Geneva Basin Ski Area | South of Georgetown Having opened in 1963, the resort fought the good fight until 1984 when a chairlift fell and Geneva Basin was forced to close until proper maintenance was completed. Will and I ripped our skins from the bottom of our skis, flipped our bindings and boots into downhill mode, and double-checked that the beacons were in send mode. applink.innerHTML = ' Open mobile app'; I had a brief moment of concern when I worried about snapping a pole, but then I decided I didnt care this way way more comfortable! I lived at the bottom of the South (285) pass where the gate is now. if ( whizDeepLink != '' && /iPad|iPhone|iPod/i.test(userAgent) ) { Few obstacles. Geneva City, CO Ghost Town - by Montezuma. Readers around Craig and Moffat County make the Craig Press work possible. Learned a little ski patrolling there as well. Lots of sugary, faceted snow. Geneva Basin initially opened as Indianhead in 1963 but went into foreclosure only two years later. Moments like this are what makes all the sweat and pain worth it. applink.innerHTML = ' Open mobile app'; Geneva Basin (originally Indianhead Ski Area) was a ski area in the western United States, located in Clear Creek and Park County, Colorado, 10 mi (16 km) north of the community of Grant and 13 mi (21 km) south of the town of Georgetown. I remember watching in awe as the ski school director, Dan. 1.7 km The ski area swapped hands often, from an Illinois family, to former Gov. They promised to take care of the hut and somehow everyone agreed on keeping it intact. At its height, Geneva Basin ran two double chairs and two Poma lifts. It's not every day you get to see a closed-down ski area. applink.href = 'https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.whiz.craigdaily&hl=en_US'; His plan was toreopen the existing facilities and complete the snowmaking system. Snow Reports are provided regularly throughout the ski season courtesy of our own . It is situated south of Guanella Pass at an elevation of 11,750 ft (3,580 m). You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. A film project over two years in the making, "Abandoned" follows a trio of friends on their exploration of Colorado's forgotten ski areas. Ski area employees reportedseeing Ed walking at night around the top of the Duck Creek Lift (the site of theaccident).History info from http://www.coloradoskihistory.com/lost/genevabasin.htmlNinja merch check out - https://teespring.com/stores/the-ninja-on-the-mountainsFilmed with: Insta360 ONE X and a 10ft selfie stick. Due to financial problems, this lift was never completed. This place has been closed for the last 35+ years but is free to. Geneva Basin, Colorado In the 1960s, a man named Ed Guanella was decapitated while building a chairlift at Colorado's now-defunct Geneva Basin Ski Area. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Directions: While you can approach Geneva Basin from Georgetown, Id recommend heading south and driving up via Highway 285. That ski area was my whole life growing up there. Geneva Basin Ski Area is another one of Colorado's lost ski areas. } In 1965, Geneva Basin succumbed to bankruptcy, and former Gov. My chest heaved with exertion as I slid one ski in front of the other. Hazardous terrain. When the resort was in operation, it was used as a ski patrol hut but these days, it is the only remaining structure from the resorts glory days. This is where you will begin touring. Location: Colorado, Rocky Mountains, United States, North America. I had hot spots and blisters all over the place, and Geneva Basin was nowhere in sight. Also, pack layers, food and water. I am not ready to test it with the skis before then, as I am not that good on crosscountry skis. To find interior design nirvana, experts always follow these eight underlying principles. 