I have exactly 1 day to ski somewhere in Colorado and I am curious, for those familiar with the area, where you would go. It's a friday and I'm somewhat limited in how far I can drive since I have to catch a flight in Denver the next day. I was thinking maybe Breckenridge, Vail, Copper, Beaver Creek, Keystone...
Thoughts?
What level are you ?
Have you skied any other major spots in CO / WY / CA etc etc. ?
As UL implies there are many suggestions we could make if we knew more about your preferences. But without knowing anything else I could still recommend Copper Mtn. It's right on I70, a straight two hour drive to DIA. It is big and has something for everyone and lots of long, high speed chairs out of the base and open bowls up high and on backside of mtn. But it's not so big that you couldn't get a good taste of it in one day.
Tons of fresh snow goin down out here. Steamboat has been getting the most powder. Telluride or Aspen would both be sweet, but the most unique experience CO has to offer is Silverton. One lift, hike to terrain, 50 passes sold each day, lots of powder lines, option for heli skiing galore. You pick. My vote goes to Silverton, although more snow there would be nice. Out of your choices listed, though, Vail. One day though? In that area? Aspen.
Sliverton would be cool, but it isn't appropriate for a 1 day trip with a very long drive from DIA over roads that often close. Pending responses to UL's inquiries, I second Copper.
3rd vote for Copper. Easily assessable off of I-70, enough varied terrain to keep you busy throughout the day. Vail is nice but difficult to learn the layout especially for first timers.
UL, I haven't really skied anywhere other than Mt Hood (near Portland, OR) and a few other places in the state. Meadows has some very nice bowls and some steeps in the trees that I find myself sticking with. On a site note, Meadows is fantastic and if anyone is hitting up Hood DO NOT go to skibowl, ski at meadows, and stay at Timberline Lodge (badass, and you can see Jack Nicholson's ax from The Shining while imagining waterfalls of blood and those creepy twins being around every corner). Anyway, I can hack a double black well enough but sometimes it isn't pretty, I suppose that would put me on the low end of advanced? I would prefer to stay off the blues, my favorite line is steep, bumpy, technical but not so technical that a mistake could result in serious injury.
I cannot express just how excited I am to go skiing in Colorado. Is there a good site that aggregates/compares snow conditions? Seems like a lot of people are voting Copper which I might end up at since I'm going to head to DIA Sat morning for a noon flight.
The primary reason I was originally leaning towards Vail was the bowls which I've heard are epic.
Thanks for the advice everyone.
If you want to "ski" Colorado I would go with Highlands. If you want to take in Colorado resort skiing most of those other places you list are fine, I liked Breckenridge a lot for an all around something (plenty) or everyone nice place.
Personally, I'm not a fan of Copper. The last time I went there it was super crowded no matter where I was on the mountain. The free parking lot is hella far from the first lift. I could go on. I've had way better experiences at Keystone for when I'm in the mood for a hyper commercialized ski experience. If I had just one day to ski close to Denver though, I'd choose Loveland hands down. Fantastic lift accessed terrain. Goes right over I-70 (at the Eisenhower tunnel not too far outside of Denver). Cheap lift tickets. Park (which is free) and walk RIGHT up to the first lift. Low crowds are always a plus, too. It's not huge, so I wouldn't pick it for a week long destination or anything, but it's more than enough for a single day of skiing. I always make sure to hit it up a couple times any time I'm playing in Summit County.
For me it would be A-basin or Copper, depending on conditions, or Aspen Highlands if i were up for a 5 hour drive. Silverton is a 10 hour drive. Go to Loveland if you are worried about the tunnel closing. Vail and Steamboat are too far, Breck and Keystone are too close to A-basin if I have only one day.
BK
With your ability, any of the Colorado front range resorts (Loveland, A-Basin, Breck, Keystone, Copper) will have plenty to entertain you with. You'd have fun at the further out resorts as well (Winter Park, Vail, Beaver Creek) but honestly for one day that is a serious amount of driving. You are looking at 2.5 - 3 hours to Vail from the airport assuming no traffic and good weather. You'd be doing yourself a solid by focusing on Loveland, A-Basin and Keystone just to keep the commute down. Copper and Breck are a little bit further and I think have a lot to offer but it isn't like you are going to exhaust your options at the other places.
As to some differences, you'll find that Loveland and A-Basin will be cheaper than the others. You'll also find that Loveland and A-Basin have a more local, homey touch whereas the other places are run by the big corporate resort conglomerates. A counterpoint to this is that out of all the lifts that A-Basin and Loveland have, only one is a high speed detachable model. Some people prefer that but it gnaws at other people. YMMV.
