Bluebird Backcountry, an innovative ski area without lifts that was designed to expose beginners to backcountry skiing and educate them on how to enjoy it safely, is closing permanently after three seasons for financial reasons.
Located 30 miles north of Kremmling at Bear Mountain near the east side of Rabbit Ear’s Pass, Bluebird had ideal terrain for teaching introductory backcountry skills, but it was 125 miles from Denver. It was situated on 1,200 acres of land leased from a private landowner.
“The business hasn’t been profitable,” said Jeff Woodward, co-founder and CEO. “We’ve been able to fundraise for it historically, but we haven’t been able to raise money for it this year to keep going. The first challenge was that Bear Mountain is far from the Front Range, and a little over 60% of our guests come from the Front Range. It’s a very long drive for them.
“When we talk to our customers, they absolutely love it. The thing that prevents them from coming more, or coming at all, is just the distance,” he added.
Woodward remains convinced that the Bluebird concept was sound and would succeed closer to population centers.
“We’ve not been able to find, or get access to, any new locations closer to population,” Woodward said. “We looked at some in Colorado and in other states across the west that have good snow and lots of people. We were not able to find other good alternatives. We don’t have the funding, or the personal savings, to spend all of our time looking for new locations. If a location were to fall into our laps, we would absolutely follow up on it, but for now it’s closing and it’s pretty dead.”
Bluebird began operation in 2021 at a different location closer to Kremmling and moved to Bear Mountain two seasons ago, serving more than 19,000 visitors over the three years. Its remote location was a challenge because the nearest towns — Kremmling, Walden, and Steamboat Springs — were 27 to 32 miles away. This past winter, the company offered rustic lodging on-site with 41 beds that were sold out every night they were available. Car camping in the parking lot also was encouraged.
“It’s pretty sad,” Woodward said. “This is something I still believe the world needs, that is good for the world and adds to the world. It’s sad to not be able to continue it. We do have a ton of great memories of the place, and feel like we were able to accomplish something. We brought 19,000 skiers a ton of joy. We’re really proud of what we built, and really sad to close it down.”
