The east belongs to experts and freeriders!
As we mentioned in the Beginners category, the terrain below the 12,441 ft (3792m) Copper Peak has an advantage when compared to the rest of the terrain. Whereas the massif in the western part flattens out pretty quickly, creating the perfect foundation for beginners’ slopes, the east is characterized by rocky passages and, in the lower part, steep tree-skiing slopes. The runs off of the chairlifts Resolution, Alpine and Super Bee are almost exclusively black diamonds and double diamonds. Freeriders, glade skiing fans and all other types of extreme skiers will pretty much have the area to themselves. And if you’re still not satisfied, you’ll find the ultimate backcountry experience just south of Union Peak (12,313ft/3753m) at the base terminal of the Mountain Chief chairlift. Skiers are taken up to the flanks of the 12,336 foot (3760m) high Tucker Mountain on a snowcat. The runs off there are extremely challenging with steep rocky passages leading through forested ground back to the chairlifts. There are only two reasons Copper Mountain couldn’t receive the highest possible rating in this category – the lifts just weren’t up to European standards and the selection of difficult trails wouldn’t suffice for a vacation of more than a couple days.