Powder skiers will have some new acreage this coming winter, as Keystone last week won final approval for an expanded snowcat skiing operation, pending a 45-day appeal period.
White River National Forest Supervisor Maribeth Gustafson issued a July 28 Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for Keystone's proposal to add both guided and unguided bowl skiing in 278 acres of terrain in the upper Jones Gulch area, off Independence and Bear mountains.
The terrain, which is already part of Keystone's permit area, is north and east of the existing snowcat-served terrain in Bergman and Erickson bowls.
Access to the new area would be via snowcat or hiking. Nearly all the skiing would be in open bowls above 11,400 feet, with some of the pitches approaching a 50 percent grade, just a bit steeper than much of the terrain in nearby North Bowl. Total snowcat skiing at Keystone would reach 858 acres with addition of the new area.
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