Loveland Basin | Awesome Ski Run | Not Exactly Open
Karl Kelman's tracks along the eastern edge of Awesome Ski Run Loveland Basin - 11Feb12
Karl Kelman | Loveland Basin | Awesome Ski Trail | Tight Turns
Karl Kelman Skiing the Awesome Ski Run Loveland Basin - 28Jan12
Awesome Ski Run | Loveland Basin | The Hiker
Awesome Ski Trail Photo - Loveland Basin - 28Jan12
Awesome Ski Trail | Loveland Basin Ski Area
Loveland Basin Chair Eight Awesome - 28Jan12

Awesome is a ski run at the Loveland Basin Ski Area. It's generally a long, low-angle runout taking skiers and snowboarders back to the lifts from Rock Chutes, In The Mood, and Hook 'Em Horns.

There's a backcountry access gate for terrain to the north and east of the Loveland Ski Area. The backcountry gate is located at the most northern point of Awesome.

The flattest section of Awesome is fairly flat, so build up some speed if snow conditions are slow. Let 'em run for a little bit towards the bottom of the run, and you'll get back to Chairlift Eight with a minimum of skating, double poling, or whatever it is that snowboarders do.

With some uphill hiking/traversing, their can be a few powder turns by staying to the skier's left as Awesome turns northward. How worthwhile that is depends on whether or not someone else as broken trail for you and other factors. My general recollection is that they've tended to put the boundary rope down lower (or maybe even a "don't go there sign" in recent years, making the traverse less enticing.

If you stay skier's left near the bottom (and the bottom of Chair Eight - the turn off I'm talking about is maybe 125 yards above the bottom of Chair Eight) there can be a few good powder turns on the Eastern edge of the ski area. I'm not really sure what that area should be called. East Face, Super East Ropes? East East Ropes? Super Awesome? East of Reality? There are nicely spaced trees and a pleasant, not too steep, not too flat pitch.

East of Reality is directly south facing, so good overall snow depth is advised for this explore. Note that you can't get back to Chair Eight if you leave Awesome to the left at the bottom - you'll wind up at the pedestrian tunnel under I-70 and back at the Base Lodge. From the Base Lodge, you'll need to ride three lifts to get back to the top of Chair Eight!

In January 2012, The Hiker and Karl Kelman enjoyed some great low-angle powder turns on the normally groomed section of Awesome. It was opening day for Chairlift Eight. Hook 'Em Horns was open, but In The Mood and The Plunge were still roped off along the main groomer, Chet's Run, running under the lift. By traversing back north from the end of the rope on the east side of Chet's, we were able to enjoy some untracked powder in In The Mood and Awesome.