Stagecoach, Colorado

Stagecoach was a short-lived ski resort in Colorado in the early 1970s, 20 miles (32km) south of Steamboat Springs in Routt County.

Stagecoach road sign from near Stagecoach Reservoir, as viewed from County Road 14
Stagecoach
Stagecoach
Location in Colorado
LocationRoutt County,
Colorado
 United States
Nearest major citySteamboat Springs
Coordinates40°15′10″N 106°51′25″W
Vertical1,700 ft - (518 m)
Top elevation9,150 ft - (2789 m)
Base elevation7,450 ft - (2271 m)
Skiable area170 acres - (0.7 km²)
Lift system3 double chairlifts
Snowfall300" - (760 cm)

Ski area

The ski area was developed by the Woodmoor Company of Colorado Springs. Although full of great terrain on north-facing slopes, financial problems of the developer nixed the project in 1973 and it closed after its second season of skiing in 1974.[1]

Now considered a "lost" ski hill, rumors of Stagecoach reopening are common, but are always denied by the Wittemyer family, who have owned the property for over twenty-five years.[2]

The ski area was a mile south of the present-day Stagecoach Reservoir, with north-facing slopes and three double chairlifts. The vertical drop was 1,700 feet (518 m) with summit elevation of 9,150 feet (2789 m) above sea level and the base at 7,450 feet (2271 m).

Chairlifts

# Lift Name Vertical
Drop
Length Type Ride
Time
Hourly
Capacity
Gradient Year
1 Big Hitch 1,250'
(381 m)
5,385'
(1641 m)
Double 10 min 1,200 23.2%
(13.1 deg.)
1972
2 Yellow Jacket
Express
570'
(174 m)
2,000'
(610 m)
Double 5 min 1,200 28.5%
(15.9 deg.)
1972
3 Little Hitch 347'
(106 m)
1,990'
(607 m)
Double 6 min 1,100 17.4%
(9.9 deg.)
1972

Stagecoach State Park

The Stagecoach Dam was built on the Yampa River in late 1988, and its reservoir filled over the next several years. The reservoir now hosts Stagecoach State Park and offers fishing, boating, camping, hiking, and winter cross-country skiing and dog-sledding.[3] The dam is at the northeast end of the reservoir; the water's surface elevation is 7200 feet (2195 m) above sea level. Originally designed in the 1970s as an earthen dam, it is a roller-compacted concrete (RCC) structure.[4]

The Community

The community is now quickly growing, along with nearby Steamboat Springs. A new firehouse was built in 2006 and new neighborhoods are under development. An elementary school site has been allocated when the current facility in nearby Yampa reaches capacity.

References

  1. Colorado Ski History.com - Stagecoach
  2. Colorado Ski History.com - lost resorts
  3. parks.state.co.us - Stagecoach State Park
  4. Water Power Magazine - Stagecoach Dam
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