Berthoud Pass (11,800')
Route Description
Berthoud Pass, like many passes in Colorado, has great skiing and great access (about 1.5 hours from Denver). This spectacular area, with much of the terrain above timberline, has always been a favorite spot for backcountry skiers because of it's easy access. It was a ski area on and off, from 1937 until 2001. In the mid 80s, in the early days of telemarking, when a pair of Asolo "Snowpine" leather boots and a pair of Fischer Europa 99s (perhaps the worst telemark ski ever made) was the hot setup, Berthoud Pass offered a $45 anual pass on some special deal. The place was a haven for hippy sticks. An alternative to the big resorts.
All that is history now. Berthoud Pass is still a ski area, but without lifts, without machinery. Known for deep snow, high wind, and dangerous avalanche terrain, Berthoud Pass is a double-edged sword. Great lines close to the road are like cheese in a mouse trap. But watch your back. Colorado snowpack is known for it's dangerous snowpack and Bethoud Pass is it's poster child. This is due in part to abundant snowfall, high altitude, high wind, and low temperatures.
But don't be put off by Berthoud's dangerous reputation. There is a lot of terrain at Berthoud that is faily low angle and relatively safe to ski. If you are going to venture into the steeper routes, then you better understand the snow conditions, the avalanche forcast, and avalanche rescue techniques.
Getting There
From Boulder or Denver, take I-70 west to exit 232, Empire, Berthoud Pass, Winter Park. From the exit, drive approximately 14.3 miles to the top of Berthoud Pass. There is a large parking lot on the east side of the road.
Once you are at the Pass, you can move up or down the pass to get to a specific route trailhead.
- Current Creek Trailhead-From the Berthoud Pass summit, drive 1.9 miles north (toward Winter Park) and park in the lot on the west (left) side of the road. There is also an overflow lot about a 50 yards down the road on the east (right) side.
- Second Creek Trailhead-From the Berthoud Pass summit, drive 3 miles north (toward Winter Park) and park in the lot on the west (left) side of the road.
- First Creek Trailhead-From the Berthoud Pass summit, drive 3.6 miles north (toward Winter Park) and park in the lot on the west (left) side of the road.
Route Directions
There are specific directions for each route below. See Getting There, for trailhead directions. Also, see Berthoud Pass Map.
Route 1: Gravel Pit
Nice, low-angle slopes above the gravel pit. These slopes face south-east and north-east and are often untracked. Probably because you have to walk about a mile to get to them. It's worth the trip, but be careful in high avalanche conditions.
Route 2: Berthoud Beginner Run
This is a nice, long, and safe run. It's low angle, but with 5-10 inches of snow, it's great fun. Also a good place to practice if you're a beginner and want obstacle-free terrain in which to practice.
Climb straight up the open slope above the parking lot.
Route 3: Berthoud Main Lift Run
This run has many options on both sides of the main ski area ridge. A good place to explore. The slopes on skier's right, and to the right of the main ridge, are more moderate and more sheltered from the wind. To skier's left of the ridge, the runs are steeper and rockier. I avoid the steeper cliff area due to high avalanche danger and lots of hidden rocks and boulders.
Route 4: Berthoud Left
This is a great area to skier's left of the cliff/lift area on the west side of the road. Nice, long run back to base of old area. From the top of the old lift (8,800'), ski down and left into an open bowl. This bowl is fairly steep at the top, and as a result, can be dangerous when the avalanche danger is high. You can avoid the steepest section by going around it on skier's left side. Below the bottom of the steep section, the run heads back to skier's right, toward the area base. A great run worth many laps.
Route 5: Current Creek Access
If you want more of a tour, this is a great route. You start at Berthoud Pass and end up in Current Creek where you can access routes 6, 7, 8, and 9.
Climb to the top of the old ski lift and continue to a small peak (11,963'). Ski down, north, north-west following the open shots until you reach a bench. A little below the bench, you will cross the aquaduct. From here you can access the Current Creek routes or follow the drainage down to the highway. In either case, you will have to hitch hike back to your car at the Pass.
Route 6: The Grassy Knoll
This "Grassy Knoll" near the top of a tributary to Current Creek is a powder pocket. Because of it's location, it gets very little sun or wind and a lot of snow. The shots aren't very long, but usually have very nice snow even when many of the east, west, and southern aspects are sun crusted. You can also access this run by climbing to the top of the ski area ridge, but the access into the drainage from the ridge is dangerous and prone to skier-triggered avalanches.
Route 7: West Ridge Glades
Near the top of the west shoulder that divides Current and Second Creek, there's a sheltered bowl and glades that are somewhat protected from the wind and, as a result, collect nice, light powder. The shots are not very long or steep, maybe 300 feet, but it's a lovely little area and a great place for beginners to practice turns and for experts to play.
To access this area, ski up the drainage, favoring the north (right) side. You will pass the South Face Bowl on your right. This is a broad bowl and steepens and gets rocky the further upsteam you go. Once you are past the South Face Bowl, aim for a bench and keep following that upsteam. After about .6 to .7 miles, start climbing up towards the shoulder and look for the open area.
Routes 8 and 9 :South Face Bowl of Current Creek
The South Face bowl in Current Creek has some of the best skiing on Berthoud Pass. It's not the steepest or most intense area at Berthoud, but it's intermediate grade and southern exposure make it a safe and solid place to ski most of the time. Because of it's southern exposure, the base is more solid and predictable than the unstable and dangerous north faces. And you can't beat the access. There is no approach to this route. You start climging up to the route as soon as you leave the parking lot. Also, I have put in line after line down its untracked slopes while watching people skiing moguls and rocks below the aquaduct on the north face of current creek. This is a great area for skiers of all abilities.
To access this route, follow the main trail out of the parking lot, but after about 50 yards, when you can see the open slopes on your right, head due north. If there's no trail, just wander up. The forests are gladed and easy to navigate. Once you are at the top, there are dozens of lines down and all are relatively safe. There are a few steeper pitches and you need to assess the avalanche conditions before you ski these.
Routes 10, 11, 12, and 13: Second Creek
Second Creek is one of the first areas I tried to do a telemark turn, and for good reason: it is a great big bowl of moderate terrain with glades down lower and open-bowl skiing up higher. It's also one of the prettier drainages in the Berthoud Pass area.
To access routes 10, 11, 12, and 13, follow the drainage up from the parking lot. In order to get a sense of the area, it's a good idea to climb up to the north shoulder at 11,000'. There's a lot of good skiing from this point.
If you're up there on a calm, sunny day, I recommed climbing up to the top of the Second Creek drainage at 11,800'. The views are wonderful, and if you get to the powder before the wind does, you will find some beautiful, long, low-angle shots on both the north and south sides of the drainage.
Local Information
Places to eat:
Map
Map 3 Berthoud Pass Map
Berthoud Pass Ski Area Historical Maps
Thanks to Ryan, aka Lemon Boy and btjdesign.com, I found these historical maps of Berthoud Pass Ski area. Please remember that when these runs were part of the Berthoud Pass ski area, they were controlled for avalanches by the Berthoud Pass Ski Patrol.
Map 4 Berthoud Pass Ski Area Arial View
Map 5 Berthoud Pass Ski Hell's Half Acre
Map 6 Berthoud Pass Ski Area Floral Park
Map 7 Berthoud Pass Ski Area Current Creek
Map 8 Berthoud Pass Ski Area Pumphouse Basin