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PROGRAM AIM IIMTERIMATIOIMAL SKI RACING ACADEMY XA/OLF CREEK PASS COLORADO 117' CHARLES HODGES DEPT. OF ARCHITECTURE TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY TABLE OF CONTENTS ^CONCEPT A) DESIGN CONCEPT B) GOALS AND OBJECTIVES C) CONSIDERATIONS *SITE A) LOCATION B) MOUNTAIN G) EXISTING FACILITIES *FACILITIES A) EXISTING B) PROPOSED AREA EXPANSION O) REQUIRED FOR ACADEMY ^ACTIVITIES A) HUMN USERS B) SEASONAL USES C) ACTIVITIES AND EQUIPMENT D) DAILY PROGRAMS E) RECREATIONAL F) EDUCATIONAL ^ECONOMIC STUDY—WOLF GREEK A) SKI OPERATION B) OVERNIGHT AGCOMpDATION '~ G) MISCELLANEOUS FACILITIES *BIBLIOGRAPHY ^APPENDIX GEIMERAL CONCEPT CLIENT PURPOSE As client, "The International Ski Racers' Association" hopes to est­ ablish a home "ba^e facility for the purpose _of training skiers of Olympic talent in '%" to "6" week camps year-round. The I.S.R.A, also hopes to integrate home offices within the facility. OBJECTIVES A. TO PROVIDE A MOUNTAIN EXPERIENCE B. TO PROVIDE YEAR-ROUND FACILITIES G. TO DESIGN FOR ACCEPTANCE OF THE STRUCTURES BY THE SITE D. TO ENHANCE^THE ENVIRONMENT GONSTDERATIONS AND ALTERNATIVES Because there is no large population center nearby, it is obvious th3.t feasibility.investigations of Wolf Greek should be directed toward the possibility of developing a facility having multi-seasonal use potential. Items of most importance regarding feasibility of this type of facility are as follows: 1. AREA ACCESS 2. TERRAIN 3. GLIMATOLOGIGAL AND SNOW CONDITIONS 4. POTENTIAL SITE CAPACITY AND LAND USE 5. SUMMER SEASON POTENTIAL 6. ECONOMIC EVALUATION Although the interaction.ofthe above items determines the potential of the area, certain conclusions and comparisons with other areas can be made on an independant basis. AREA ACCESS Wolf Greek is located on U.S. Highway 160, which is one of the major east-west routes through the fiocky Mountains. Although the Colorado State Highway Department is currently considering construction of a four-lane highway in the Wolf Greek area, the existing highway has more than enough capacity to accomodate volumes that would be generated by the proposed development. Closure of the highway due to adverse condi­ tions-is minirna.j and would not cause any significant inconveniences. Access via a major commercial airline is as good as that of many other resort-type ski areas in the region. TERRAIN The majority of the terrain within the Wolf Creek Bowl is well suited for the development of a facility of this type and provides the required variety of slopes to design a well-balanced trail system. Although the trail classification balance is most ideal, the advanced and expert trails are somewhat shorter than desirable. Inclusions of gladed trail areas for powder skiing will "offer an exciting variety of skiing experiences, especially for the advanced a,nd expert skiers. Maximum vertical rise is planned for i360 feet, which might be considered inadequate for an academy of this type, but those areas having substantial rise usually have a midpoint station above which most skiers prefer to ski. Since snow conditions at the Wolf Creek base are comparable with or better than most midpoints, and vertical rise is at least equivalent to that of the upper portions of other areas, well conditioned skiers will accept the vertical rise which can be provided. Certain advantages are inherent in the Wolf Creek situation. Lifts do not have to be provided for transport of skiers to a midpoint station, and skiers will hot have to negotiate what are frequently marginal snow conditions when returning to the base area. GLIMATOLOGIGAL AND SNOW CONDITIONS Climatological and snow conditions at Wolf Creek are excellent when speaking of skier comcfort, as well as quantity and quality of snow. The Continental Divide Ridge provides excellent protection for the Wolf Greek Bowl, and winds should be inconsequential. Providing susceptible areas are studied prior to cutting trails or installing facilities, Gliniatological records indicate that temperatures in the Wolf Greek area are usually lower during the day and higher during the night than at similar ski areas. This condition is important in reducing freezing and thawing action of the snow surface and resulting icy conditions. The Wolf Creek area experiences very early accumulation of snow and an above-a.verage snowpack during the ski season. We estimate that the area could expect to open on November 8, on the average, and operate for an average of 175 days. The anticipated average opening date is two to three weeks earlier than the average opening date of similar areas within the region. The operating season is quite long as com­ pared to Winter Park which has averaged 132 days for six seasons. Wolf Creek experiences a high number of five-inch snows to insure excellent skiing. POTENTIAL SITE CAPACITY AND LAND USE The ultimate capacity of Wolf Creek is to be 5800 skiers at one time, which would constitute classification as' a major ski area. Installation