Mountain Layout—Snowboarding

The signature run is Snag, an exciting roller-coaster ride of steep, moderate, steep, moderate steps—all the way down! Advanced riders can catch air off each of the steps. Intermediates can use the flats above each headwall to catch their breath. Rider-constructed hits can often be found here and at various locations beneath the Legends lift.

On days with freshies, locals head for the Legends lift. Powder hounds can head into the trees on Poet's Glade or Paul's Park. From Lift the Grizzly lift, a delightful powder stash can often be found hidden away on Cathedral Tree Way (rider's left off Bull Run). On the front side try Styx—you'll most likely find waist-deep powder. Upper Hades transitions into Lower Hades, a major steep mogul field that, when covered with a foot or more of fresh powder, can be an absolutely amazing ride, along with Pandemonium and Catharsis.

Paradise offers wide-open corduroy for laying out sick carves. Sa's Psyche is equally good carving country.

You'll find flat traverses connecting the front and back side. Getting to the back side requires carrying a lot of speed on Hermosa Parkway. Reaching the maze at the bottom of the Hermosa Park lift without having to unstrap and skate requires executing a kamikaze-style run. To return from the back side, avoid the much-too-flat BD&M Expressway. Instead, zigzag: Take Path to Peace, ride Hermosa Park back up the mountain, Silver Tip it to either black-diamond Cool It or blue-square The Bank, then continue on past the bottom of the Engineer lift to Demon. The right side of Demon is a gully that provides a natural halfpipe but be extremely careful of beginners finding their way home on Demon after lunch.

Beginners should take the Purgatory Village Express and head for Sa's Psyche, beneath the Engineer lift. It's nicely groomed, gentle-pitched terrain, with only one flat spot. Snowboarders generally avoid the Twilight lift because of lack of suitable terrain.

Parks and pipes
Paradise Freestyle Arena features 10 consecutive hits with a 50-foot Big Air competition jump, plus jibbing features with boxes, a rainbow rail, two street rails, a balance beam and “The Serpentine,” a 45-foot S-rail. The halfpipe is 400 feet long with 15-foot walls. The park is on the front side of the mountain and runs parallel to the Purgatory Village Express chairlift, with plenty of opportunities to “wow” the crowd. The Pitchfork Terrain Garden, behind the Powderhouse near the Engineer lift, has hits and features for those just starting out or looking to refine their skills in the park.