Vail is 100 miles from Denver which makes it 130 or so from DIA. If you are going to be able to ski on a weekday I would recommend going all out. As you said, the back bowls are epic and they were epic today. Vail reported 5" today and you can pretty much double, or triple, that report in the bowls depending on which way the wind happened to be blowing. The place is amazing if you happen to not be driving to it and worrying about were to park the car. Enjoy your stay in Colorado and I hope you enjoy the world famous back bowls with soft landings.
OP wishes to "stay off the blues". I'd suggest either A-basin or Vail.
Not that there're no blacks in Breck, Copper or Keystone. But A-basin has tons of steep & bumpy terrain for the least amount of driving and probably the least expensive lift tickets. It's also small enough you won't be wasting time getting lost in between sectors, which is a real issue for the other mountains. I think Breck and Copper are both good choice for 2-3 days, less so for a one-day trip.
The bowls of Vail are...EPIC! So anyone who hasn't been there should go at least once. The drive isn't all that long so I wouldn't put that out of the question. The only big drawback is it's a little too big for one day. You might leave feeling you haven't scratch the surface (which is actually a true statement). And it's quite a bit more expensive than the rest (add $20 for the parking alone). But if you feel you might not get to ski CO for a long while, you might just want to go there to see for yourself.
Are you talking about skiing this Friday, or some Friday down the road...I ask because although conditions are very good for this early in the season, most of the resorts (except maybe Steamboat) are not 100% open...with that said, most have some good expert terrain open, but you may want to check out their websites to get an idea of what is open. Breck and A-Basin aren't the best, IMO, if it is a windy/stormy day. FWIW, Copper was empty today and was only crowded last year weekends and holidays.
Copper #1
If you like back bowls go to Vail (base area and parking a hassle to me), front is all the same but back is nice
If you like groomed cruisers go to Beaver Creek.
Aspen stuff is too far
Winter park is good, but a little more driving hassle
Steamboat is too far
Vail reported 5" today and you can pretty much double, or triple, that report in the bowls depending on which way the wind happened to be blowing.
I can confirm that for today.
Otherwise, I don't agree that Vail is a good place for someone to go for a day trip who is unfamiliar with it. Somewhere like Loveland, ABasin, or Copper is way easier to get to, and get around in. Only thing is Loveland and ABasin are not good if it's cold or stormy. ("Good" being a relative term ... lots of terrain above treeline, so hard to see, very windy, etc. Skiing might be great, though.) WInter Park/Mary Jane is another possibility. It's just as close as most of the others, just a different direction.
Going the 10th of Dec, I'm assuming pretty much everything will be open by then? I'm thinking about booking a hotel in Frisco since it seems to have the cheapest hotels in the area, anything going on there at night?
Frisco has a little bit of night life but if you're that close you will probably just want to head over to Breck.
As far as where to ski my vote would be for A-basin if its only for a one day trip. That is if they have managed to get the montezuma bowl open otherwise head somewhere else.
Keystone is terrible, I hate it. All the runs funnel to a common one before hitting the lifts making you deal with a lot of beginner skiers. It also has almost no steeps to speak off. It's only real redeeming factor is that its got some pretty decent tree skiing.
Breck is a great place but takes a little bit of know how to avoid the bulk of the crowds. E chair, chair 6 imperial and t-bar are where its at if you want some nice technical terrain. I personally think it really should be a multi day trip due to the fact that the resort can get slammed and if it does you will feel cheated out your one day of skiing
Ok, let's talk about the resorts that are within a couple of hours of DIA. In order of min driving time to max, they are Winter Park, Loveland, A-Basin, Keystone, Copper and Breck, and Vail. While others have suggested A-Basin, I would not as you're looking for a big mountain Colorado experience. A-Basin is a great little area, but it is limited in the amount of terrain it has and will have open by the 10th. You can catch it on another trip when you have more time.
Copper is a great mountain, and it's big advantage is it's naturally divided terrain, which means that you virtually never have a significant lift line for the advanced terrain. But since you will be skiing a Friday, you need not worry about lift lines this early in the season for a Friday. And while Copper has great terrain, they are stingy to open it. I wouldn't expect that they will significantly expand the terrain that's currently open. There's plenty open, but not as much as other places.
Right now, Vail has the most terrain open of all of the resorts. But it is much lower in elevation. You expressed a strong desire to ski Vail, so if the snow holds up, I'd suggest you go for it. It is only 25 minutes further than Copper/Breck. And you'll have the opportunity to see what a lot of terrain is. Given your stated skill level and terrain preference, I'd say it is a good match.
