Marmot

Marmot is a steep Ski Run that at the end of a fairly long uphill hike (500 vertical feet?) up from the Rookie Run saddle. The entrance to Marmot at about 12,900 feet can form a little bit of a cornice, not really a drop, but just more steepness. It can be a little intimidating to non-expert skiers. The upper portion of Marmot is fairly steep, 3-D ski maps suggests it's around 40-45 degrees at the very top; Loveland's master plan pegs the maximum steepness at 40 degrees. The slope gradually moderated as a you ski down the Marmot ski trail, you'll probably find yourself skiing with more confidence the further you descend.

Marmot is an expansive, treeless area, and it's hard to judge scale and distances looking from the top. It's about 3,000 feet long, and 1,000 feet wide, with a total vertical drop of around 800 feet.

A stray rock or two can appear 100 or 200 vertical feet from the top. Their hazard is largely caused by their unexpectedness: Marmot commonly appears to be a massive field of very deep snow.

The Marmot Ski Run lies between 13010 to the northeast and Field of Dreams to the southwest. Like many of the high altitude ski trails off The Ridge, the boundaries between these runs feel very inexact. It's really just one huge snow field that gets progressively steeper has you move from the relatively flat southside of Field of Dreams to the steep ski area northern boundary and 13010.