Backcountry Skiing In Rocky Mountain National Park | The Old Estes Park Ski Area "Hidden Valley"

Forgotten by many, Estes Park once had its own ski area, it was called "Hidden Valley" and then in its final years was called, "Ski Estes Park". The resort had 1200 acers and 5 lifts, a full service lodge, and a large parking lot. The area now is a venue for AIARE level 1 AVY courses and a great place to practice backcountry skills on slopes under 30 degrees. If you plan on skiing here don't go without a plan and always ski with a beacon, shovel, probe, and ideally a partner, especially if you plan to ski avalanche terrain.
At the old base area is the only sledding hill in Rocky Mountain National Park and it is free to all park visitors, you must bring your own sled. There is also a warming hut, restrooms, a ranger center, picnic pavilion, and an interpretive hiking trail in the summer.

[@TheLakeJake3]

This one’s a gem

[@Wanderlust073]

Was up there last month, more snow than I’d seen in a looong time laying up in the valley there. Rock Garden up behind bear lake was pristine powder.

[@yZstarAk1979]

love that valley when its pow stacked 👍

[@JB-rt4mx]

1973 1991⛷️⛷️

[@borgshizzle9375]

Thanks for this video 👍 rewatching my own videos one of the most satisfying visuals is to watch soft patches of warm corn snow peel away and race me down the fall line...i spotted several of these scenes in this one 😁 some close calls with a couple tree wells, then a scary toll-bridge/rib tickler @ 14:46 😂

[@TheBourneBlogger]

Around 8:20 you were poking holes in the snow of an intersecting trail and said it's a no-go b/c "this is beat". What does that mean? High avalanche probability?

[@coloradocamera]

The snow layers were weak so I was sinking straight down

[@LandonBain]

maybe cdot can put in an animal crossing / ski flyover at that location

[@coloradocamera]

They don't plow the road until spring, the old ski area had some sort of bridge over the road

[@LandonBain]

@@coloradocamera maybe they could do a 1 gondola ski area again

[@coloradocamera]

@@LandonBain No way the parks would allow it they already undergone massive restoration to return it to its natural environment