skiNEwhere
Active member
This is something I've been working on for a little while. These already exist in bits and pieces, but not to my liking and not encompassing all of this. It's still a work in progress and I hadn't had a chance to ski everywhere in CO, I'll add more if people find this to be of use.(Vail, Beaver Creek, Aspen, El Dora, Breck, Copper, Winter Park, Steamboat) Please provide feedback, whether it be about content, editing style, ease of reading, or something else.
Traveling from Denver: If you're heading to the mountain's you'll want to leave Friday at or before 3-4PM, or you'll be stuck in I-70 ski traffic. Yes, there is horrible traffic created just by the sheer volume of people going skiing. Or you can take the colorado mountain express or Summit Express
Arapahoe Basin
Rating: 8 out of 10
Lodging: 15 minutes away in Keystone.
Après-ski: 6th alley bar on site, Keystone 15 minutes away.
Bus: The SummitStage offers FREE travel within Summit County, which is beneficial if you are staying at a hotel in the area.
Distance from Denver: 64 miles. About 70-80 minute trip dependent on weather and traffic.
Snow Quality: A-Basin has primarily N/NE exposure (Zuma Bowl is S/SW exposure) so this combined with the base and peak elevation keeps the snow around longer. It’s almost always the last ski area to close in the state, if not the country! A typical season runs from Mid-October to Mid to Late May!
Crowds and Price: Due to the lack of “amenities” and its small size (relative to nearby ski resorts), this place does not get overly crowded on the weekends, unlike its much larger counterparts. A lift ticket for the 2014-2015 season is only $45.99 if you purchase ahead of time, $67 if you purchase at the counter. Not bad!
Parking: Free and within walking distance (No bus required unless you're on the upper lot, only a 2 minute ride)
There are 2 separate ways to get here.
· Option A: Take I-70W through the Eisenhower tunnel down the steep 7% downgrade to the town of Silverthorne. Got off on exit 205 and take your very first left which will be route 6 eastbound, past the town Keystone to get to the ski area. Other than the steep downgrade on the interstate this is generally an easier route with less turns.
· Option B: Take I-70W to the last exit before the tunnel (exit 216). You'll pass directly under chair 5 of Loveland Ski area and drive up twisty route 6 westbound to the top off Loveland pass, just shy of 12,000 ft. elevation. You should be able to see A-Basin once you get about one to two miles pass the top. This route is 10 minutes faster than route A, but not for those who get nervous because of heights. There are portions of the road near the pass that have a 35-40 degree drop-off and no guardrails. If the weather gets bad, CDOT is quick to shut down the road but you may be stuck on the road while it is in the process of being closed. The only downside is that HAZMAT vehicles trailers are mandated by law to use this pass instead of the tunnel, so there is a chance you may get stuck behind one of these.
Overview: A-Basin (for short) as it is often called skips all the "overhead" that is typically added to Colorado ski resorts and cuts to the chase, just great skiing. There are no condos, gold courses, or nightlife slopeside so to speak of, but this can be found in the town of Keystone, which is only 15 minutes away. Check groupon for good deals that will surface from time to time. A-Basin almost always has the longest season in the state, often over 200 days!
· If you're a beginner, there are only 5 green trails, so you may want to ski at nearby Breckenridge if you are looking for more easy terrain. Note that the green slope Sundance is pretty steep and would probably be a blue at any other resort.
· Experts will love the Pallavicini trail complex, as this has a great deal of double blacks that are steep, have bumps, glades, or a combination of all three. Personally I think the trail Gauthier is the hardest trail in this group, it is about 45 degrees with trees!
· The Pallavicini trail is a fun, steep, wide, bump trail.
· The top of West Turbo is a rocky, tough trail overall. Don’t use your nice skis
· The East wall offers terrific hike-to terrain, but the summit is almost 13,000 ft. If you are coming from sea level, you may want to get acclimated because even the most fit of skiers can get winded and/or altitude sickness if they try to ski it the first day. 1st Notch, as it is called, offers a 45 degree slope and is about 10-15 feet wide at its narrowest point.
