First Tracks, Late April, Wild Child:
Wild Child - Who Needs a Heli?
.JPG "Karl Kelman's Tracks are in the Center on Wild Child")
Wild Child And A Softstrugi Runout
Looking Down From A Southern Entrance to Wild Child:
.JPG "X-Wing and Wild Child with Karl's First Tracks below")
Looking Up At Porcupine From The Wild Child Runout:
Wild Child From Loveland's Chairlift #2:
.JPG "Looking up at the Wild Child ski run at Loveland Basin from Lift Two")
Steep Center-North Entrance to Wild Child:
Wild Child - The Wind's Terrain Park
Wild Child - Quarter Pipe Plus with Sastrugi-ed Wall
Wild Child is a great Chairlift Nine "hike in" run at Loveland Basin. It's about a 130 foot elevation gain and 1/4 mile from the Wild Child saddle to the top of Wild Child. It's not really that bad, but enough of a hike to discourage "yo-yo" skiing, so the powder stays fresher.
Wild Child Ski Trail central entrances have the steepest overall pitch. It's near vertical for a few feet right below the cornices, then a mixture of 30-40 degree terrain until you get down to the increasingly flat run-out between the top of Lift Two and the top of Lift Six.
Wild Child is located between Super Bowl and Porcupine Saddle. Wild Child ends in the broad area above Lift Six and Chairlift Two.
The upper portions of Wild Child can slide and slough, so the ski trail generally isn't open early season. Snow quality is good but somewhat variable - Wild Child is shielded from the afternoon sun and entirely above 12,000 feet, so ice is seldom a problem. Blown-in snow can help add to depth and quality. On occasion. however, some sections can have limited wind-crusting or Softstrugi.