Statistically Wolf Creek appears to be a fairly average ski area. It’s 1600 acres, which places it solidly in the middle of the pack for rideable terrain. It has seven lifts to serve that terrain and a vertical of just over 1,600 feet. There’s no terrain park at all.

There is one statistic, however, that sets Wolf Creek apart from other resorts: an average annual snowfall of 465 inches, which gives it more snow than any other ski area in Colorado.

Although that doesn’t top some other hills, like Jackson Hole or Snowbird, it’s still quite impressive.

Wolf Creek also has some qualities that set it apart from other ski areas. There’s the hill’s dedication environmental stewardship, which has resulted in a very low proportion of cut runs and a very natural-feeling on-hill experience.  Wolf Creek is also quite community-oriented, and that is reflected in the friendly atmosphere.

Then there are the proposed Wolf Creek expansion plans, which would open up 1000 acres of new, powder-covered terrain — and 700 of those acres would be all-natural black and double-black diamond chutes, gullies, and cliffs.

What do you think? Could Wolf Creek be the Best Ski Resort in the USA?

Would the proposed expansion affect your opinion?

Vote now! 

The post Is Wolf Creek the Best Ski Area in the United States? appeared first on XpatMatt.

We left Salt Lake City to visit Wolf Creek in February, excited to see how Colorado’s best snow stacks up against Utah’s self-proclaimed “best snow on Earth”.

It was impressive.

While there we got to ask the locals and visitors what they liked about Wolf Creek. Some people mentioned the super-chill small town atmosphere. Mentions of the hot springs in nearby Pagosa Springs were unavoidable. But, one thing was universal: Wolf Creek’s 465 annual inches of snow, which is the largest annual snowfal of any hill in Colorado.

Who wouldn’t love that?

The post Sh*t People Say About Wolf Creek appeared first on XpatMatt.

I went out both days with Wolf Creek ski instructor Steven Baird both days to take some photos. Here’s what we came up with.

This is Steve plowing through the fresh pow on Sunday while the snow continued to fall.

Wolf Creek is located in the San Juan Range of the Rocky Moutains in southern Colorado. It receives more snow than any other resort in the state, and has one of the highest annual snowfalls in the country. You’re about to see the results.

Wolf Creek is a broad resort and the best terrain is accessed by foot from the tops of lifts.

If you’re willing to walk a little ways (rarely more than 20 minutes) fresh tracks are easy to find.

In fact, they’re easy to find pretty much everywhere. This was taken right under one of the main chairlifts.

And this was taken along the side of one of the most trafficked runs on the hill.

It was socked in and snowy on Sunday, but it was bluebird all day Monday. This spot was just a 15-minute hike from the top of the Alberta Chairlift, just below Alberta Peak.

And this one just a little farther down the mountain in the trees.

There was no shortage of rippers to shoot once we were on Alberta Peak. Lots of people where hiking to it for long runs of fresh thigh-high coldsmoke.

This guy charged the steepest section of the slope and nailed it!

Then, Steve and I headed off into the woods to find some more freshies, and take advantage of the filtered sunlight for photos.

The result: some of the best photos I’ve taken all season.

How do you think Wolf Creek stacks up to other resorts in the USA? Do you think it could be the best?

Vote for your favorite resort in the Best in the West Ski Area Showdown!

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