If you want to cut an hour off of the Vail transit time, then you might consider Winter Park/Mary Jane or Loveland. Both have excellent conditions, and both will have lots of terrain open.
So, while I seconded the Copper recommendation, I'd now change my vote to Vail. And realize that for me myself personally, Vail would be about the last place I'd pick of those choices -- it doesn't have the steeps that are my favorite (45 degrees plus), but it does have a lot of terrain, a fair number of bumps, and it is definitely a signature Colorado resort.
Mike
I have exactly 1 day to ski somewhere in Colorado and I am curious, for those familiar with the area, where you would go. It's a friday and I'm somewhat limited in how far I can drive since I have to catch a flight in Denver the next day. I was thinking maybe Breckenridge, Vail, Copper, Beaver Creek, Keystone...
Thoughts?
Loveland or Copper - easy to get to. If a dump is forecast defiantly Loveland (you are on the eastern side of the pass). Both areas are easy to find your way around in for a fun 1 day of never have been there before skiing. Kinda like Hood.
WP/Mary Jane is close also but will probably be crowded and WP is time consuming to find your way around on the mountain if you have never skied there - Mary Jane is great if you want Bumps/ Steeps and Tree's.
The other area's are good also, but for 1 day of skiing of never been there before may be a little much, unless you can hook up with someone than knows their way around. and you are risking I70 slow traffic over the pass if a dump occurs.
Just my thoughts
Now we are getting somewhere.
Loveland is closest and cheapest and has a ton of above treeline skiing and sounds like a match to your ability level. Steep, but not overwhelming.
A-Basin. Though they are getting a ton of snow there this season, it takes a ton of snow to open. You MIGHT be able to drive over US 6 from Denver direct (over the pass) but might not be able to depending on weather in which case you would need to approach from the Dillon / Silverthorne area making it a fairly long drive. Far more difficult terrain than Loveland but an easy area to navigate as it is somewhat small with consistent terrain. There is plenty of fun stuff there, you can't get tired of the place and you can (for the most part) find the terrain you want to ski by just looking from the base and the lifts.
Keystone-skip it. It doesn't provide the "Colorado feel"
Breck. If the weather is bad the day you are skiing you may want to skip Breck, if not it's a good choice (bet none of you here ever thought you'd hear that from me eh?
). You can stay in the high alpine bowls and chair 6 which fits your ability. There would be no reason to leave those areas unless E-lift was open. From your self described ability level a few runs would work under E-lift, but that area may beat you up a bit.
Copper is well within striking distance for the day. The mountain has naturally divided terrain, some above treeline type skiing and considered a "skiers mountain" The beauty is that you can pick an area of that mountain and stay there not wasting your time trying to "find the terrain" you really want to ski. It's a good possibility.
Vail The place is huge. You would really need to do your homework to find and stay on the terrain you want to ski. Plan a lot of time from the time you park the car to the time you hit the lift too. It's a walking / shuttle line village and it always eats time getting to the hill. If you want to ski the bowls you can head there and stay there for the day hitting Blue Sky in the process. BUT know your route in advance or you will get lost and loose valuable ski time. THAT IS IF THE BOWLS are fully open. Vail schedules the full operation of the back bowls and Blue Sky based on the calendar and not the snowfall. The BIG plus is that the 10th is usually the target day and it's a Friday. There is an excellent chance you could be there when the rope drops. I know a small area is open now, I'm talking about the GRAND OPENING. I would carefully watch the web site for the projected opening day which they always announce. IF it is the case that they are opening the bowls
on your ski day, it makes Vail the no-brainer if you like powder and wide open bump free bowls with a few small cliffs to huck off if you need a thrill.
I wouldn't consider any other places except Winter Park / Mary Jane and it's been so long since I've been there I can't tell you anything about them.
Some notes
Watch the reports. Snowfall amounts can be fickle there.
Watch the terrain and grooming reports terrain will be in the process of opening. Those reports could make the difference of a good day and a huge day.
There may be better hotel values in Silverthorne / Dillon than Frisco. Do your homework there.
Terrain will NOT be fully open (but plenty for one day no matter where you go) so watch the scheduled openings
It's about an hour and a half from DIA to the Silverthorne / Dillon / Frisco area if the roads are dry (you may make Vail in 1:30 if you are a diplomat with immunity and the rental car is a Porsche.
Have a blast and let us know how it goes.
