Co resorts

[Barb]

Tossing around the idea of buying a season pass in Colorado this winter. The prices are insanely cheap for what you get compared to Pa. Seems like after 7 visits the pass pays for itself. We will probably spend Christmas week out there and get a decent number of days in, plus a few more trips over the winter (if I get my way). Plus, I can sign my younger son up for the 5th grade passport and get him freebies to all the resorts.

 

So those who know about Colorado (and there are a lot of you here) help me out. Since we will be driving from Boulder doing day trips I also need to take traffic into account. Pretty much all the resorts are about 2 hours away according to Mapquest. Winter Park is off of I-70 so maybe the traffic is better? But Keystone, Breckenridge and A basin have that Colorado pass that you can go to all of them (plus Vail and Beaver Creek). Definitely don't need insane terrain. The boys pretty much smoke me to the bottom every single time, so a place where I can't lose them easily.

 

I may end up only getting a pass for me and using the 5th grade deal too. My oldest is of the mind set right now that he "hates Colorado, its so stupid" and he doesn't want to visit until I "make" him move there. I should bring him for the first 5 minutes of pasr bar night so you can all slap him and tell him what a moron he is.

[Dan-]

If your concerned about traffic you could go to Loveland, besides eldora it's the closest out of all of them. It's mellow, and was very fun when i was there. Winter Park is a bit further and you have to go over Berthoud Pass, so if conditions are shitty, the pass might be shut down and your out of luck until it reopens again.

[jordan]

Honestly, If I was in your situation, I would buy loveland passes. There is some really good terrain at loveland. I ski about 75% of my days there even though I have the colorado pass as well. It is also much closer (about 1:10 from boulder), less crowded (I have never waited in a line outside of october and powder days), and cheaper (adult season pass costs ~$250). BTW, although you would wait in less I70 traffic coming back from winter park, it is a wash after you consider the traffic jam at the on ramp to get back on I70 from berthoud in the afternoon. The only way to ensure you will never wait in traffic is to buy eldora passes, but if you are going to eldora, you might as well just ski in Vermont.

[nick malozzi]

Personally I wouldn't waste my time with the pass for summit county unless you have a place up there. The places are always packed on the weekend, and going through the tunnel blows. I'll drive berthoud any day. I've only had it close on me once in the three season I've been out here, and it's pretty easy to get the traffic report on it. So it isn't like you're going to get up there and have to turn around (unless you get REALLY unlucky). I second Jordan's vote for Loveland, but don't at all agree with him on the i70 entrance from Winter Park. I've never waited for more then 5min, and you can always hop on the frontage roads and get around it if you are really antsy. That being said, I typically leave a little earlier or hang out in town coming back on Sunday to let the crowds flush out. Saturdays though is never an issue. Eldora is cool too, and might be a great idea for just the first season while you get your bearings in CO. Then start branching out next season. Either way, don't waste your time with the summit county slop, at least not until you are out here and can make a better judgement call.

[Johnny Law]

Echo or Sol Vista all the way !!!!!!

 

Seriously go to Loveland. If you have to do 70 figure out every way around and go real early and stay late.

[nick malozzi]

Echo or Sol Vista all the way !!!!!!.

Ski Cooper Bitches.

Edited August 30, 2010 by nick malozzi

[Glenn]

Are you looking at a resort for yourself or for your kids or both? What kind of terrain are you looking at? Will you be skiing trees, bumps, terrain park, groomers, high alpine bowls, everything? What level skier is everyone in the group, and how far is everyone willing to take it? Everyone in the group will get better so quickly just having such a wide variety of terrain/features to practice on. I like looking at trail maps and seeing what percentage of the hill seems to be stuff I would want to ride.

 

Key/Breck: If you are thinking your kids will be the next big thing to happen to freestyle skiing/snowboarding this is a great training ground.

 

A-Basin: Similar to loveland with a gnarly pass added into the drive. A little more tree's a little less bowl.

