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| The Reopening of Saint Mary's Glacier |
| Eclipse Snow Park Overview: ** |
Updates:
7-1-10 - The Clear Creek County Commissioners voted down the
permit to allow Eclipse Snow Park begin construction. For more
information, click here.
7-02-09 - Eclipse Snow Park is looking at a reduced sized park as the
USFS land swap is not progressing quickly. For their latest plan,
visit their website here: www.eclipsesnow.com.
12-30-07 - Eclipse Snow Park is planning on a land swap with the
USFS to trade land parcels that will better benefit the ski area and
the USFS at St. Mary's Glacier. Please write a letter to Congress to
show your support of their proposal. Click here to learn more about
their potential trade and how to show your support.
12-13-07 - Eclipse Snow Park was re-approved by the Clear Creek
County Commissioners this week. The rezoning hearing was brought
about by a lawsuit from residents seeking to block the ski area from
reopening. For the latest Eclipse news see our forum.
9-1-07 - Eclipse Snow Park will not open for the upcoming ski
season. The area is on hold while legal issues are worked out
between residents and the ski area. Maybe construction will begin
next summer ('08).
2-1-07 - The Eclipse Snow Park proposal was approved by the Clear
Creek County Commissioners on Jan. 31, 2007. This is a huge step
towards approval for construction this summer. One major
unresolved issue is how to deal with Fall River Road's capacity and
switchbacks. For the full article, click here.
History of Proposal:
In early December of 2005 we learned of plans to reopen the defunct
Saint Mary's Glacier Ski Area. The area last operated back in the 1980's
and closed due to net operating losses. In a Denver Post article the
former owner Iran Emeson said, "It created a loss for us for several years,
and we just decided the hobby was too expensive. I was trying to have
very inexpensive lift tickets because I was of the opinion that other than
rich people could ski."
The ski area consisted of two rope tows and a T-bar. On a site visit back
in 2003, we saw that most of the terrain within the area would be
considered green or beginner terrain. Surprisingly, the T-bar appeared to
be in good condition, unlike its old counterpart at Squaw Pass.
Michael Coors, a relative of the Coors empire, is spearheading this
reopening calling the new ski area Eclipse Snow Park. The plans are very
similar to that of the new Echo Mountain Park and include terrain park
features. New lifts and trails will be cut at St. Mary's Glacier and the area
will have a total of 1,300 foot vertical drop. Opening dates are not
known at this time, but any updates will be posted here.
Additional information:
7-1-10 - The Clear Creek County Commissioners voted down the
permit to allow Eclipse Snow Park begin construction. For more
information, click here.
7-02-09 - Eclipse Snow Park is looking at a reduced sized park as the
USFS land swap is not progressing quickly. For their latest plan,
visit their website here: www.eclipsesnow.com.
12-30-07 - Eclipse Snow Park is planning on a land swap with the
USFS to trade land parcels that will better benefit the ski area and
the USFS at St. Mary's Glacier. Please write a letter to Congress to
show your support of their proposal. Click here to learn more about
their potential trade and how to show your support.
12-13-07 - Eclipse Snow Park was re-approved by the Clear Creek
County Commissioners this week. The rezoning hearing was brought
about by a lawsuit from residents seeking to block the ski area from
reopening. For the latest Eclipse news see our forum.
9-1-07 - Eclipse Snow Park will not open for the upcoming ski
season. The area is on hold while legal issues are worked out
between residents and the ski area. Maybe construction will begin
next summer ('08).
2-1-07 - The Eclipse Snow Park proposal was approved by the Clear
Creek County Commissioners on Jan. 31, 2007. This is a huge step
towards approval for construction this summer. One major
unresolved issue is how to deal with Fall River Road's capacity and
switchbacks. For the full article, click here.
History of Proposal:
In early December of 2005 we learned of plans to reopen the defunct
Saint Mary's Glacier Ski Area. The area last operated back in the 1980's
and closed due to net operating losses. In a Denver Post article the
former owner Iran Emeson said, "It created a loss for us for several years,
and we just decided the hobby was too expensive. I was trying to have
very inexpensive lift tickets because I was of the opinion that other than
rich people could ski."
The ski area consisted of two rope tows and a T-bar. On a site visit back
in 2003, we saw that most of the terrain within the area would be
considered green or beginner terrain. Surprisingly, the T-bar appeared to
be in good condition, unlike its old counterpart at Squaw Pass.
Michael Coors, a relative of the Coors empire, is spearheading this
reopening calling the new ski area Eclipse Snow Park. The plans are very
similar to that of the new Echo Mountain Park and include terrain park
features. New lifts and trails will be cut at St. Mary's Glacier and the area
will have a total of 1,300 foot vertical drop. Opening dates are not
known at this time, but any updates will be posted here.
Additional information:
| Click here for a pdf file showing a detailed layout of the proposal. |
| Pictures of Eclipse taken back in January 2006: * |
| Copyright © coloradoskihistory.com All Rights Reserved. Pictures thanks to: * Ian Briddell ** Eclipse Snow Park/Google Earth |