sledders.
—The author
THE APPROACH
The old Barrett Ridge ski area is literally roadside, and the approach is about as short as it can get. From the parking lot, cross to the west side of Highway 130, descend to Barrett Creek and cross to the base of an open, snowy meadow. You’re at the base of the ski area. Three primary runs are visible from here. Looking up-slope, there is a main run on the left, a main run in the middle, and the lift line on the right. The simplest approach is to pick your line and skin up it. If you’re intent on reaching the 9000-foot crest of Barrett Ridge (UTM: 13 372228 4576360) to squeeze out the most vertical, the easiest passage to the top is via the lift line. A trail traverses the slope at about mid-height, allowing easy movement between the various runs. About two-thirds of the way up the slope, the lift line appears to close out in a stand of trees. Continue up the fall line, and the lift line will become evident once again. Stay the course and finish in an open stand of evergreens atop the ridge.
THE DESCENTS
Barrett Ridge has three primary runs. Standing atop the ridge, there is a large run on skier’s right, a large run on skier’s left, and the lift line farthest to the left. All three runs have similar slope angles (more gentle at the bottom, steeper high in the trees). If you want to do lots of short laps on wide-open runs, stick to the bottom half of your chosen run. If you want to get in more vertical per lap, and enjoy skiing steeper lines through tight trees, ascend the lift line to the top of Barrett Ridge.
Looking up the lift line at Barrett Ridge
THE APRÈS SKI
Don’t expect much of an après ski scene in this quiet corner of Wyoming. But you can try these options in Saratoga:
Espresso Bellissima, 1st and Bridge streets, (307) 326-3477
Hotel Wolf Restaurant, 101 East Bridge Street, (307) 326-5525, www.wolfhotel.com
Silver Saddle Restaurant, Saratoga Inn, 601 East Pic Pike Road, (307) 326-5261, www.saratogainn.com
Warm Springs Cafe, 405 North 1st Street, (307) 326-5046
In Riverside (population: 59), try the Mangy Moose Saloon (no listed phone number or address, but you can’t miss it on Highway 230).
Trip 2
LIBBY CREEK
THE ESSENTIALS
Nearest Town Centennial, WY
Distance 3 miles max.
Vertical 600’ to 1400’
Season December to April
Elevation Range 8573’ to 9800’
Difficulty Rating Moderate
Skiing Rating
SNOTEL Station Brooklyn Lake (367)
Forest Zone Medicine Bow National Forest, Laramie Ranger District
CAIC Zone None
USGS Quad Centennial, WY
Weather WYZ063
THE HISTORY
The history of the old Libby Creek ski area is complicated by the fact that it was once known as the Snowy Range ski area, and that, over time, a total of four ski areas (three lost, and one still in operation) have had the name “Snowy Range ski area.” For the sake of clarity, I will refer to them as:
The Snowy Range in southeastern Wyoming (southwest of Laramie) is an extension of the Medicine Bow Mountains that begins at Cameron Pass in Colorado. The earliest history of lift-served skiing in the Snowies, as they’re known locally, seems to belong to the Old Snowy Range ski area. The details, though, have been lost to the sands of time. Very little is known about this area, including its years of operation. Its location, on the other hand, is known: it operated on the slopes of a small, rounded mountain in the area bounded by Nash Fork/ Highway 130, the Barber Lake Road, and Forest Road 351-g.
Then, sometime in the 1930s, the Libby Creek ski area came onto the scene. It was one quarter mile south of present-day Snowy Range ski area, and one mile south of Old Snowy Range ski area. Though its exact opening year is uncertain, its “glory days” spanned the late 1930s and throughout the 1940s (in 1938 the U.S. Forest Service documented 6800 skiers at Libby). It was considered too steep for most skiers (most runs were “expert”), and had a small, avalanche-prone area (called “Gully” in “The Descents”). It operated sporadically throughout World War II and into the 1950s.
Libby Creek had only limited parking along the side of old Highway 130 (Barber Lake Road). You couldn’t actually drive to the base of the ski area. From the roadside parking along the highway, you’d walk down a set of wooden stairs that descended a scree and talus slope. From the bottom of the stairs, you’d clip into your skis and ski across a meadow to the base lodge. From there you could at last hop on one of two rope tows or a chairlift. At the end of the day you had to hike out back to your car.
By 1957 or 1958, Libby Creek closed. But soon, a new area was coming into its own. In March 1959, Forest Service rangers made a reconnaissance of the Nash Fork (near present-day Highway 130). They drove to the Libby Creek ski area, and then headed north on foot and on skis. The official opinion: the potential ski area was more desirable than both Libby Creek and Happy Jack (an area along Interstate 80 east of Laramie). Building the new ski area, however, would require an access road (present-day Forest Road 351-g—Approach 2 in the following sections).
The Forest Service, though, didn’t think anyone would want to develop it. Nevertheless, the agency opened it up for bids on August 1, 1959. Six short months later, in January 1960, a Kansas City group signed a 30-year permit. The Nash Fork ski area opened as Medicine Bow for the 1960/1961 season with two T-bars serving 600 feet of vertical, a shelter house, restaurant, and parking lot. Later, in the 1980s, a chairlift was added, and the name changed
