Appearing like a highlight video on the Weather Channel, snow rushed sideways over the top and followed the contour of the hill downward. I dropped just below the ridge where the air was calm and skied legitimately steep expert terrain. Late in the morning, the clouds parted slightly and splashed brilliant dollops of sunshine across the ridgelines and slopes. About 150,000 riders visit Monarch each year. Most come from valley towns and from Colorado Springs and Pueblo, cities about two hours to the east.
Groups also bus up from Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas.
On holiday weekends Monarch draws about 3,500 skiers per day and liftline waits can grow to about 10 minutes, said Rich Moorhead, Monarch's general manager. But on week days we usually don't have more than 500 people. For those needing more challenges, Monarch has access to about 900 acres of back country terrain just outside the ski area boundaries. While Monarch is small compared to the major resorts, the variety of terrain would keep most skiers and snowboarders happy for several days. Closer to the ski area, the Monarch Lodge offers 90 rooms that are just minutes from the slopes.