· The Montezuma (or Zuma) Bowl is a great area to ski right after a big dump. If you don't get first tracks, head to the furthest skiers left you can take from the top of the Zuma lift and you may be able to find freshies, as there is a lot of a traverse involved that keeps some of the crowds away.
o At the bottom, you'll find "hike-back" terrain that keeps powder fresh for a longer period, since you'll need to hike back up the base of the Zuma lift.
The Negative: High altitude can be hardest on skiers than other nearby ski resorts. Only one High Speed Quad. Lenawee lift can be a long ride, especially since the top 1/3 is completely exposed to the wind causing it to run at a slower speed sometimes. The East Wall, which is revered by locals, takes a long time to fill in, it usually doesn’t open up until late February in a good year, March most years.
Backcountry: There is an area known as "The Beavers" that you can legally access from the top of the Pallavicini lift through the BC gates. It's steep, and rocky, and very avalanche prone. I mention it because you may see people skiing/boarding down it from US Route 6. If you DO try this, make sure you either know what the hell you are doing or take someone with you that has a clue. Besides, A-Basin has it in their Master Development plan to incorporate this into their ski area so you'll be able to ski it whenever that happens (Hopefully in the next 3-5 years)
Misc: If you ski here in October when they first open, expect to wait a half an hour in line, for like only 1-3 open, overcrowded runs.
Loveland
Rating: 7 out of 10
Lodging: 15 minutes away in Georgetown or Silverthorne.
Apres-ski: None on site, 15 minutes away in Silverthorne.
Bus: Only to get from Loveland Basin to Loveland Valley
Distance from Denver: 56 miles, 50 to 60 minutes depending on weather and traffic. Take I-70 to exit 216, you can’t miss it, although if you’re not paying attention, you’ll miss the exit and have to drive 10 miles to Silverthorne to turn around so keep your eyes open!
Snow Quality: Loveland has exposure in every direction except for the West. Since Loveland sits on the Continental Divide, it gets the storms that hit summit county but also picks up the storms that hit the front range and Denver area that mostly miss resorts in Summit county. The winds on peak 9 sometimes blow wind from the western side of the continental divide onto the eastern side, so they’ll be powder even if hasn’t snowed in a couple of days. Of course, the exact opposite happens sometimes as well.
Crowds and Prices: Crowds? What’s that? I skied Loveland on the President’s Day weekend and never waited more than 2 minutes. You will not find crowds here. Period. The price is a very reasonable $61. There are many kiosks scattered through Colorado where you can buy a discounted lift ticket (Not sure of the exact discount, I think it’s in the 40’s). Click here for locations.
Parking: Free (No Bus Required). If you do get to Loveland late on a busy day though, the main parking lot will be full and you’ll have to park at the Loveland Valley Parking lot (Smaller, geared towards intermediates) and take 2 minute ride to the main Loveland Basin ski area.
Overview: While it’s hard to call Loveland a little known ski resort, it’s definitely not appreciated as much as I think it should be. I like to joke that “There’s no love for Loveland.” I remember asking some people from my office if they wanted to ski there, and they just kind of rolled their eyes like “Why would I want to ski there”? Their loss. Also like A-Basin, Loveland has no amenities (actually, even less), or even a high speed lift. This place is VERY popular with locals, who will swear by it like it’s the only true skiing left in the state. Loveland is the closest ski area to Denver since Echo Mtn is now private, and very easy to get it. Loveland and A-Basin often compete to be the first ski area to open. Loveland always seems to close the first week in May, regardless of snow, not sure why.
· Beginners will find a nice assortment of terrain to begin to learn in the Loveland Valley side, which has some nice greens and moderate blue’s to work up to.
