Parry Peak and Mary Jane

Happy Birthday, Mary Jane! The year 2025 marks 50 years since Colorado’s renowned Mary Jane ski area opened its slopes to the public. Known for its steep terrain, challenging moguls, and tree-skiing opportunities, Mary Jane has become a beloved destination for winter sports enthusiasts. According to local lore, Mary Jane is named after a madam from the late 1800s mining era who once owned the land at the foot of the mountain. The first ski run was cleared from an old sheepherder’s trail by members of the Colorado Arlberg Club in the late 1930s. The expansion of that run into today’s famous “No Pain, No Jane” almost didn’t happen, as the National Forest Service’s initial suggestion that this mountainside would make a great ski area was met with skepticism from possible investors. It wasn’t until 1969 that the City of Denver’s Winter Park Recreation Association, already operating the neighboring Winter Park Resort, agreed to develop Mary Jane as an expansion project. Mary Jane officially opened to the public on January 10, 1976. Still under the ownership of the City of Denver, Winter Park Resort, with its famous Mary Jane territory, is currently operated by Alterra Mountain Company (Winter Park, Colorado).

≡Canon R5/RF24-240 50mm f/14 1/500sec iso-100