Colorado · Cross-country skiing

Possum

PossumPhoto: Eric Johnson, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
0.3 mi
distance
10 ft
climb
8,687 ft
high point
Easy
difficulty
Jun–Aug
best months

Possum is a short, easy cross-country ski route on Snow Mountain Ranch in Colorado, managed by a non-governmental organization. The trail is just 0.25 miles long, with a total elevation gain of 10 feet, so it's a quick outing rather than a climb. The high point is 8,687 feet, and the low point is 8,664 feet, with the steepest stretch at about 0.12 miles in. Winter is the natural season for this route. Typical averages from the nearby Fraser weather station show January highs around 31°F with lows near -1°F, while June runs about 72°F by day and 33°F at night. The station sits a few hundred feet lower than the trail, so temperatures on the route run slightly cooler. Wilson and Tabernash, both cross-country ski areas, are each about 0.1 miles away. The Grand County / Fraser Valley climbing area is about 2.6 miles off, and St. Louis Creek Campground is about 5.5 miles away.

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go · Jun–Aug

    Best time to visit Possum

    Best months: June–August. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      31° / -1°

      11 wet

    2. Feb

      34° / 2°

      10 wet

    3. Mar

      43° / 11°

      9 wet

    4. Apr

      51° / 20°

      8 wet

    5. May

      62° / 27°

      7 wet

    6. Jun

      72° / 33°

      6 wet

    7. Jul

      77° / 38°

      9 wet

    8. Aug

      74° / 37°

      10 wet

    9. Sep

      68° / 29°

      8 wet

    10. Oct

      56° / 21°

      7 wet

    11. Nov

      41° / 10°

      8 wet

    12. Dec

      31° / -1°

      10 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Fraser, CO, 6.5 mi away at 8,560 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

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Ranch ViewPhoto: Eric Johnson, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors