WOLF CREEK SKI AREA — In our exclusive series Adventures with Alan, we'll travel across Southern Colorado week-by-week to show you thrills and chills, hidden gems and well-known spots.
Skiing Wolf Creek in the majestic San Juan Mountains
Known for deep powder and some of the best snow in the state, Wolf Creek Ski Area has been on my radar since I first moved to Colorado back in 2019.
The ski area is located between South Fork and Pagosa Springs in southwestern Colorado.
A little off-the-beaten path, it'll take you about four hours to get here from Colorado Springs...on a good day.
But the drive is worth it as this place is known for having short lift lines, light crowds and great snow.
"We like to liken it towards cream cheese. Very supportive, really fun to ski in, and our customers love it," said Wolf Creek President and CEO Davey Pitcher.
Pitcher has been at the helm of this family run ski area since the early 1990s.
Home to ten lifts, 77 runs and 1,600 skiable acres of lift-served terrain, it's the kind of place that caters to all skill levels and abilities.
"Wolf Creek is a family friendly mountain and it's located on the Continental Divide. It does provide a high alpine experience," said Pitcher.
And with 430" of fresh, quality powder each season, the snow here runs deep.
"Storms generally last three or four days, and we pick up quite a bit," said Pitcher.
Visitors that we talked to on the mountain agree!
"I love how there's so much snow. I've been to many other places in Colorado and this has the best snow, the most snow," said Texas resident Tracy Whitney.
Our trip to Wolf Creek just so happened to fall during a dry patch, but those typically don't last long here.
This place is the powder capital of Colorado.
Although we miss out on a true powder day at Wolfie, there's plenty of fun terrain to explore.
Lucky for us...Pitcher takes me around the mountain.
We hit up some of his favorite groomers first.
With thin crowds, I'm able to fly down some of these trails, and it's a rush.
Tranquility might just be my favorite cruiser here.
We also explore some of Wolf Creek's more famous tree runs.
"The tree skiing is really good for the people that want to experience some powder and kind of go exploring," said Pitcher.
Thanks to the most snow in Colorado this season, we still manage to find a few stashes of powder.
Soft bumps, soft snow, great terrain...I can see why so many people are drawn to this mountain.
"Oh we love it. It's amazing, and I haven't skied in 30 years, and I'm loving it. This is awesome," said Texas resident Jessica Vetter.
It's a mountain that met all of the hype for me and then some, although next visit, I'm hoping that I'll get the chance to ski some of Wolf Creek's legendary powder.
My final thoughts
I want to thank Pitcher and his friendly team at Wolf Creek for showing us around the mountain.
The ski area plans to stay open for a few more weeks, with the official closing date for the season coming on April 9, 2023.
For more information, including online tickets, you can visit the ski area's website at - Wolf Creek.
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