Extreme Terrain

Lake Chutes - contains cliffs, very steep slopes as well as rocks and other hazards. Skiing or boarding Extreme Terrain is for EXPERTS ONLY.

Lake Chutes are one of my favorite places to ski in-bounds for a warm up run! The Lake Chutes are located at Breckenridge Ski Area and you can access them by the Imperial Express Super Chair. Imperial chair is dubbed as the highest lift in North America taking you to an elevation of 12,490 feet, where you start your hike to the Lake Chutes. I was a ski patroller at the mountain when Lake Chutes were first opened and the hike was about 45 minutes.

Today the hike is about a 5 minute steep climb, where you will also experience breathtaking views once you catch your breath at the top! The Lake Chutes are a series of small chutes with an average incline up to 50 degrees or more, the only downside is they only offer a drop of around 200 vertical feet of skiing.

It can get very windy and cold at the top, and in poor visibility conditions the Lake Chutes will typically be closed. However, on our perfect Colorado blue sky days I think it is well worth the hike.

On my good days Lake Chutes is all I want to ski, so far I have done up to six laps! I have attached a video so you can get a little feel for adrenaline rush. In the video Jeff Yoder gives a commentary about the Lake Chutes. He is one of the patrollers I had the privilege of working with.

One of my goals for this ski season is to produce my own video skiing the Lake Chutes.

Anyone want to join me to film this video?