The Bowl (a.k.a. Big Blue)

Type: Backcountry or Sidecountry

This line is an excellent spring ski, but watch out for the GAPERS! Due to its access off the road, you'll see a wide variety of skiers/snowboarders on this line on a warm spring day, many of whom do not carry avalanche equipment. BEWARE!

From Glen Cove, this is the most obvious large bowl on the looker's left-side of the Cirque. When skied on a powder day, it provides an EXCELLENT run. Over 1,000' vertical from top to bottom and plenty of features on the edges of the bowl to play around on. Look out for hidden rocks, though, as the Pikes Peak granite loves shredding skis!

One of the best (and worst) parts about this line is the fact that it can be accessed via the road. On one hand, there are plenty of huge trucks from Texas and Kansas to give you a ride back to the top. On the other hand, there are also a lot of people who really have no business being "in the backcountry" that end up skiing this line. This gives the area much more of a sidecountry feel than the steep skiing in the couloirs of the proper Glen Cove cirque.

From the top switchback (or parking at Devil's Playground), descend into the bowl and then shred any number of lines to the bottom! The tree ridge on skier's left makes for some great drops and tight lines, while the gully on the skier's right-side of the bowl simulates tight couloir skiing.

Enjoy and hit it before everyone else does in order to get the best turns!