If you’re lucky enough to fly over the Rocky Mountains on a clear winter day, the views of Colorado ski resorts are spectacular. Earlier this week, one Ski.com staffer traveled back from Denver to our headquarters in Aspen and snapped some photos of Keystone, Breckenridge and Copper Mountain.
The typical westbound flight path from Denver follows Interstate 70 past A-Basin, Loveland, Keystone, Breckridge, Copper Mountain, Vail and Beaver Creek. Many mountain travelers land at Eagle County Airport to access resorts east of Edwards. If you’re headed to Aspen, the pilot banks a left turn just before Glenwood Springs and brings you into the Roaring Fork Valley. You can see Snowmass from the left-side windows just before you land at Pitkin County Airport, and as you disembark, Buttermilk, Aspen Highlands and Aspen Mountain serve as a backdrop for the plane. Flying into a small resort airport is quite the scenic experience!
Copper MountainAs you can see in the photo above, the late-season snowfall has left enough of the white stuff to cover most of the runs, at least from this 30,000-foot vantage point. These ski resorts are closed for the season while the summer operations teams prepare to open terrain for mountain biking, hiking, summer festivals and other summer adventure activities. Temperatures have been in the high 60s this week, but more snow is in tonight’s forecast. It looks like spring may be on hold for a few more weeks, but the upside for air travelers is a spectacular, snowy view from Denver past the western slope!