Echo Mountain Park
Encyclopedia
Echo Mountain is a ski
and snowboard
area located in Clear Creek County
, west of Evergreen
, Colorado
. As of the 2008–2009 season, it claims to be the “Denver's Closest, Cheapest and Freshest Ski and Ride Area.”
s and gladed runs. It is lit to offer night skiing. The park is 75 acres (303,514.5 m²) and is located within the Arapahoe National Forest and sits on the North face of Chief Mountain (elv. 11,709 ft.).
Echo was developed to cater to a different crowd, the young skiers and snowboarders, who according to owner Jerry Petitt, “…can’t afford to pay $75 for a lift ticket or $14 for a buffalo burger…”. In catering to the younger crowd many features of the mountain are directed at the market. Music is played on the runs through several speakers. The lodge buildings are of modern industrial design featuring many windows overlooking the slopes, corrugated metal walls, and exposed ceilings. The lodge also features wireless internet, a cafe and a bar.
The area was created out of lodgepole pine
s, bristlecone pines, and Douglas firs. The base of the mountain is located at 10050 feet (3,063.2 m) and the summit
is at about 10650 feet (3,246.1 m). When the ski area was built in 2005, the builders built a reservoir
at the base to capture some of the manmade snow
runoff.
Ski
A ski is a long, flat device worn on the foot, usually attached through a boot, designed to help the wearer slide smoothly over snow. Originally intended as an aid to travel in snowy regions, they are now mainly used for recreational and sporting purposes...
and snowboard
Snowboard
Snowboards are boards, usually with a width the length of one's foot, with the ability to glide on snow. Snowboards are differentiated from monoskis by the stance of the user...
area located in Clear Creek County
Clear Creek County, Colorado
Clear Creek County is one of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 9,322 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat is Georgetown...
, west of Evergreen
Evergreen, Colorado
Evergreen is a census-designated place and a U.S. Post Office in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. Evergreen is roughly west of Denver. The population was 9,038 at the 2010 census...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. As of the 2008–2009 season, it claims to be the “Denver's Closest, Cheapest and Freshest Ski and Ride Area.”
Description
Echo Mountain is located at the former site of the Squaw Pass Ski Area. It is owned by Jerry Petitt and his family. Echo opened late in the 2006 season. The ski area offers two learning areas, multiple terrain parkTerrain park
A terrain park is an outdoor area that contains terrain that allows skiers and snowboarders to perform tricks. Terrain parks have their roots in skateparks and many of the features are common to both. One of the first in-bounds terrain parks was the "Snowboard Park" built in 1990 at the Vail...
s and gladed runs. It is lit to offer night skiing. The park is 75 acres (303,514.5 m²) and is located within the Arapahoe National Forest and sits on the North face of Chief Mountain (elv. 11,709 ft.).
Echo was developed to cater to a different crowd, the young skiers and snowboarders, who according to owner Jerry Petitt, “…can’t afford to pay $75 for a lift ticket or $14 for a buffalo burger…”. In catering to the younger crowd many features of the mountain are directed at the market. Music is played on the runs through several speakers. The lodge buildings are of modern industrial design featuring many windows overlooking the slopes, corrugated metal walls, and exposed ceilings. The lodge also features wireless internet, a cafe and a bar.
The area was created out of lodgepole pine
Lodgepole Pine
Lodgepole Pine, Pinus contorta, also known as Shore Pine, is a common tree in western North America. Like all pines, it is evergreen.-Subspecies:...
s, bristlecone pines, and Douglas firs. The base of the mountain is located at 10050 feet (3,063.2 m) and the summit
Summit (topography)
In topography, a summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. Mathematically, a summit is a local maximum in elevation...
is at about 10650 feet (3,246.1 m). When the ski area was built in 2005, the builders built a reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
at the base to capture some of the manmade snow
Snow
Snow is a form of precipitation within the Earth's atmosphere in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. Since snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular material. It has an open and therefore soft structure, unless packed by...
runoff.