Copper / A-Basin / Copper Jan 21 - 23

[Edd]

If you can't have powder then 3 days of sunshine will do. I'll add more over the weekend but pics are quick and easy.

Copper



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[Edd]

A-Basin

 

[deadheadskier]

Where did you end up staying?

Which mountain did you enjoy more?

 

[Edd]

We stayed in Frisco, which leads me to more pics.





Through VRBO we got a good condo deal and we stayed right in downtown on Main St. A great breakfast place was literally less than 20 steps from our door. A free shuttle stop was a one minute walk away and you were at Copper in 10 minutes. We walked to a different restaurant every night.

Given the conditions, which were: good coverage, but fast and firmish, Copper was the clear winner. Folks I talked to said there was abundant soft snow over a week earlier but the MLK crowds packed everything down pretty well. A-Basin was faster and firmer than Copper. I certainly dug the Wildcat-type feel of the place. I pray for the day I can catch it with some fresh snow.

Another post on Copper in a few. I need to access photos from a different device.

 

[Edd]

I think Copper is an awesome mountain. I've made trips to a number of western places including Tahoe, Whistler, and SLC. Even in that context, Copper is big and it skis big. Spending a week there would be easy.











We bought tix online the night before for $80. Breck, Vail, and Keystone would only sell them online 7 days in advance. We wanted to take it day by day. I looked around online a bit for deals and I saw tix for Breck for $124. After seeing how big Copper was the first day, the higher prices didn't make much sense for a three day trip.

That said, I loved the area and I definitely want to try out the bigger places. I'll have to plan that more deliberately on a longer trip.

 

[jimk]

Glad your trip went well. In the absence of fresh powder, sunshine in January is never a bad thing
I have only three total days at Copper and never got to ski their back bowls, but the mtn seems to have something for everyone and is a big favorite with Denver locals because it's overall cheaper than the Vail resorts and perhaps a bit less crowded too. I skied Arapahoe Basin for two days in great conditions and think it's a fantastic place with challenging bump runs off the Pali lift and very playful terrain everywhere else. How did you handle the altitude? You slept high and skied two of the highest based mtns out there.

 

[Edd]

We definitely felt the altitude. I couldn't drink enough water and we were more tired than usual after the ski days. Also I woke up for an hour or two in the middle of the night, each night.


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[Cannonball]

Sa-weet!! I'm jealous. I worked at Copper a long, long time ago. I worked the Storm King and Resolution lifts (I see you hit both of them). Lunch breaks meant launching into the chutes of Spaulding Bowl a few times, then back to work. Copper could keep you busy for years!