'abandoned' a ski documentary abandoned ski areas berthoud pass ski area colorado ski country usa colorado's heyday of ski area growth geneva basin ski area indiegogo lee olinger mom and pop ski hills outside online small colorado ski areas no longer in business the road west traveled. He was instrumental in the construction of the skiarea. The Duck Creek lift was also upgraded to a triple and moved to a better line. Below are weather averages from 1971 to 2000 according to data gathered from the nearest official weather station. Just a few years after opening, what was then known as Indianhead Ski Area would see its first of multiple tragedies in the death of a skier due to an avalanche in 1965. However, ambitious planning couldnt supersede the ski resorts financial woes. ). . Clinical and, Now Hiring! Take a virtual tour of Colorados forgotten ski resort, Cuchara Mountain Park, which despite being abandoned for over 20 years may be reopening soon. According to newspaper articles, the Forest Service was not opposed to the proposal,however, nothing ever went forward. Descubra trilhas como Geneva Basin Ski Resort Colorado, encontre informaes como extenso da trilha, altitude, dificuldade, atividades e empresas prximas. It -2,624 ft Descent Unfortunately, the owners were unable to accomplish this. The lack of maintenance became grossly evident in 1984 when a chair fell from the cable on the Duck Creek lift. Originally coined Indianhead Ski Area, Geneva Basin opened in 1963 on the backside of Guanella Pass. Geneva Basin Ski Area. The next four years were the best of my life. Photo: Drive 7 miles north on Geneva Road to reach the, Take a left into the parking lot and continue straight on FSR 119, Take Guanella Pass Rd from Georgetown to the summit of the pass, Take a right into the Duck Creek Picnic Area / FSR 119. We ended up skinning/skiing 11 miles with a couple thousand feet of gain, which was definitely a big day. IF YOU SEE THEM PLEASE DONT STEAL THEM! GIS Administrator The GIS (Geographic Information System) Administrator   Summer Season 2023 Full-Time & Part-Time NOW HIRING -- Positions Available in: Food & Beverage Culinary Golf Maintenance Golf Operations, Retail Sales Associate - Pay starts at $22.00/hour and goes up as knowledge, skills demonstrate ability to sell significantly high, Vail Destination Manager A passion for luxury hospitality, service, and is well connected to the Vail Valley community. The latest Grand Geneva snow report shown below was updated on 17 Apr 2023. -2,447 ft Descent The area had some pretty great runs (Henrys Holler, Tomahawk, Knicker Knocker) and produced some amazing skiers. It does have a wood burning stove though, so if you had wood, you could totally head it up all cozy. I would like to offer you a correction though. Open: 4, New (24 hr): N/A" | Base: 54" Open: 0, New (24 hr): N/A" | Base: 36" You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Print/PDF map. Two more Poma lifts were added in the 1960s to provide additional access to bowl and beginner-friendly terrain. Sure enough, he bought my love with food that day, and my energy returned. The climb can be long but its usually relatively quiet for the Front Range. As I recall, it was the spring of 1984, and almost nobody else was around, even though I think it was on a Saturday. Historical Weather. We are planning on having a re-union in the next couple months at Geneva basin. The owners went into bankruptcy and a salvage sale stripped the ski area of its physical assets. only about 5" of snow on the road. AP Images Crested Butte, Colorado Linsmayer with Colorado Ski Country said the association's member resorts have a 10-year average of about 0.89 deaths for every million skier visits. In addition to backcountry skiing gear, you will need an avalanche beacon, shovel and probe. A ghost story of \"Eddie the Head\" thanks to Lee: \"Ed Guanella was the son ofPaul Guanella (the pass fame). Now 73, Im a little disinclined to brave the bumps and turn my ski-tips straight down. Space planning is key, and less really is often more. Open: 9, The entertainment site of The Denver Post, This is Colorados most famous abandoned ski, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), This is Colorados most famous abandoned ski area, Denver weather: Rain and snow diminishing, with clearing skies in the afternoon, Indy Pass to suspend sales just 10 days after opening, citing concerns of overselling, Skier killed in avalanche near Breckenridge, Watch: Rare sunbathing lynx captured on video near Silverton, PHOTOS: Mikaela Shiffrin honored in Vail for record 87th Alpine Ski World Cup victory, Theres plenty of snow, but some Colorado ski areas are closing