Mountain Review: Copper
MOUNTAIN SCORE
CATEGORY BREAKDOWN
See our criteria
8
Snow:
8
Resiliency:
8
Size:
9
Terrain Diversity:
8
Challenge:
5
Lifts:
7
Crowd Flow:
6
Facilities:
6
Navigation:
8
Mountain Aesthetic:
GOOD TO KNOW
On-site Lodging: Yes
Apres-ski: Moderate
Pass Affiliation: Ikon Pass
Recommended Ability Level:
+ Pros
Excellent high-alpine terrain experience
Natural insulation for skiers of different ability levels
Relatively local feel
– Cons
Slow, difficult-to-load lifts outside base areas
Altitude that can be overwhelming for some
Lack of lodges in backside areas
MOUNTAIN STATS
Lifts: 24
Trails: 140
Beginner: 21%
Intermediate: 25%
Advanced/Expert: 54%
VIDEO
Mountain Review
With a fairly expansive footprint at a reasonable distance from Denver, Copper has long been a go-to Colorado ski destination. The resort isn’t as flashy as Vail-owned competitors nearby, but if you’re looking for the diverse, high-alpine terrain Colorado is known for, Copper won’t disappoint.
Copper boasts impressive snow quality, with accumulation matching that of the best Colorado resorts. In general, trails enjoy strong cover and some variety of powder. While wind gusts in high-alpine areas get intense, snow tends to stay in the places you want it to; in fact, some bowl areas regularly see light, deep powder thanks to wind-blown snow. Easier runs are perennially groomed. A few more extreme runs maintain low cover or exposed elements throughout the season, but that’s to be expected from terrain of that caliber.
Terrain diversity is also a high point—the resort offers a variety of terrain for all ability levels. Unlike some resorts, runs of similar difficulty tend to be congregated in the same area, leading to natural insulation for skiers of different ability levels. In general, runs get harder as you go from west to east on the mountain, with the backside areas offering the most extreme terrain.
Unlike some Colorado resorts, Copper offers a variety of beginner terrain. You’ll find plenty of green runs if you stick to skier’s left of Center Village—West Village areas feature dedicated learning terrain, while the American Flyer lift services gentle (but relatively long) groomed cruisers. There’s even some high-alpine beginner terrain, although it’s serviced by the slow, wind-exposed Rendezvous lift. There’s also a small bunny hill near Center Village, but it’s relatively removed from the rest of the resort’s green terrain.
Copper offers a good selection of intermediate cruisers, but blue runs are on the tougher side. The Super Bee and American Eagle lifts service a range of long groomed cruisers. The popular Timberline area offers shorter blues but also boasts some of the only consistently ungroomed intermediate terrain in Colorado—some trails are entirely ungroomed, while others maintain an ungroomed section next to a groomed one. Either way, these trails prove a decent opportunity for those learning moguls to get some practice in.
Experienced skiers and riders will find a lot to like at Copper. Black runs in high alpine areas mainly feature short, steep pitches, but the lower elevation Alpine and Resolution areas host long, trying mogul runs. Challenging tree terrain abounds throughout the resort—even in lower mountain areas better known for easier slopes, heavily-wooded glades off green and blue cruisers prove formidable challenges.
Many double black runs involve cliffs or rocks. West Ridge, arguably the most extreme section on the mountain, requires a cornice to drop into, maintains a steep pitch, and features tough, cliff-riddled lines.
Copper has always enjoyed a decent variety of expert terrain, but the addition of the Three Bears lift has arguably transformed the resort. Getting to this terrain previously required a weather-dependent snowcat ride and a hike, but the resort now offers direct lift service to precipitous, technical tree and bowl terrain that most other Colorado resorts can’t match. The fantastic views and isolation in this area add to the experience, although some will miss the true remoteness of the pre-lift days here.
Copper delivers an excellent freestyle experience thanks to its Woodward terrain parks. Features are designed with progression in mind, making the resort ideal for visitors looking to build confidence on boxes, rails, and jumps. These parks offer a variety of small to large features, from a bunny hill beginner park to a 13’ quarterpipe and a 22’ halfpipe.
Even if you’re an experienced skier or hiker, you may find yourself unexpectedly struggling on Copper’s terrain due to the altitude. At 9,600 feet, the resort boasts one of the highest base elevations in North America. Additionally, the resort tops out above 12,400 feet, a few thousand feet higher than the highest terrain at many competing mountains. Be sure to exhibit extra caution before attempting anything risky.