UL
Vail The place is huge. You would really need to do your homework to find and stay on the terrain you want to ski. Plan a lot of time from the time you park the car to the time you hit the lift too. It's a walking / shuttle line village and it always eats time getting to the hill. If you want to ski the bowls you can head there and stay there for the day hitting Blue Sky in the process. BUT know your route in advance or you will get lost and loose valuable ski time. THAT IS IF THE BOWLS are fully open. Vail schedules the full operation of the back bowls and Blue Sky based on the calendar and not the snowfall. The BIG plus is that the 10th is usually the target day and it's a Friday. There is an excellent chance you could be there when the rope drops. I know a small area is open now, I'm talking about the GRAND OPENING. I would carefully watch the web site for the projected opening day which they always announce. IF it is the case that they are opening the bowls
on your ski day, it makes Vail the no-brainer if you like powder and wide open bump free bowls with a few small cliffs to huck off if you need a thrill.
Blue Sky opens this Friday. 12/3
Chair 5 is still chairless, sign says it will be opening mid-December.
Any "time" eaten up by getting to Vail will be made up for by the number of high speed lifts. There's not much "research" needing to be done either. The front right side of the mountain is for beginners and/or not that great. The other lift from Vail Village there is has pretty much no ski terrain to speak of, you HAVE to either take Wildwood or Mountain top express from there, then you are in decent territory. Riva Ridge is there on the front, being one of the longest runs I've ever even heard of (over 4 miles), expresso and cappucino are fun in the trees and are right next to Riva Ridge on the front. Then ride up again and you can go straight to whatever bowl that is (Sun up? which would also be the first place I'd head after a dump), then pull out your hand warmers and ride 17 up, and just work your way back...
I realize that may be "research" for some, but when I first showed up there, that's essentially what I did just on a whim, and I still do it today, while conditions only make small edits to that plan. That said, I have never gotten anywhere near the amount of skiing I get done at Vail anywhere else. I've even shown up at 100 and left at 330 feeling like I got plenty of skiing in. Fresh snow days are 840-4 though. The lift ticket price will drain your 401K, but if you ask around on this board or others, you might be able to find someone who will let you take one of their 6 discounted passes ($67). I would offer mine, but my buddies pitched in on my ticket, taking me from a CO pass to an Epic pass, and I owe them the discounted days.
Blue Sky opens this Friday. 12/3
I just saw this also...anyone going?
Personally, I'm not a fan of Copper. The last time I went there it was super crowded no matter where I was on the mountain. The free parking lot is hella far from the first lift. I could go on. I've had way better experiences at Keystone for when I'm in the mood for a hyper commercialized ski experience. If I had just one day to ski close to Denver though, I'd choose Loveland hands down. Fantastic lift accessed terrain. Goes right over I-70 (at the Eisenhower tunnel not too far outside of Denver). Cheap lift tickets. Park (which is free) and walk RIGHT up to the first lift. Low crowds are always a plus, too. It's not huge, so I wouldn't pick it for a week long destination or anything, but it's more than enough for a single day of skiing. I always make sure to hit it up a couple times any time I'm playing in Summit County.
Woah, I have to disagree with this. Copper has a lot of lifts that I virtually never wait behind more than 3 or 4 chairs. And as far as parking goes you hop on a shuttle that takes about 3 minutes to get you to the bottom of Super Bee, you go up one lift and you can drop into Reso from there (if it's open). Personally I hate the trek from Keystone's parking lot to the lifts and that is far worse for me than the quick shuttle ride. And I've waited in far more long lines at Keystone than I have a Copper.
I do, however, agree that Loveland is a good choice, unless it's very windy in which case it can be brutal there. My second choice would be Copper then Vail. I love Vail but I feel like unless you know the mountain it can be difficult to get where you want to go quickly. Especially with things closed (like Chair 5).
Personally, I'm not a fan of Copper. The last time I went there it was super crowded no matter where I was on the mountain. The free parking lot is hella far from the first lift. I could go on. I've had way better experiences at Keystone for when I'm in the mood for a hyper commercialized ski experience. If I had just one day to ski close to Denver though, I'd choose Loveland hands down. Fantastic lift accessed terrain. Goes right over I-70 (at the Eisenhower tunnel not too far outside of Denver). Cheap lift tickets. Park (which is free) and walk RIGHT up to the first lift. Low crowds are always a plus, too. It's not huge, so I wouldn't pick it for a week long destination or anything, but it's more than enough for a single day of skiing. I always make sure to hit it up a couple times any time I'm playing in Summit County.
Woah, I have to disagree with this. Copper has a lot of lifts that I virtually never wait behind more than 3 or 4 chairs. And as far as parking goes you hop on a shuttle that takes about 3 minutes to get you to the bottom of Super Bee, you go up one lift and you can drop into Reso from there (if it's open). Personally I hate the trek from Keystone's parking lot to the lifts and that is far worse for me than the quick shuttle ride. And I've waited in far more long lines at Keystone than I have a Copper.