anyway. The main chair lift at Geneva was diesel powered and if someone fell getting on the lift, a stop button killed the engine so the lift operator had to climb up a ladder, go inside a top enclosure and restart the engine. The first film from the Road West Traveled takes viewers on a trip to three long-closed ski areas: Geneva Basin, Cuchara, and Berthoud Pass. Once we got stuck on the lift near the top in a storm while the thing was restarted. Actually, my father and uncle, Walter and Bob Burke, were more instrumental in the ownership and daily operations of Geneva Basin. This place has been closed for the last 35+ years but is free to snowboard, ski, or sled if you are willing to hike it or skin it.Operation Dates for Geneva Basin Ski Area: 1963 - 1984* Elevations: Summit 11,750; Base 10,500; Vertical Drop 1,250ft* Season: December - Easter; Hours 9-4pm* Tickets (1983): $10-13 AdultsHistory:This area dates back to 1963 when it opened under the name Indianhead. Human Resources Technician City of Craig Clerk/Personnel Department $19.68/hour-$28.29/hour. This article about a sports venue in Colorado is a stub. All the backcountry skiing adventures! -273.73 m Descent, 3.0 mi Two days after thefailed Park County ballot to save Geneva, F. S. officials decided to burn down the skiarea's lodge to avoid any associated liability. It was early on a Saturday and the two of us were on the side of Georgetowns Guanella Pass somewhere between Highway 285 and the 11,670-foot summit. * Elevations: Summit 11,750; Base 10,500; Vertical Drop 1,250ft, Initially, Geneva Basin operated a Heron double chair called Duck Creek and a T-, Two poma lifts were installed during the 1960's, The area later added a new Heron double chair replacing the Sundance T-bar, After the area closed during the mid 1980's, the area was purchased by new owners, and they were in the process of installing a new Borvig triple chair replacing the Duck. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. ASK US ABOUT OUR ALTERNATIVE LICENSURE PROGRAM! This role provides comprehensive technical, Flood warning issued for Elkhead Creek in Moffat, Routt counties, Elk River peak flow expected to be one of the highest in 53 years. Snow covered the road, we were steadily climbing towards the pass, and our spirits were high. In many places, the onset of spring means the end of ski season. Users can sleep in it if they want, but it is kinda dirty. But one of my favorite things about Colorado is that its the exact opposite! Abandoned Colorado Ski Resorts: Mesa Creek -Just a Colorado Gal. const whizDeepLink = 'craigpressmobile://content?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.craigdailypress.com%2Fnews%2Fthis-is-colorados-most-famous-abandoned-ski-area%2F§ionId=&fallback=1'; The small ski area was the brainchild of Arapahoe Basin founder Larry Jump and featured snowmaking and night skiing. Miraculously, the USFS did not burn down the cabin when mitigating liability in the early 1990s. My chest heaved with exertion as I slid one ski in front of the other. Geneva Basin Ski Area could have been a solution to that problem. At Northwest Colorado Health we believe everyone deserves the chance to achieve their best health. This is the last place I skied in my life. [11][12] In November 1993, Park County voters were asked to approve a recreation tax designed to finance the ski area's reopening. 6.3mi 5.1 km Will and I hiked for a mile or so, watching the snow gradually creep back onto the pavement. Two more Poma lifts were added in the 1960s to provide additional access to bowl and beginner-friendly terrain. It was a bluebird day so the heat was blasting down on us but the wind was wicked. The property was sold again to another investment group in 1985 with ambitious plans to revitalize the ski area. Open: 15, New (24 hr): N/A" | Base: 20" Ideal candidate will have a calm presence, experience working in a private home and, Volunteer Engagement Coordinator $25 per hour Full time, year round Full benefits and ski pass Based at our Camp on, Vail, Beaver Creek and Eagle Valley, Colorado News, Spring skiing, meet the authors, dogs and whiskey and more: Tricias Weekend Picks: 4/28/23, ShowDown Town free concerts return to Eagle on Thursday nights this summer, Big