Cover - Fun, remember that snowboarding is fun, Pat Millberry knows it   photo-Crosland

Echo Mountain opened a few years ago on the site of old Squaw Pass ski resort outside Denver. At first you may think why open a new mountain near Denver with the likes of Breckenridge, Keystone, Winter Park, etc in the near vicinity. There are many reasons that a fun place like Echo can have a market share amongst giants. The first is obvious; distance, Echo is only 35 miles from Denver, so if you only got several hours, you can blast up to Echo, grab some turns, launch some airs before you would even get to the other resorts. Let's not forget the dreaded I-70, you wanna ride on Sunday? Head to Echo and forget about the gridlock. Parking? At the other resorts parking is $10 or you take a bus or otherwise from some remote lot at Echo, parking is free and up front. Vibe is another reason, you ever ride in your own backyard? Echo is chill and feels like your backyard. Maybe most importantly is that is a fun spot, they can set up imaginative obstacles on a whim. The vertical is not as great as the big resorts but either is the drive as great, nor the tickets as expensive, nor the parking and so on. Is Echo gonna give you double black diamond freeriding? No. Will Echo give you a great, no hassle time for a good price? Sure! Heck, you can even go there after school since it's open till 9 pm 5 nights a week. Marc Moline took us around for a tour and answered a few questions for you.

What are you doing after work or school? Playing Wii or blasting methods like Steve Cummings photo-Marc Moline

How long has Echo been around? Is it a totally new resort, what is a brief history?                                                          

Echo was originally Squaw Pass Ski area from 1965-1974. After sitting dormant for nearly 30 years in was purchased by the Petitt family on auction and over a period of a couple years was turned into what we now know as Echo Mountain, with new lifts, lodges, trails, features, etc. We opened the doors for the first time in March 2006 for just a little over a month and then for our first full season in 2006-2007.

What is Echo's biggest market?                                                                                                                                                   

Echo has always been terrain park focused, but in addition to growing our freestyle clientele, we have also started to cater to beginners and intermediate skiers and riders as well as families. With our low prices and proximity to Denver, it’s just kind of one of those things that happened and we welcome it. In all honesty it helps us to be able to deliver a better park product and hopefully we grow many of those first timers and families into freestyle riders.

What was the motivation to create a new resort near Denver when there are so many resorts within a 2 hour drive?                                                                                                                                                                                                           

I think the goal was to make the park scene more accessible to skiers and riders along the front range. We’re just 35 miles from the capitol steps in Downtown Denver, half the price of the price of the mega-resorts, and are open until 9pm under the lights 5 days a week. If you live in the Denver Metro area you know, driving I-70 sucks, the western resorts are way overpriced, and it doesn’t make for a very practical night option.

Seems like when I was there everyone from first timers to seasoned pros were riding around with smiles on their faces, is that always the vibe and why do you think that is?                                                                                                         

I think Echo has always prided itself on being an inclusive mountain as opposed to exclusive which it can often feel like at some of the Summit County resorts. We happily welcome everyone from park rats to beginners and families. You’ll see first timers just hanging out on the side of the park taking in the action, as well as Echo Pros helping out skiers and riders that want to try sliding their first box or hit their first jump. It’s a pretty mellow and fun place.

The big question, why should people check out Echo?

Well, we are the closest mountain to Denver, the cheapest, have night riding, a really impressive terrain park, and do it all without the vibe and attitude that you get with many of the mega-resorts.

Thanks to the Echo crew

Drive up the friendly little two lane road, park in the friendly little parking lot and go in the friendly little lodge and go do some f_+*ing shredding! photo-Crosland

Marc Moline – Creative Director, Park Designer, Team Manager, Photographer, you think he would rather be working at Taco Bell?   Photo-Crosland

Colin Laglois photo-Marc Moline

Fun, fun, fun photo-Crosland

Nick Brewer with a 540 photo-Marc Moline

Pat Millberry – Andrecht to fakie. If heavies like Pat and Colin Langlois are cruising around at Echo then you know something is right about the place! photo-Crosland

Night operations with a jump line and a jib line photo-Marc Moline

Ian Winters up and over photo-Crosland

Pow? Yea, Steve Cummings finds some    photo-Marc Moline

Marc Moline on the Never Summer feature  photo-Crosland

Collin Spencer, front board on the board bridge photo-Marc Moline

Not just for boys   photo-Crosland

Where's Pat Bridges? Lakota Sage tail block photo-Marc Moline

Ian Winters on the culvert

Nick Brewer and check it out, snowrev represent!

Marc on the Burton feature

www.echomtnpark.com