 

Loveland: Bowl skiing, maybe some chutes here and there, few trees. Plenty of Green/Blue a few steep shots, especially if you want to hike. There are lots of mid mountain lifts, strange traverses and a dead end basin (with a running lift in it) which required a hike out for me this past winter. Add in terrible visibility days, and I have gotten split from my group 100% of the time when I go there. With only 1 base area, 1 lodge, 1 bar and only 1 lot open everytime I've been there, I've found my group at the end of the day no problem as well. Crowds haven't been issues for me there.

 

Winter Park: I'm partial but this place is awesome if you like steep trees, backcountry access (both legal and illegal), occasional bowl skiing; both steep and mellow, bumps, a well built but far from elaborate park. WP suffers from lack of high quality green/blue trail selection. Many greens contain a long traverse which will require skating. Many blues are short, run into a green/traverse or are bumped. Jane side is easy to stay together, WP side is a little harder. Jane is bumps, steep trees, access to the high alpine stuff. If parsen bowl is drawing you to WP go to loveland. Parsen sucks, it's not nearly as cool as it looks from the map and it is loaded with goobers. The pass will close a couple of times a year. If you are stuck on the WP side of the pass there is another way with adds 2 hours onto the drive, and assumes Eisenhower tunnel is open. Otherwise, you will need to find a place to stay for the night.

 

Steamboat: Fantastic blue/black trees of aspen and pine. Great snow, low crowds, bullshit cowboy town. I get lost from my group 25% of the time, but we are usually moving all over the place trying to explore as much as possible. It's super easy to stay at a particular lift or ride in a crowd to the next closest and move systematically around the hill. The place is huge, it's mostly families on vacation skiing there and the terrain is very playful. It's also seemingly too far for anyone on the front range to go to. This probably has the best groomers in the state also.

 

Eldora: If you live in boulder and want to ski everyday this would be a good option.

 

Echo: If you never want to leave the park, but still don't want to ride the best park in CO this would be your best bet.

[Barb]

Wow, Glenn, thanks for taking the time to give such a detailed description of everything. I am looking for a place for me and my kids. I doubt I would really ride alone, its just not fun for me. I guess we are intermediate level but I think my kids are better than me. I do really want to improve and am kind of disgusted with myself that I have been on a snowboard for 5 years now and am still not at the level I would like to be. But now that I sold my business finally (yay) and will have more time maybe I will improve and get out there more.

 

I don't think my kids will be the next big thing (although my oldest probably thinks he will be). The choices are just insane compared to Pa. Judging what responses I am getting, I guess Loveland would be a good choice. Winter Park sounds a bit advanced for me anyway right now. But after a season or two getting used to things maybe we will try it. Right now my legs are used to short Pa trails. I guess my kids have already been brainwashed that Eldora is small. I could see myself going there on days they are in school (when we finally move there) and getting a day of riding in.

 

As far as riding out of bounds stuff, not there yet. I am sure my kids will want to do that soon enough especially living out there. Thanks for all the good advice.

 

Can't wait for winter!

[nick malozzi]

Loveland sounds like a great fit for your first season. Let me know if you want to try out Winter Park. I get 20 $55 Buddy Passes this year with my pass. I will more then likely have some to spare. Could meet you up there and get you the discount, and of course do a few runs. I'm not as great of a tour guide as Glenn is up there, but I'd be willing to do what I can.

[Dan-]

Your oldest kid thinks he'll be the next big thing, but thinks Colorado is lame? He's got to get his priorities straightened out pretty quick.

[Glenn]

Loveland and A-Basin don't have any high speed lifts. I sat in the copper parking lot for about an hour trying to decide if I wanted to ride after a late night partying in vail. I decided against it, but that mountain looks fun, from the base area, and I doubt it catches the crowds the other summit/vail resorts do.

 

Of course, if you want to look at things purely economically, the vail/summit/5mtn pass is always going to look more appealing than the WP/Copper/Steamboat pass.

 

Also regarding mountain passes my experience is that if there is a long section with no passing you will always get behind someone going 10-30 mph below the speed limit regardless of conditions. As such, unless you are in a major storm event, it likely will make no difference how long the drive will take. BP has very limited passing for downhill traffic. If you sit at the bottom of the pass groups of 20+ cars will come by, then no one for a while. At the bottom passing is allowed, and everyone starts raging past the slow car.