· Advanced/Expert skiers will enjoy the terrain off of chair 1 and chair 9. Chair 1 has some pretty nice steeps. Over the Rainbow has some sustained steeps for about 1000 ft. It’s hard to say how steep it is since it always has huge moguls on it, but I’ll venture to say its around 35 degrees.
· There are some nice, unmarked gladed areas in here. That’s all I’m gonna say
· Chair 9 takes you to the top of Loveland and the Continental Divide. From here, the views are pretty amazing. You can see clearly see Breckenridge in the distance and parts of Keystone. This lift is very exposed to the wind and often subject to closure. This is a great area to ski open bowls on powder days.
o Patrol bowl offers Loveland's steepest terrain, at over 41 degrees.
o There is a free snow cat that operates Wednesday through Sunday. But you MUST get a free pass from the ticket office or no ride for you.
· Chairs 2 and 6 takes you to access a bunch of nice groomed blue trails that any intermediate skier should enjoy. Personally I loathe chair 2, it is very long and very slow. I timed it this season, it was over 13 minutes with no stops, which rarely happens. With stops it’s usually about 15 minutes. I’d only use it to get to chair 9. Thankfully it has a mid-unload station so you can limit the agony.
· Chair 8 is my favorite chair. It’s the furthest away, and hardest to get to, therefore it’s also the least used. And it holds powder for a long time. There was one day this season I went over there and stayed over there most of the day and was able to find fresh tracks the whole time I was there. Definitely a hidden gem. Hook Em’ Horns is one of my favorites in that area. East Ropes is a nice, steep gladed trail, but it does take a lot of snow to open up and it is very short.
The Negative: No High Speed Lifts. The portion of chair 2 above treeline, and chair 9 are very exposed to the wind. Both of those factors do keep crowds down though. Chair 9 has frequent wind holds, some days it may not even open at all. If you’re looking for a gourmet lunch, you’ll be disappointed. Just like A-Basin, altitude is more of a factor than other ski areas.
Misc: Loveland really goes out of the way for people who bring their own lunch. They have microwaves for you heat up your food and filtered water and cups to use.
Traveling from Denver: If you're heading to the mountain's you'll want to leave Friday at or before 3-4PM, or you'll be stuck in I-70 ski traffic. Yes, there is horrible traffic created just by the sheer volume of people going skiing. Or you can take the colorado mountain express or Summit Express
Arapahoe Basin
Rating: 8 out of 10
Lodging: 15 minutes away in Keystone.
Après-ski: 6th alley bar on site, Keystone 15 minutes away.
Bus: The SummitStage offers FREE travel within Summit County, which is beneficial if you are staying at a hotel in the area.
Distance from Denver: 64 miles. About 70-80 minute trip dependent on weather and traffic.
Snow Quality: A-Basin has primarily N/NE exposure (Zuma Bowl is S/SW exposure) so this combined with the base and peak elevation keeps the snow around longer. It’s almost always the last ski area to close in the state, if not the country! A typical season runs from Mid-October to Mid to Late May!
Crowds and Price: Due to the lack of “amenities” and its small size (relative to nearby ski resorts), this place does not get overly crowded on the weekends, unlike its much larger counterparts. A lift ticket for the 2014-2015 season is only $45.99 if you purchase ahead of time, $67 if you purchase at the counter. Not bad!
Parking: Free and within walking distance (No bus required unless you're on the upper lot, only a 2 minute ride)
There are 2 separate ways to get here.
· Option A: Take I-70W through the Eisenhower tunnel down the steep 7% downgrade to the town of Silverthorne. Got off on exit 205 and take your very first left which will be route 6 eastbound, past the town Keystone to get to the ski area. Other than the steep downgrade on the interstate this is generally an easier route with less turns.