of lifts totalling over eight million vertical transport feet (VTF) per hour is feasible without over-crowding the mountain. Skier density of the proposed development is commensurate with similar ski areas. Land use within the base area will leave large quantities of open space, although some midrise facilities will have to be constructed in order to eliminate long walking distances to the lift facilities. OFF-SEASON POTENTIAL The Southern Colorado Rocky Mountains are already a popular summer vacation and big-game hunting area. The Wolf Greek area is a part of this activity and additional recreation facilities should be beneficial to all concerned. Over 500,000 cars pass the area annually, providing many potential visitors. ECONOMIC EVALUATION Break-even analysis of overnight lodging and ski operations appear to be good. Inexpensive trail clearing and the lack of need to install transportation lifts have caused the break-even point for the ski oper­ ations to be better than average. On the basis of the above considerations, It is concluded that the Wolf Creek area is feasible for a ski development, and that, providing sufficient market exists, and optimum marketing and management techniques are used, the area can be a profitable venture while satisfying an international need. I MASTER PLAIN! LOCATION THE MOUNTAIN I EXISTING FACILITIES LOCATION SETTING Wolf Greek Pass ski area is located on the slopes of a large Alpine Bowl high in the San Juan Mountains of Southern Colorado. The upper reaches of the Bowl form the Continental Divide for approximately five miles of its winding path along the Colorado Rockies, The boundary between the Rio Grande and San Juan National Forests is defined by the Continental Divide, resulting in the ski area being entirely within the confines of the Rio Grande. Geographically, the area is located approximately thirty-three air miles from the New Mexican border and 12^^ miles from the Utah border. ACCESSIBILITY Wolf Greek is reached from the east and west ip all weather by U.S. 160. U.S. 160 intersects north-south routes 1-25 at Walsenburg, U.S.285 at Alamosa, U.S. 84 at Pagosa Springs, and U.S. 55O at Durango. Nearest population centers are Pagosa Springs, twenty-two miles to the west, and South Fork, seventeen miles to the east. It is estimated that Wolf Greek Paps is closed four hours per season because of adverse weather conditions. Commercial airlines serve Alamosa and Durango with connections at Denver, Albuquerque, and Phoenix. THE MOUNTAIN TERRAIN The Wolf Creek Pass Bowl consists of some 1,400 acres of skiable terrain. Elevations within the Bowl vaxy from 10,350 feet at the top level base to be located in Alberta Park to 11,900 feet at the top of Alberta Peak. The terrain can be classified as benchy in some areas, while other portions of the Bowl have long, fairly consistent slopes. The upper edges along the Continental Divide axe quite steep in most places with small, rather flat bench-type sections immediately below. Below this small bench there is usually another steep section which is skiable in most places. The terrain from this point to the base area is mostly gentle, having some occasional steeper pitches, with the exception of a small area in the lower central portion of the Bowl where there is a miniatTire Bowl type feature with some non-skiable slopes. Tree cover is light on most of the skiable terrain within the Bowl, - thus making an ideal situation for glade-type skiing intermingled with established trails. BASE AREA The proposed base area, more commonly known as Alberta Park, is a large relatively flat park with intermingled open, areas and areas of heavy timber cover. Drainage from the Bowl converges below Alberta Park and flows into a thirty-four-acre lake called Alberta Park Reservoir which isa Colorado-Game and Fish Department recreational facility. Rlsing..a.bove the lake and adjacent to the park area is a large, gentle" knoll with heavy timber cover and small, isolated, open areas which provide ideal terrain for summer camping and winter snow-touring, SNOW Climatological and snow coverage records for the most recent four­ teen years have been analyzed in order to define snow conditions at the Wolf Creek ski area. Those aspects of particular concern werej 1) How many days, on the average, could the area expect to be open for skiing? 2) What is the quality of the snow during the ski season? 3) How does the snowpack depth at Wolf Creek compare to that of other ski areas? Average length of season An analysis of climatological and snow course data from the Wolf Greek area indicates that a November 8 average opening date could be expected. Details of this analysis are given in Appendix "B" of this program. In determining this date, it was assumed that the areas to be used for skiing will be well groomed, and that the area will be :I opened under somewhat irarginal conditions when lack of early snowfall precludes^opening on the anticipated date.

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