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Photo courtesy of Monarch Ski & Snowboard Area
Snowboarding Zone - Monarch Mountain, Colorado:
Riders Guide - Monarch gets 350 inches of powdery and wonderful white stuff per year, and has 5 lifts, a fixed quad and 4 double chairs. It features 54 trails, and a longest run of 5,280 feet. The runs are rated 14% for Beginner, 28% Intermediate, 27% Advanced and a very exciting 31% Expert which is one of the highest Expert percentages in the country.
Parks and Pipes - Monarch has three parks with some very distinctive features. Ricochet is the top quality expert park with rollers, tabletop jumps, long spines, double barrel rainbow, trapezoid and flat rails, flat and roller coaster boxes as well as an S box and a quarterpipe wall with a 6 foot jib rail. Aftershock is for the intermediate to advanced boarder with handrails, boxes, tabletops and a double barrel rainbow rail. Slo Motion is for the beginner to intermediate boarder featuring multiple quarterpipe walls and rollers, log slides, tabletop jumps and hips.
Out of Bounds - Monarch is surrounded by the awesome pine and aspen wilderness of the San Isabel National Forest, which offers ample opportunities for remote exploration and recreation. Monarch Snowcat Tours are an absolute must for the time of your life. In town, the Salida Skate Park is your chance to try out some concrete rather than snow for your tricks. Built by Team Pain, this skate park features bowls with three different depths, great coping, speedlines, hips, and corners plus a full street course. When it's time for some warm water fun, check out the Salida Hot Springs Aquatic Center featuring the state's largest indoor hot springs pool including a four foot deep pool with the water at a relaxing 100 degrees F. You might even want to try your hand at Rocky Mountain Mini Golf or Super Bowl Lanes.
Hangout & Hookup - You don't go to Monarch for metropolitan all-night action, but the attractive and friendly town of Salida offers a lot of local Old West color to make sure you'll always find something fun to do. Benson's Tavern in Salida has a great outdoor patio to mix and mingle in and some great pool tables inside. Bongo Billy's Salida Cafe features live performances on the weekends and an eclectic bunch of hangers-out which is fantastic for the under 21s. The Victoria Tavern is always a great place for a brew, and the Mountain Spirit Winery is the place to go to try some of that award-winning vintage. And don't forget to check out Monarch's Gunbarrel Cafe and Sidewinder Saloon for some fun next to the slopes.
The Deal - From Denver get to the junction of E-470 and US Hwy. 285 then travel South on Hwy.285 for 123 miles to US Hwy. 50, then West on Hwy. 50 for 13 miles and right into Monarch Mountain. From Colorado Springs get to the junction of I-25 and CO 115 (Nevada Ave.), travel South on CO-115 for 31 miles to US Hwy. 50, then West on Hwy. 50 for 86 miles and right into Monarch Mountain.
