Ruby Hill Rail Yard Just The Right Size For Beginners & Die-Hards
DENVER (CBS4) - Skiers and boarders can now enjoy the small slopes of the Ruby Hill Rail Yard. The park opened for the season on Friday, the earliest the it has ever opened.
Denver Parks and Recreation and Winter Park Resort started making snow back on Dec. 26 in an effort to bring a taste of the Rocky Mountains to urban Denver.
From seasoned snowboarders like 19-year-old Matt Magner to first-timers like 8-year-old Isaac Lumbard, skill levels of all ranges are welcome at Ruby Hill Rail Yard.
"I'm trying … out on these two boxes right here," Magner said.
"I've snowboarded in my backyard, but not here," Lumbard said.
It's a place billed as the country's first free urban terrain park based in a city.
"We got here and he was like … 'Oh my gosh, yes we can do tricks, yes, this is great,' " Lumbard's mother said.
"You have to keep your balance and it helps your balance," Lumbard said.
Recent cold weather allowed the park to open early. With the exception of a few years weather didn't permit it, the rail yard has offered free winter slope time since 2007.
"A lot of people come here to actually teach their kids how to ride and stuff like that," Magner said.
While experts say the really advanced terrain is in the high country, for others, it's just right.
Christy Sports will provide equipment to borrow at Ruby Hill for skiers and snowboarders on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. A parent must be present for those under 18.
LINK: Ruby Hill Rail Yard