Monarch Mountain is getting bigger. That’s not a surprise since Monarch announced the news last summer. But the independent ski resort favored by many Colorado Springs skiers and snowboarders will be growing by 50%. With No Name Basin on track to open next season, we got a preview of the new terrain, and we can tell you it’s going to be good. So good.
The Monarch Mountain No Name Expansion will add 377 acres of new terrain and an additional 1,000 vertical feet on the west side of the Continental Divide. The growth will include 10 to 12 new lift-served runs. Most will be blue intermediate terrain, but there will be black advanced areas as well. Altogether, the No Name terrain will include a mix of groomers, bumps and glades.
“You don’t see or hear the highway out there,” says Zach Moore, Monarch’s assistant director of mountain operations. “It’s going to be really special.”
Taking a Sneak Peak of the Monarch Expansion
Monarch has used part of the No Name Basin for its cat skiing operations, and for now that’s still the only way to experience the area. When it opens next season, the area will be accessible in two places: across the Divide from the Panorama Lift and with a short traverse from the top of the Breezeway Lift near the current Shagnasty run. It’s here that Monarch will install the top terminal of the new Tomichi Lift, a three-person, fixed-grip Skytrac lift to carry skiers and snowboarders from the bottom of the basin back to the top.
Our small group entered the new terrain on the Breezeway side with Moore as our guide on a prime powder day in March. The new runs drop in from an upper catwalk. Most had been groomed the night before our arrival, but a new storm left everything covered in a fresh 7 inches of fluffy powder. We couldn’t have ordered better conditions.
Getting first tracks on untouched powder will make any ski and snowboard runs seem epic, but we got enough of a taste to tell that these new runs are excellent additions to Monarch. There’s enough length and drop for lots of turns, plenty of speed and new variety.
There is also a quietness to this side of Monarch that feels far removed from the resort base and parking lot — or general civilization. The closest human outpost is the tiny town of White Pine, accessible by mostly unpaved roads from the western base of Monarch Pass.
The valley was socked in with heavy clouds during our preview, but if you’ve been to the top of Monarch, you know the views from the Continental Divide are spectacular.
“Farther out, you can see the Gunnison Valley, the Uncompahgre Plateau, the West Elks. If you really look closely, you can see Blue Mesa Reservoir,” Moore told us at the top of our first run. “It’s a pretty stunning view.”
What’s Next for the No Name Expansion
There’s still work to be done before the No Name Expansion can open. Construction began last summer with building an access road, extending power lines and cutting runs. But some areas will still be cleared this winter while snow covers wetlands and is not closed for bird migrations. Trees will still be cleared as well for the new lift base.
The lift will be installed next summer. Additional plans include an expanded patrol outpost, vault toilets and an eventual warming hut, which is targeted for installation in summer 2026.
It’s all been a long time coming since the first plans for expansion began in 2011. By 2019, Monarch was ready to move forward, but the COVID-19 pandemic hit just as the project was getting underway. Summer 2024 marked a big step when No Name received its official approval from the U.S. Forest Service.
There’s been a lot of collaboration to bring the expansion to fruition as well. By crossing over the Continental Divide, Monarch now spans land managed in two different national forests and governed by two different counties: Chaffee and Gunnison. And the Colorado State Historic Preservation Office and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation have been partners in working around several cultural sites in the area.
With Monarch Mountain extending its season until April 20, those who can’t wait still have a window for their own cat skiing preview of the area. And those with a new Wings Pass might get a visual peak over the Divide. (The Wings Pass is good for the end of this season and all of next season).
For the rest of of us, Monarch’s No Name Expansion is schedule to open next season, and from what we’ve seen, the wait will be worth it.
Don’t Miss the Ski Ballet
While we’re talking Monarch — don’t miss the end-of-the-season fun at the new Ski Ballet on Freeway on Saturday, April 5. Accompanied by music of their choice, participants will be judged on style, agility, technical execution and, of course, costumes. Anyone could enter, but registration is now closed. You can still come to laugh at, er, with the brave contestants reviving the lost art and grace of ski ballet — and enjoy the music, vendors, skiing, snowboarding and good time vibes at Monarch also celebrates its 85th season. Get all the details here.
