World Cup ski-racing great Lindsey Vonn will be carving turns outside the limelight this winter on the private snowcataccessed slopes of Three Forks Ranch (threeforksranch.com), 40 miles north of Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
The hydrotherapy spa at Three Forks Ranch is the perfect counterpoint to a day on the slopes. PHOTO COURTESY OF THREE FORKS RANCH
Named the brand ambassador for the ranch last spring—which involves promoting the resort’s private downhill skiing operations and its wellness and longevity programs in partnership with the Mayo Clinic—Vonn will venture to the ranch’s exclusive slopes on select dates during the season to ski with guests.
“I can’t wait to get back on the slopes there this winter,” says Vonn, a four-time overall World Cup champion and Olympian. “Having a private mountain experience with untouched trails along with Three Forks’ luxurious lodge and spa creates the perfect setting for any winter dream vacation.”
Set on the ranch’s sprawling 280,000 acres on the Colorado-Wyoming border, 23 ski trails accessed by six snowcats and three tracked Polaris Northstar UTVs serve up 1,100 vertical feet topped with 350 inches of snow annually. Guests can choose from black diamonds like Graveyard to meandering greens like Sidewinder—some meticulously groomed, others left blissfully untracked. And with a 27-room, 54-guest maximum capacity, that means freshies all day. “Our guests have exclusive access to our private ski mountain,” says Three Forks general manager Jennifer Clements. “The powder never gets tracked up.”
The ranch’s 62,000-square-foot luxury lodge is filled with artwork from Wayne Cooper, Charlie Russell and Frederic Remington, and the Roaring Fork Spa features a hydrotherapy spa with salt and steam rooms, lap pool and hot tub. At après-ski time, cozy up to the lounge’s fireplace, sipping cocktails from an 1860s mahogany bar, or listen to piano music played on an autographed 1866 Steinway in the great room. Don’t be surprised if the downhill gold medalist from the 2010 Vancouver Olympics sidles up next to you.
“We invited her out here last year to ski, and she fell in love with the place,” Clements says. “Our relationship with her is truly authentic, and it’s a great fit. She cares very much about her brand and isn’t going to partner with just anybody.”
After years of competing on World Cup racecourses across the globe, Lindsey Vonn gets a taste of tranquility on the ranch’s private ski terrain. PHOTO COURTESY OF THREE FORKS RANCH
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