I do, however, agree that Loveland is a good choice, unless it's very windy in which case it can be brutal there. My second choice would be Copper then Vail. I love Vail but I feel like unless you know the mountain it can be difficult to get where you want to go quickly. Especially with things closed (like Chair 5).
To be fair, I guess I shouldn't have judged Copper so harshly. I went during the Denver area's Spring Break, so that's why it was stupid packed, and why Loveland was such a breath of fresh air. Maybe I should give Copper another chance someday, when it's not Spring Break, huh?
Personally, I'm not a fan of Copper. The last time I went there it was super crowded no matter where I was on the mountain. The free parking lot is hella far from the first lift. I could go on. I've had way better experiences at Keystone for when I'm in the mood for a hyper commercialized ski experience. If I had just one day to ski close to Denver though, I'd choose Loveland hands down. Fantastic lift accessed terrain. Goes right over I-70 (at the Eisenhower tunnel not too far outside of Denver). Cheap lift tickets. Park (which is free) and walk RIGHT up to the first lift. Low crowds are always a plus, too. It's not huge, so I wouldn't pick it for a week long destination or anything, but it's more than enough for a single day of skiing. I always make sure to hit it up a couple times any time I'm playing in Summit County.
Woah, I have to disagree with this. Copper has a lot of lifts that I virtually never wait behind more than 3 or 4 chairs. And as far as parking goes you hop on a shuttle that takes about 3 minutes to get you to the bottom of Super Bee, you go up one lift and you can drop into Reso from there (if it's open). Personally I hate the trek from Keystone's parking lot to the lifts and that is far worse for me than the quick shuttle ride. And I've waited in far more long lines at Keystone than I have a Copper.
I do, however, agree that Loveland is a good choice, unless it's very windy in which case it can be brutal there. My second choice would be Copper then Vail. I love Vail but I feel like unless you know the mountain it can be difficult to get where you want to go quickly. Especially with things closed (like Chair 5).
To be fair, I guess I shouldn't have judged Copper so harshly. I went during the Denver area's Spring Break, so that's why it was stupid packed, and why Loveland was such a breath of fresh air. Maybe I should give Copper another chance someday, when it's not Spring Break, huh?
What year did you go? Because ever since the Epic Pass came out, even Spring Break hasn't been very crowded. (To be fair, that was also after the financial meltdown, and during two craptastic Marches in a row, snow-wise.)
Personally, I'm not a fan of Copper. The last time I went there it was super crowded no matter where I was on the mountain. The free parking lot is hella far from the first lift. I could go on. I've had way better experiences at Keystone for when I'm in the mood for a hyper commercialized ski experience. If I had just one day to ski close to Denver though, I'd choose Loveland hands down. Fantastic lift accessed terrain. Goes right over I-70 (at the Eisenhower tunnel not too far outside of Denver). Cheap lift tickets. Park (which is free) and walk RIGHT up to the first lift. Low crowds are always a plus, too. It's not huge, so I wouldn't pick it for a week long destination or anything, but it's more than enough for a single day of skiing. I always make sure to hit it up a couple times any time I'm playing in Summit County.
Woah, I have to disagree with this. Copper has a lot of lifts that I virtually never wait behind more than 3 or 4 chairs. And as far as parking goes you hop on a shuttle that takes about 3 minutes to get you to the bottom of Super Bee, you go up one lift and you can drop into Reso from there (if it's open). Personally I hate the trek from Keystone's parking lot to the lifts and that is far worse for me than the quick shuttle ride. And I've waited in far more long lines at Keystone than I have a Copper.
I do, however, agree that Loveland is a good choice, unless it's very windy in which case it can be brutal there. My second choice would be Copper then Vail. I love Vail but I feel like unless you know the mountain it can be difficult to get where you want to go quickly. Especially with things closed (like Chair 5).
To be fair, I guess I shouldn't have judged Copper so harshly. I went during the Denver area's Spring Break, so that's why it was stupid packed, and why Loveland was such a breath of fresh air. Maybe I should give Copper another chance someday, when it's not Spring Break, huh?
What year did you go? Because ever since the Epic Pass came out, even Spring Break hasn't been very crowded. (To be fair, that was also after the financial meltdown, and during two craptastic Marches in a row, snow-wise.)
I agree entirely with this. Vail Resorts has won the season pass war, with the result that Copper is never crowded, at least when you measure it against the Vail resorts. Breck had 23k visitors one day last Christmas break, and that same day you could more or less ski onto the Superbee.
Mike
Go to Loveland and heckle the locals.
