Snow from Last Season Covers Aspen Hike Park in October

Featured Image: Courtesy of Aspen Snowmass

Off-season terrain parks aren't unusual, but they're typically found at very specific locations. Woodward Copper and Timberline at Mt. Hood are two places North American skiers have become accustomed to seeing summer builds. Last weekend, Aspen Snowmass debuted their own version, thanks to snow from the 2025/26 season.

This summer, Aspen launched a partnership with Snow Secure , a Finnish company that builds tarps for draping over huge piles of snow, preserving the precious frozen H2O through the summer months. The mounds were assembled in April, 2026, bundling the equivalent of nearly 3.5 million gallons of water.

This initial test proved to be a success, with the Colorado ski resort reporting that around 85% of the snow volume initially stored under the tarps survived the summer. Despite summer 2026 being Colorado's hottest ever recorded , temperatures under the tarps never exceed 44.5°F.

Word of the Makaha Terrain Park, as it was dubbed, spread quickly after the resort announced plans on social media just days before the build. Some skiers traveled from multiple states away just to score a few October laps. The hype was well worth it, especially since the park was entirely free to all.

Once flattened by snowcats, the strip of snow stretched nearly 300 feet long and sprawled 80 feet wide, with eight features laid out in total. Not bad for an October setup. The sun was out on both October 3 and 4 for two days of free riding.

"Days like these are what it’s all about," Aspen wrote on its Instagram after posting a recap showcasing the stellar energy from the Makaha Terrain Park. "Seeing our community come together for the love of skiing and riding, and building the stoke for the season to come. Thank you to all who joined us this weekend. We can’t wait to welcome you back to the slopes 7 days a week soon."

This event was the product of ample foresight and planning from the mountain ops team, and in a world where the climate continues to change, it's proof that innovations like Snow Secure could deliver a more stable future. Saved snow from the previous season means less energy and water is needed to make snow in the coming winter. Importantly, it's one step of many towards preserving the sport we love.

Aspen is celebrating its 80th birthday this winter , with a handful of deals and events to mark the milestone. Opening day has not been announced as of October 8, but keep a close eye on FREESKIER as we'll be rolling out resort opening dates when the time comes.