Edited August 30, 2010 by Glenn

[nick malozzi]

Also regarding mountain passes my experience is that if there is a long section with no passing you will always get behind someone going 10-30 mph below the speed limit regardless of conditions. As such, unless you are in a major storm event, it likely will make no difference how long the drive will take. BP has very limited passing for downhill traffic. If you sit at the bottom of the pass groups of 20+ cars will come by, then no one for a while. At the bottom passing is allowed, and everyone starts raging past the slow car.

 

To piggyback off what Glenn said... Berthoud can be a pain, and there will be times that the drive makes you want to pull your hair out. The same can be said if you are heading into Summit County though. I look at it from this perspective. MOST people heading up Berthoud pass are fellow front rangers who have a slight idea how to drive in foul weather. Driving to Summit County is a crapshoot. With the pass being as cheap as it is, many week long vacationers will purchase the pass and pay it off with one vacation. So you get a lot more tourists out in Summit, and therefore a lot of people who potentially never drove in snow before. So you benefit on the on two fronts, the people you drive around and the people you ski around. I like the slightly more local crowd at WP, everyone seems way more laid back (for the most part). Every time I've been in Summit County I've had to deal with huge lines full of tourists, and the like. This is all my opinion of course, and there are plenty who will refute me, and that's cool. To them... I say the following "enjoy the tunnel, i'll be drinking a beer and having a slice while you fight your way back to denver."

[Dan-]

To piggyback off what Glenn said... Berthoud can be a pain, and there will be times that the drive makes you want to pull your hair out. The same can be said if you are heading into Summit County though. I look at it from this perspective. MOST people heading up Berthoud pass are fellow front rangers who have a slight idea how to drive in foul weather. Driving to Summit County is a crapshoot. With the pass being as cheap as it is, many week long vacationers will purchase the pass and pay it off with one vacation. So you get a lot more tourists out in Summit, and therefore a lot of people who potentially never drove in snow before. So you benefit on the on two fronts, the people you drive around and the people you ski around. I like the slightly more local crowd at WP, everyone seems way more laid back (for the most part). Every time I've been in Summit County I've had to deal with huge lines full of tourists, and the like. This is all my opinion of course, and there are plenty who will refute me, and that's cool. To them... I say the following "enjoy the tunnel, i'll be drinking a beer and having a slice while you fight your way back to denver."

 

 

If your talking about the place i think you are, that pizza was damn good. I can't remember the name of it though.

[First Grade Teacher]

Go for the WP/Copper/Steamboat pass. You can't go wrong. 3 very nice but different mountains with plenty for you and your kids to enjoy. Stay the hell away from Breck and Keystone!

[nick malozzi]

If your talking about the place i think you are, that pizza was damn good. I can't remember the name of it though.

peps... the pizza isn't phenomenal actually, but it tastes damn good after a long day. regardless, typically by the time i toss one or two back (both slices and beers) and get outta my gear the traffic is pretty minimal. the big thing with living in the front range is you just have to learn to accept it for what it is. there WILL be traffic of some degree on i70. there is no way around it, and the sooner you just get used to it the easier the drive becomes. you also have to get out of the pa ski mentality. you're not gonna "shoot up and do some laps." that isn't the way it works out here. wake up early, get up there, and make a day of it. my ski days have drastically reduced, but i'd take 1 average day up there over 2 weeks of daily laps at ANY PA resort with the best conditions.

Edited August 30, 2010 by nick malozzi

[Barb]

peps... the pizza isn't phenomenal actually, but it tastes damn good after a long day. regardless, typically by the time i toss one or two back (both slices and beers) and get outta my gear the traffic is pretty minimal. the big thing with living in the front range is you just have to learn to accept it for what it is. there WILL be traffic of some degree on i70. there is no way around it, and the sooner you just get used to it the easier the drive becomes. you also have to get out of the pa ski mentality. you're not gonna "shoot up and do some laps." that isn't the way it works out here. wake up early, get up there, and make a day of it. my ski days have drastically reduced, but i'd take 1 average day up there over 2 weeks of daily laps at ANY PA resort with the best conditions.

