Spotlight: Wolf Creek, Colorado

Ski season has arrived, and few places do it better than Colorado. From expansive resorts to endless backcountry, there is truly something for every rider. Naturally, as avid skiers and snowboarders we pray for snow. However, this season at Wolf Creek in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, they will be praying for bluebird days—and for good reason. This season, Wolf Creek officially becomes the world's first ski resort to function completely on renewable solar energy.

The use of sustainable power isn’t new to the family owned ski area. Since 2006, Wolf Creek has been purchasing wind energy from the electric-utility company San Luis Valley Rural Electric Cooperative. Taking their commitment to being ecofriendly a step further, Wolf Creek partnered with San Luis last year to build the Penitente Solar Project—a 25-acre solar farm—which now powers 100 percent of the resort, enabling it to run entirely on solar during the day and on wind at night.

In addition to Wolf Creek's solar efforts, the resort also offers restrooms with water-efficient irrigation systems, while all of the snowcats run off of biodegradable grape-seed oil. Our winter bucket list officially just got a little longer.

Here, some images from Wolf Creek.