Skiing with the lifties of Copper was like what I imagine playing golf with a master level caddy would be like. They knew every inch of their turf like it was the back of their hands. Dragging me around the mountain all day, we skied/rode every type of terrain. I quickly realized I was seeing parts of Copper that, while 100 percent open to the public, few people knew of. In addition to this, I had a sort of play-by-play breakdown of the mountain. Occasionally, we would stop, and I would be told of some hidden gem.
Mountain increased exponentially
My favorite of these during the day was what I think was a frozen over creek bed, complete with a waterfall that provided an excellent steep drop out of nowhere. Taking the T-Bar lift to the top of Alpine, we traversed to skier’s left and dropped down into some of the most fantastic tree skiing I’ve ever done. We made our way through soft powder and perfectly spaced trees, following lines that the lifties obviously knew well until we came across the creek. About 5-10 yards across the creek bed provided a narrow snow-packed track that wound through the woods, allowing us to pick up quite a bit of speed as we eventually went flying over the waterfall, hovering a few inches over the snow, as suddenly the pitch of the mountain increased exponentially for a few seconds.
With aching knees and an icy beard from my guided tour of Copper, we stumbled back into Red Hots at the end of the day for a beer and a snack. A few cooks lingered behind the open line, throwing together cheesy, delicious mac n’ cheese. Sinful items stood out all over the menu, such as buffalo chicken mac and Philly cheese steak mac. Opting to go with the Buffalo chicken, I was not disappointed. Rich and cheesy, it was full of fried chicken, bacon, and a distinct buffalo flavor. Accompanied by a Ranger IPA, it left me wondering how, in 20 years of skiing, I had never realized that obviously this was the only choice for post-skiing sustenance.
Food group
Copper provided a perfect day of skiing and an addictive new food group (Red Hot Mac n’ cheese). While both the skiing and the food were great, they were made exponentially better by the distinct “vibe” that existed throughout the mountain, the restaurant, and the community. A sort of combination between Skulls Secret Society and the Lost Boys of Peter Pan, this community may have converted the Mashugana forever. They lived a carefree, never summer, life that made me want to sell everything but my skis, trade in my Audi for a Jeep, and disappear forever into Copperland, where I could spend the rest of my days frolicking through the woods with Peter and the boys.