 

 

Very good point about the laps. I feel like that's all I did last season. I never wanted to go back out after lunch due to the crowds. Also because the runs are so short. Wait in line, 7 minutes up, 2 minutes down, repeat. After 15 runs or so, it just gets boring. But its my own fault, because if I was better I could start exploring the trees, but right now I'm terrible at trees.

 

 

And Dan, I totally agree with you. Hearing him tell me daily how much he hates Colorado (even though he has been there once in his life) is making me want to pull my hair out. You would think I was telling him we are moving to Iowa or Camden.

Edited August 30, 2010 by Barb

[Glenn]

Also I think you should take a free avalanche awareness course. Even if you don't plan to ever ski out of bounds, you are going to be living by steep mountains and you should act like it.

[jordan]

barb, if you do decide on loveland, shoot me a PM when you come out here, I would be more than happy to show you guys around.

[sibhusky]

Barb, how old is the kid and where was he before, just wondering?

[Barb]

Barb, how old is the kid and where was he before, just wondering?

 

Said problem child is 12 going on 18. We currently live in Jersey. He's too much like me unfortunately so we but heads a lot. Inherited my stubborness. I can remember playing these games with my father when I was his age. Just purposely trying to burn his ass and being a little asshole myself. So karma I guess, hopefully one day my son will have a child just like him. Once he gets out there I am sure he will love it.

[RidgeRacer]

Wait in line, 7 minutes up, 2 minutes down, repeat.

 

That's being kind of generous actually.

 

All the best in CO. You're kids are lucky. They'll realize it as soon as ski season starts, which for CO should be soon. Isn't the Loveland / A-Basin snowmaking war set to being in a week or two?

[nick malozzi]

But its my own fault, because if I was better I could start exploring the trees, but right now I'm terrible at trees.

Don't get too caught up in "the trees." Too many people think that to be good you've gotta be able to ski "the trees." Just ride what is fun for you, being in the trees isn't for everyone. I've met plenty of skiers and riders who make me look like a chump in the park, but can't make it through even the easiest trees. The converse is true as well. Try everything and stick with what you enjoy. The nice thing about moving out here is you and your family will have more then enough terrain to experiment and find what is right for you. But back to the topic at hand...

[sibhusky]

Said problem child is 12 going on 18. We currently live in Jersey. He's too much like me unfortunately so we but heads a lot. Inherited my stubborness. I can remember playing these games with my father when I was his age. Just purposely trying to burn his ass and being a little asshole myself. So karma I guess, hopefully one day my son will have a child just like him. Once he gets out there I am sure he will love it.

And what resort(s) were you at that he didn't like and what exactly didn't he like? His reasons might be "stupid" reasons to us, but maybe there are resorts that don't have those "issues".

 

I think that some Colorado resorts have different "flavors" from others. Why don't we work on finding out what his issue is?

[Barb]

And what resort(s) were you at that he didn't like and what exactly didn't he like? His reasons might be "stupid" reasons to us, but maybe there are resorts that don't have those "issues".

 

I think that some Colorado resorts have different "flavors" from others. Why don't we work on finding out what his issue is?

 

 

I appreciate the advice, but its more of an issue that he just doesn't want to move period. I won't bore anyone on a ski message board with my parenting issues, every parent deals with this kind of crap at some point. But I agree with your reasoning. I have no problem exploring different resorts to find one he really likes.

 

On another note, thanks Jordan and Nick, I'd love the locals tour of any mountain.

[sibhusky]

I totally didn't understand you were MOVING there. I thought you were taking a trip. Well, no wonder he is negative, he's in junior high, a tough age, an age I wouldn't repeat with myself OR with my daughter ever again. And he'll be the newbie in town, good for about one week of "cool", if that. We moved to Whitefish between Siblet's Sophomore and Junior years of HS, she was expecting it and looking forward to it and we were totally unprepared for how insanely tough it ended up being. Senior year was far better, thank goodness. Best of luck to you on just the school transition alone. Have you done a school tour with him yet? Talked to the principal, etc? It might help slightly. Where exactly are you moving to? I'm thinking the ski area thing is the LEAST of your worries. I'm thinking that by the time ski season arrives, with these local guys coming out to take you on tours, it'll be a real boon to help with whatever is going on in his head to just get him out of himself.