Head Todd and the Monsters & Blues Traveler coming to Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater in July, Australian singer-songwriter Tash Sultana plays Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater in Vail on Sept. 3. Knowing []. I took a long trail that wound along the top of a ridge and then descended into some other trails. It was eventually owned by former Governor Roy Romer and operated for some years until permanently closing in 1984. -799.77 m Descent. Hiking with skis is never anybodys favorite thing, so we tried to make the best of it. That hurts just thinking about it! If youre not a ski bum or a local in a ski town, you may not know about the secret, manmade huts on Colorado ski mountains known as smoke shacks., a recent story about Cuchara Mountain Park, burned to the ground by United States Forest Service employees, Tour Beautiful Western Colorado Farm Described as a Hidden Gem. 2. When covered with snow, we could easily ski down in 30 minutes, but since so much of it was dry, we were going to have to hike a bit. O Bing Mapas tem uma coleo de timas trilhas com o trajeto at o incio das trilhas, bem como fotos. Open: 4, New (24 hr): 1" | Base: 28" Just saw your post about back country skiing!! Obviously, we chose the former. Unless someone gets lifts running again, it's now a zone for backcountry exploring. A long, gradual climb to an old abandoned ski area, Geneva Basin. I lived there since I was three years old and my mother worked there in the cafeteria. A few weeks back, Will and I decided to tackle a new-to-us adventure: venturing to an abandoned ski resort known asGeneva Basin. Andrew Cogliano out for Game 7 with fractured neck after Jordan Eberle's hit leaves Avalanche miffed at lack of suspension, Denver airport makes Food & Wine's list of top 10 U.S. airports with best restaurants, Celebration of life for Alexa Bartell, killed by rock thrown through windshield, draws hundreds to Arvada church, Colorado lawmakers "belly flop" on water crisis, opting for further study of Colorado River over action, experts say, With Andrew Cogliano out for rest of Stanley Cup Playoffs, Kraken's Jordan Eberle discusses hit that fractured Cogliano's neck, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. No, you can't ski there anymore (it lacks the snow), but the views are still stunning and the history is novel. . He would also rename the ski area to Alpine Valley. After all, we still had the four miles of road. I ended up with a wicked burn!} All Rights Reserved. Thislift ran parallel to the former Duck Creek lift but farther right, making the high-speed pomaserving the bowls unnecessary. Length 14.0 miElevation gain 2,171 ftRoute type Out & back. The new lift ran parallel to the former Duck Creek lift but was positioned farther right, making the high-speed Poma lift serving the bowl unnecessary. else { Road to the ghost town of Geneva City, Colorado. Open: 10, New (24 hr): N/A" | Base: 50" During the summer, the Duck Creek lift was removed and installation of a new Borvig triple chair began, which was to be called the Phoenix lift. Some Random Facts on Geneva Basin:1. Between 1972 and 1984, Geneva Basin changed hands numerous times, and the resort fell into disrepair due to minimal funding. WHAT. From there, we spotted a small structure perched at the summit of the resort: the former ski patrol hut. I was having fun again! Miraculously, Danny had just finished skiing a lap and was beginning to skin back up to the top to meet his wife. Borvig never installed the lift's drive unit orchairs. This article about a ski area or resort is a stub. Last spring, my husband and I were two of them as we stood at the site of the former ski lodge and marveled at the solitude. 3h 06m. Minor steeper, uneven terrain. 10 Most Haunted Hotels in Ski Country, Mapped, The Real-Life Shining Hotel is Getting a Real-Life Hedge Maze, Crested Butte: The Most Haunted Ski Town in America. [1], Jack English, developer and owner of Indianhead Mountain Resort in Michigan,[2] invested two years of improvements to the site that opened as Indianhead Ski Area of Colorado in December 1961[3] with two rope tows from the defunct Magic Mountain ski area in Golden, a Heron double chair, and a Constam J-bar.