It’s fairly easy to get around Copper, but there are a few issues. The resort has decent signage, although a few areas omit logical directions to certain lifts. Safety-bar-mounted trail maps on most lower mountain lifts and trail status boards in major junction areas help. Physically getting from place to place generally isn’t too bad, although if you’re not used to surface lifts, making it to the backside might be tough. The mountain’s biggest annoyance is getting from the backside to the Resolution and Spaulding areas; doing this requires going all the way back to one of the base areas. However, going the other way isn’t bad.
Perhaps Copper’s biggest shortfall compared to other large Colorado resorts comes in lift infrastructure. Several lifts are high speed, including nearly all lower mountain lifts, and the flagship American Eagle chondola and American Flyer bubble lifts provide impressive and comfortable rides. But multiple major parts of the mountain, including all high-alpine areas, maintain slow, fixed-grip lift service. Many of these lifts are old and difficult to load, and some are highly exposed to wind. However, the worst offenders live mainly in advanced and expert terrain areas, minimizing the overall resort impact.
Copper enjoys decent crowd flow thanks to generally well placed lifts. The resort’s base areas benefit from high capacity lifts, but lines can still get lengthy in the morning on weekends and holidays. Lower-capacity upper mountain lifts can get backed up, but these predominantly advanced and expert areas rarely see horrible crowds. The Timberline Express lift, which services popular intermediate terrain, sees multiple high-alpine trails filter into it, and provides the only convenient access from the west side of the mountain to upper resort areas, is the resort’s biggest choke point. For the 2021-22 season, the resort has instituted the Fast Tracks program, which allows guests to pay a premium to skip the lines at many popular lifts.
Copper’s on-mountain facilities are both impressive and frustrating. Base areas boast high-capacity lodges and restaurants, and the front side offers convenient mid-mountain spots to stop in for breaks. However, the Copper Bowl and Tucker Mountain areas lack lodges entirely, meaning that visitors in these areas must engage on a long trek to get inside. To give the resort some credit, however, these backside areas do enjoy relatively convenient bathroom access at the bottom of the Mountain Chief lift. Most food options are casual and fast, but calling them cheap would be a stretch.
Copper’s mountain aesthetic impresses overall. High-alpine areas provide fantastic views and great isolation, and multiple striking mountain ranges surround the resort. Copper’s base areas aren’t too built up, but the I-70 interstate highway across lower-mountain areas produces background noise and less than ideal views.
It’s worth noting that Copper offers a range of early-season lift ticket options, including a cheap, flexible 4-day pass that many locals save for powder days. The resort is unlimited on the Ikon Pass, and blackout dates on the base pass don’t apply here. The resort also offers a standalone season pass for a few hundred dollars less than the Ikon options.
Lodging
Copper boasts a number of on-site lodging options across its East, Center, and West base villages. Choices range from upscale inns and condos to fancy hotels. None are ski-in/ski-out save a few in the far West Village, but all are a short walk from the resort. Many on-site offerings feature pools and/or hot tubs. Copper is building a new luxury hotel at the Alpine base, which currently only consists of a parking lot; it was supposed to be ready for the 2020-21 season, but with the COVID-19 situation, the finish date is likely to be pushed back.
If you’re looking for something more economical, the nearby towns of Frisco, Dillon, and Silverthorne offer significantly cheaper lodging options. These towns are a short drive from Copper, but if you don’t have a car, Summit County offers free bus service to the resort. It’s worth noting that staying off-site on busy days isn’t always ideal, as morning traffic to Copper can get quite backed up.
Apres-ski
Copper boasts enjoyable apres-ski scenes at the Center and East base villages, with sweet happy hour deals and excellent vibes at slopeside bars after the mountain closes. Some venues feature live music Wednesday through Sunday.
After dinner, however, Copper Village is fairly dead; you’ll have to travel to Frisco or Dillon for true nightlife options. Bars in these towns feel very local and range from casual to lively, and some of them feature live music or DJs on weekends. If you don’t want to drive, Summit County’s bus service provides safe, convenient transportation to and from these areas.
Verdict
So Copper isn’t as competitive infrastructure-wise as some other Colorado mountains, but the resort delivers a combination of terrain diversity and local feel that’s tough to beat. Lift tickets are expensive at the window, but a number of options can make the resort quite a good deal for what you get if you commit early enough.
NOTE: Mountain Score criteria for this resort were adjusted on December 19, 2021 and April 11, 2021.
