Work A Ski Season at Granby Ranch

Ski Granby Ranch is a family-owned, four-season mountain community nestled in the Rocky Mountains, Colorado, USA in Grand County. It is located just 90 miles from Denver and 20 miles west from the resort of Winter Park and the western entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park.

www.granbyranch.com | Granby Ranch Trail Map | Bike Granby Ranch Trail Map

Working at Granby Ranch

Granby Ranch is one of the few mountain communities which is family-owned. It offers many outdoor activities on the property on which to work. There are winter activities ranging from downhill skiing/snowboarding, night skiing/snowboarding, snowshoeing, and cross country skiing.

Granby Ranch will do phone interviews and can also arrange Skype interviews, so it is not a problem to put in an application from another part of the country.

Staff Perks

Perks of working a winter season at Granby Ranch include:

• A Ski Granby Ranch season pass
• Free cross country skiing and snowshoeing
• Guest passes for friends and family
• Access to local Grand County operations for downhill skiing, cross country skiing, snowshoeing and swimming.
• Free Ski and Snowboard lessons
• Discounts on food and beverage, retail and rental equipment

Employees also get free skiing at eight other resorts in Colorado. Seven of these are on the GEMS pass through ;Colorado Ski Country USA’ and include: Arapahoe Basin, Eldora, Loveland, Monarch, Powderhorn, Ski Cooper and Sunlight. Granby Ranch also has a private exchange for employees to ski free at Copper Mountain.

International Applicants

Granby Ranch will accept international applicants with valid J-1 visas who are participating in a work and travel program. See Work a Snow Season in the USA for further information.

Granby Ranch also takes international applicants through the sponsor program, Universal Student Exchange www.workuse.net. Interested international applicants are able to contact USE if they are interested in setting up winter season work without having to arrange the J-1 visa by themselves. Countries that are currently eligible for the program include Brazil, Peru, Argentina and Chile.

Instructors

Granby Ranch will train new instructors, offering opportunities to obtain certifications at the mountain, and will accept applications for ski instructors without certification.

The Terrain at Granby Ranch

Ski Granby Ranch is home to family-friendly skiing, downhill and cross-country mountain biking at Bike Granby Ranch, as well as an 18-hole championship mountain golf course at Golf Granby Ranch. You’ll also find private, gold-medal fishing, and family dining at Granby Ranch Grill. It is a lovely mountain playground, with chairlift access to thousands of acres of hiking, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing trails.

There is no need to hunt for parking, or battle for space to turn on the slopes. Granby Ranch has wide-open terrain which includes beginner, intermediate, and advanced runs, as well as a terrain park with progressive features. There are 6,000 skier visits each year. East Mountain has the intermediate terrain and wide-open cruisers, while West Mountain has more advanced terrain and is the best place to head on a powder day.

Ski Granby Ranch has 4 lifts, 41 trails and 406 skiable acres. Ski Granby Ranch also has Grand County’s only night skiing and snowboarding facility. Night skiing is offered every Friday and Saturday throughout the winter season and daily from December 26 through December 30, during Winter Wonderland Week.

For visiting other mountains, Granby Ranch is somewhat removed. The closest major resort is Winter Park (20 miles / 32 km), although there are no reciprocal deals with Winter Park so you would need to buy a pass. The closest major resort with a reciprocal lift pass is Loveland, in Summit County (65 miles / 104 km).

Mountain Stats

• Base Elevation – 8,202 ft.
• Top Elevation – 9,202 ft.
• Vertical Drop – 1,000 ft.
• Number of Trails – 41
• Skiable Acres – 406
• Uphill Capacity – 6,000 skiers per hour
• Lifts – 2 quads, 1 triple, 1 double, 2 surface
• Average snowfall – 220 inches (18.5 ft.)
• Terrain Parks – 6 Progression Parks
• Beginner Trails – 30% Intermediate Trails – 50% Advanced Trails – 20%

How to Get a Job at Granby Ranch

There are a variety of seasonal positions, both indoors and outdoors. For job postings and to apply, visit www.granbyranch.com/careers.

For a description of ski resort jobs, see Jobs Available at Mountain Resorts. Granby Ranch is always looking for talented, energetic, and experienced professionals. You will be part of a small community at Granby Ranch and working there helps to build that community where families and friends can connect and enjoy the natural environment of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Granby Ranch expects the highest level of customer service from employees to give the best experiences for guests and homeowners (Members).

How to Find a Place to Live for the Season

Granby Ranch does not have staff housing. The resort is able to offer contacts for housing to employees from time to time. Employees can also look for housing through the classifieds on sky-hidailynews.com – a local paper which serves Winter Park, Granby Ranch and Grand Country. Employees can also use rockies.craigslist.org

There are several towns pretty close to the resort, but Granby is very affordable and the closest. Downtown Granby is only 4 miles from the resort. However, Fraser is 15 miles, Hot Sulphur Springs is 15 miles, Winter Park is 20 miles, Tabernash is about 13 miles, and Grand Lake is roughly 20 miles away from the resort. Fraser is a 15 minute drive in good weather, and 20-25 on a snowy morning. Winter Park is roughly 10-30 minutes depending on weather.

The closer you get to Winter Park, the more expensive, but there is more going on that side of the county in the winter, such as nightlife, festivals, etc. Fraser and Tabernash are the most popular towns for people who are interested in living on that side of the county but at a more affordable price.

Outside Work

The town of Granby is less lively in the winter than the Winter Park/Fraser valley. There are a couple of good bars/restaurants in Granby and a few winter events, however Granby is more of a rural town as opposed to a resort town. For nightlife, Winter Park/Fraser have more activity. Just north of Granby is Lake Granby, Shadow Mountain Reservoir and Grand Lake, which is very lively with snowmobilers, ice fishermen and other activities in the winter.

Stay for the Summer Season

Come for the winter, and stay for the summer! Granby Ranch is a year-round resort with plenty of activities in summer. Operations during summer include Golf Granby Ranch, Bike Granby Ranch, Granby Ranch Grill and Special Events and Weddings.