Vito ValentinettiDay 92
Location: Nederland, CO
Ski Areas: 45 out of 50
“I love Eldora,” the guy on the lift told me. “When I was younger, I used to go to Summit every weekend, but now that I have kids, this is my mountain. My son just rode his first black today.”
The ten year in question looked like he wanted to die — for some reason it’s just terrible when your father talks to strangers on the ski lift. But I knew from experience that this young ripper was swelling with pride at conquering one of the major ski milestones.
If you couldn’t already tell from some of the mountain selections on this trip, I love family mountains. It’s the atmosphere. The parents here aren’t dumping their kids into ski school for the day while they go sip drinks at some fancy mountain top lodge. They are out there tearing it up. Reminds me of my old man teaching me how to ski “Masshole” style at Mad River Glen when I was a youngster.
Eldora was packed for its last weekend. Another blazing sunny day along with lots of good folks enjoying the weather and the company. Just up the street from Boulder, Eldora may be tiny, but it’s a hell of a good time.
The Cheat Sheet:
Eldora
2861 Eldora Ski Road 140
Nederland, CO 80466
Mountain Stats
| Snowfall | 300 in (762 cm) |
| Top Elevation | 10,800 ft (3,292 m) |
| Bottom Elevation | 9,200 ft (2,804 m) |
| Vertical Drop | 1,600 ft (488 m) |
| Area Size | 12 lifts | 53 trails | 680 acres (275 ha) acres |
| Night Skiing | No |
| Terrain Park | Yes |
| Halfpipe | No |