· Option B: Take I-70W to the last exit before the tunnel (exit 216). You'll pass directly under chair 5 of Loveland Ski area and drive up twisty route 6 westbound to the top off Loveland pass, just shy of 12,000 ft. elevation. You should be able to see A-Basin once you get about one to two miles pass the top. This route is 10 minutes faster than route A, but not for those who get nervous because of heights. There are portions of the road near the pass that have a 35-40 degree drop-off and no guardrails. If the weather gets bad, CDOT is quick to shut down the road but you may be stuck on the road while it is in the process of being closed. The only downside is that HAZMAT vehicles trailers are mandated by law to use this pass instead of the tunnel, so there is a chance you may get stuck behind one of these.
Overview: A-Basin (for short) as it is often called skips all the "overhead" that is typically added to Colorado ski resorts and cuts to the chase, just great skiing. There are no condos, gold courses, or nightlife slopeside so to speak of, but this can be found in the town of Keystone, which is only 15 minutes away. Check groupon for good deals that will surface from time to time. A-Basin almost always has the longest season in the state, often over 200 days!
· If you're a beginner, there are only 5 green trails, so you may want to ski at nearby Breckenridge if you are looking for more easy terrain. Note that the green slope Sundance is pretty steep and would probably be a blue at any other resort.
· Experts will love the Pallavicini trail complex, as this has a great deal of double blacks that are steep, have bumps, glades, or a combination of all three. Personally I think the trail Gauthier is the hardest trail in this group, it is about 45 degrees with trees!
· The Pallavicini trail is a fun, steep, wide, bump trail.
· The top of West Turbo is a rocky, tough trail overall. Don’t use your nice skis
· The East wall offers terrific hike-to terrain, but the summit is almost 13,000 ft. If you are coming from sea level, you may want to get acclimated because even the most fit of skiers can get winded and/or altitude sickness if they try to ski it the first day. 1st Notch, as it is called, offers a 45 degree slope and is about 10-15 feet wide at its narrowest point.
· The Montezuma (or Zuma) Bowl is a great area to ski right after a big dump. If you don't get first tracks, head to the furthest skiers left you can take from the top of the Zuma lift and you may be able to find freshies, as there is a lot of a traverse involved that keeps some of the crowds away.
o At the bottom, you'll find "hike-back" terrain that keeps powder fresh for a longer period, since you'll need to hike back up the base of the Zuma lift.
The Negative: High altitude can be hardest on skiers than other nearby ski resorts. Only one High Speed Quad. Lenawee lift can be a long ride, especially since the top 1/3 is completely exposed to the wind causing it to run at a slower speed sometimes. The East Wall, which is revered by locals, takes a long time to fill in, it usually doesn’t open up until late February in a good year, March most years.
Backcountry: There is an area known as "The Beavers" that you can legally access from the top of the Pallavicini lift through the BC gates. It's steep, and rocky, and very avalanche prone. I mention it because you may see people skiing/boarding down it from US Route 6. If you DO try this, make sure you either know what the hell you are doing or take someone with you that has a clue. Besides, A-Basin has it in their Master Development plan to incorporate this into their ski area so you'll be able to ski it whenever that happens (Hopefully in the next 3-5 years)
Misc: If you ski here in October when they first open, expect to wait a half an hour in line, for like only 1-3 open, overcrowded runs.
Loveland
Rating: 7 out of 10
Lodging: 15 minutes away in Georgetown or Silverthorne.
Apres-ski: None on site, 15 minutes away in Silverthorne.
Bus: Only to get from Loveland Basin to Loveland Valley
Distance from Denver: 56 miles, 50 to 60 minutes depending on weather and traffic. Take I-70 to exit 216, you can’t miss it, although if you’re not paying attention, you’ll miss the exit and have to drive 10 miles to Silverthorne to turn around so keep your eyes open!
Snow Quality: Loveland has exposure in every direction except for the West. Since Loveland sits on the Continental Divide, it gets the storms that hit summit county but also picks up the storms that hit the front range and Denver area that mostly miss resorts in Summit county. The winds on peak 9 sometimes blow wind from the western side of the continental divide onto the eastern side, so they’ll be powder even if hasn’t snowed in a couple of days. Of course, the exact opposite happens sometimes as well.
