment.鈥
The resort will be tailored to skiers who are new to the backcountry, with on-site rentals and lessons, but the terrain and concept should also appeal to experienced backcountry听enthusiasts who are looking for quality turns in a low-risk environment. Lambert and Woodward used climbing gyms, which serve as a gathering place for climbers, as their model when developing the Bluebird concept.听
鈥淐limbing is a lot like backcountry skiing,鈥 Woodward says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a dangerous sport with a niche subculture that requires a mentor to do it properly. For decades听it was hard for beginners to get into climbing, but now climbing gyms serve as a hub for accessing the community and learning the key skills. We want Bluebird to be the same bridge for backcountry skiing.鈥澨
Bluebird ran two test events听last season in Colorado, one听over two weekends at Mosquito Pass near Breckenridge, and another over a weekend at . The trials听drew a combined听200 skiers and splitboarders, most of whom were new to the art of backcountry skiing.听Lambert and Woodward have听leased 1,500 acres on Peak Ranch to run a monthlong test season between February 15 and March 15 (day tickets from $50)听but believe听the ranch will be the ideal permanent location for Bluebird. Roughly 300 acres of the resort, consisting听mostly of open meadows and 29-degree aspen glades, will be assessed for avalanche danger daily and open to skiers who want to explore on their own; this area will also feature听a set of established skin tracks, each rated for difficulty, and guidelines for safe routes down the mountain. The other听1,200 acres are听steeper and will be accessible via guided trips.
The property also includes听Whiteley Peak, a 10,115-foot mountain with 2,200 feet of vertical that Woodward says has a suite of terrain suitable for both beginners and experienced skiers. Maybe most attractive of all, Bluebird will only allow 300 skiers on its property each day, ensuring the wilderness experience and solitude that most skiers seek.听While all the infrastructure will be complete in time for its听opening, Bluebird听plans to improve the terrain come next ski season, grading more of the mountain beyond the avalanched-assessed 300 acres.听
鈥淭here鈥檚 no one doing quite what we鈥檙e doing here,鈥 Woodward says. 鈥淲e鈥檙e taking boundary markings from ski resorts, the community aspect from climbing gyms, we鈥檙e thinking about education like ski school鈥攚e鈥檙e taking all of these pieces and combining them into something that offers more control and convenience than a traditional backcountry experience. We think people are ready to try something new, get away from the crowds, find better snow, and have a wilderness experience and learn something.鈥澨