Crowds and Prices: Crowds? What’s that? I skied Loveland on the President’s Day weekend and never waited more than 2 minutes. You will not find crowds here. Period. The price is a very reasonable $61. There are many kiosks scattered through Colorado where you can buy a discounted lift ticket (Not sure of the exact discount, I think it’s in the 40’s). Click here for locations.
Parking: Free (No Bus Required). If you do get to Loveland late on a busy day though, the main parking lot will be full and you’ll have to park at the Loveland Valley Parking lot (Smaller, geared towards intermediates) and take 2 minute ride to the main Loveland Basin ski area.
Overview: While it’s hard to call Loveland a little known ski resort, it’s definitely not appreciated as much as I think it should be. I like to joke that “There’s no love for Loveland.” I remember asking some people from my office if they wanted to ski there, and they just kind of rolled their eyes like “Why would I want to ski there”? Their loss. Also like A-Basin, Loveland has no amenities (actually, even less), or even a high speed lift. This place is VERY popular with locals, who will swear by it like it’s the only true skiing left in the state. Loveland is the closest ski area to Denver since Echo Mtn is now private, and very easy to get it. Loveland and A-Basin often compete to be the first ski area to open. Loveland always seems to close the first week in May, regardless of snow, not sure why.
· Beginners will find a nice assortment of terrain to begin to learn in the Loveland Valley side, which has some nice greens and moderate blue’s to work up to.
· Advanced/Expert skiers will enjoy the terrain off of chair 1 and chair 9. Chair 1 has some pretty nice steeps. Over the Rainbow has some sustained steeps for about 1000 ft. It’s hard to say how steep it is since it always has huge moguls on it, but I’ll venture to say its around 35 degrees.
o Note: This is the Eastern edge of the ski area, and you’ll be right against the ski area boundary. You may be tempted to duck the ropes, but don’t. You’ll head into an area knows as the 7 Sisters which is extremely avalanche prone. So just don’t do it.
· Avalanche bowl offers some nice steeps around 37 degrees.· There are some nice, unmarked gladed areas in here. That’s all I’m gonna say
· Chair 9 takes you to the top of Loveland and the Continental Divide. From here, the views are pretty amazing. You can see clearly see Breckenridge in the distance and parts of Keystone. This lift is very exposed to the wind and often subject to closure. This is a great area to ski open bowls on powder days.
o Patrol bowl offers Loveland's steepest terrain, at over 41 degrees.
o There is a free snow cat that operates Wednesday through Sunday. But you MUST get a free pass from the ticket office or no ride for you.
· Chairs 2 and 6 takes you to access a bunch of nice groomed blue trails that any intermediate skier should enjoy. Personally I loathe chair 2, it is very long and very slow. I timed it this season, it was over 13 minutes with no stops, which rarely happens. With stops it’s usually about 15 minutes. I’d only use it to get to chair 9. Thankfully it has a mid-unload station so you can limit the agony.
· Chair 8 is my favorite chair. It’s the furthest away, and hardest to get to, therefore it’s also the least used. And it holds powder for a long time. There was one day this season I went over there and stayed over there most of the day and was able to find fresh tracks the whole time I was there. Definitely a hidden gem. Hook Em’ Horns is one of my favorites in that area. East Ropes is a nice, steep gladed trail, but it does take a lot of snow to open up and it is very short.
The Negative: No High Speed Lifts. The portion of chair 2 above treeline, and chair 9 are very exposed to the wind. Both of those factors do keep crowds down though. Chair 9 has frequent wind holds, some days it may not even open at all. If you’re looking for a gourmet lunch, you’ll be disappointed. Just like A-Basin, altitude is more of a factor than other ski areas.
Misc: Loveland really goes out of the way for people who bring their own lunch. They have microwaves for you heat up your food and filtered water and cups to use.
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