Booked flights for CO 1/3 thru 1/7

[Puck it]

Trying to come up with the game plan. We have 3 days of skiing. Last day will be Loveland or Abasin since we will be staying at the Hyatt Place near the airport on the night before the flight home.

We get in at 11:30am. We were thinking of driving to Steamboat and ski there and then drive to Frisco and stay there 2 nights and ski Vail or Breck. Is Steamboat worth the drive?
We hit Loveland, Abasin and Copper last year.

Suggestions?

 

[Black Phantom]

Trying to come up with the game plan. We have 3 days of skiing. Last day will be Loveland or Abasin since we will be staying at the Hyatt Place near the airport on the night before the flight home.

We get in at 11:30am. We were thinking of driving to Steamboat and ski there and then drive to Frisco and stay there 2 nights and ski Vail or Breck. Is Steamboat worth the drive?
We hit Loveland, Abasin and Copper last year.

Suggestions?

Don't waste what little time you have driving around. Drive directly to Vail and ski 3 days. You will not be dissappointed! :razz:

 

[Puck it]

Don't waste what little time you have driving around. Drive directly to Vail and ski 3 days. You will not be dissappointed! :razz:

3 days at Vail. i don't know if I could deal with the beautiful peole for that long!!!

 

[Black Phantom]

3 days at Vail. i don't know if I could deal with the beautiful peole for that long!!!

Same everywhere. At least you leave the car, ski all day, can walk around, all types of options.

Check the discount threads for deals and sherpas.:flag::-D:lol:

 

[gmcunni]

i like to ski different places when i travel but i could easily do 2 days @ vail without getting bored. some of the stuff i saw (but didnt' ski) was incredible.

 

[St. Bear]

Kind of early to start planning specific days, no?

/says the pot

 

[deadheadskier]

Not really a fan of Steamboat. They have some great trees and some good bump runs and the snow can be great, but it's somewhat lacking in the challenge department. I view it is a great family vacation destination, but not one of the better mountains in Colorado.

For only a marginally further drive, you could visit the Aspen areas. Highlands is the shit. Reasonably priced accommodations available in Glenwood Springs

 

[Puck it]

Kind of early to start planning specific days, no?

/says the pot

We need to figure out the lodging situation. The palce that we stayed last with the three queen beds in Frisco has no vacancy.

 

[Puck it]

Not really a fan of Steamboat. They have some great trees and some good bump runs and the snow can be great, but it's somewhat lacking in the challenge department. I view it is a great family vacation destination, but not one of the better mountains in Colorado.

For only a marginally further drive, you could visit the Aspen areas. Highlands is the shit. Reasonably priced accommodations available in Glenwood Springs

Aspen is 4 hours. That maybe too far.

Comments on Breck, BV, Keystone or Vail? Anyone?

 

[Black Phantom]

Aspen is 4 hours. That maybe too far.

Comments on Breck, BV, Keystone or Vail? Anyone?

Vail is best for park and leave it.

Keystone is cool but doesn't seem to get the storms as much as V & BC. It skis like a Killington on roids. Check out the Outback hikes. Cool stuff.

Breck is a real cool town, almost a cityish feel to it. 9500' base. Skiing is great.

For the short time frame, Vail has you covered. F*cking huge. I think it's impossible to get bored there. If you stay there, you can grab a shuttle to any of the other areas for pretty short money. Parking a rig is a real pain out there and costs $$$. Leave your car and use the transportation available. :flag:

And there is lodging to accommodate your beloved sherpa! :beer:

 

[Cannonball]

Trying to come up with the game plan. We have 3 days of skiing. Last day will be Loveland or Abasin since we will be staying at the Hyatt Place near the airport on the night before the flight home.

We get in at 11:30am. We were thinking of driving to Steamboat and ski there and then drive to Frisco and stay there 2 nights and ski Vail or Breck. Is Steamboat worth the drive?
We hit Loveland, Abasin and Copper last year.

Suggestions?

Steamboat is great....but it doesn't make sense to drive 2-3 hours (over a tough pass) for one day. If you are staying in Frisco my top choices are Copper and A-Basin. Followed by Breck and Keystone.

One place you didn't mention is Winter Park/ Mary Jane. It's not that far out of the way to hit on day one before moving onto Frisco. Actually, it's only about an hour from Frisco, so you could even just settle in at one place for the whole trip and make WP/MJ your one longer travel day.

One minor advantage to Steamboat is that the town is at ~6,700'. Compared to Frisco and
Winter Park which are ~9K'. It would give you a little acclimation through that first night and day.

FWIW: tiny little Ski Cooper up in Leadville can crush it on a pow day (or days later). Cheap, absolutely nobody there, amazing snow. Pretty affordable cat-skiing there too. It's like the Burke of CO.

 

[Puck it]

Steamboat is great....but it doesn't make sense to drive 2-3 hours (over a tough pass) for one day. If you are staying in Frisco my top choices are Copper and A-Basin. Followed by Breck and Keystone.

One place you didn't mention is Winter Park/ Mary Jane. It's not that far out of the way to hit on day one before moving onto Frisco. Actually, it's only about an hour from Frisco, so you could even just settle in at one place for the whole trip and make WP/MJ your one longer travel day.

One minor advantage to Steamboat is that the town is at ~6,700'. Compared to Frisco and
Winter Park which are ~9K'. It would give you a little acclimation through that first night and day.

FWIW: tiny little Ski Cooper up in Leadville can crush it on a pow day (or days later). Cheap, absolutely nobody there, amazing snow. Pretty affordable cat-skiing there too. It's like the Burke of CO.

I have been looking at Keystone with the Cat skiing in the Indepence and Outback Bowls. Have you done that?

 

[Black Phantom]

I have been looking at Keystone with the Cat skiing in the Indepence and Outback Bowls. Have you done that?

Outback bowls are cool. I hiked. Solo. To the top of the ridge.

 

[Cannonball]

I have been looking at Keystone with the Cat skiing in the Indepence and Outback Bowls. Have you done that?

I've hiked and skied the outback bowls. They are pretty sweet. Very modest angles. Never done the Cat there.

Copper has a little in-bounds Cat ski option (free?) which could be cool. And the Ski Cooper Cat access a huge ridge of semi-treed slopes (rather than the big bowls of Keystone and Copper).

 

[Puck it]

I've hiked and skied the outback bowls. They are pretty sweet. Very modest angles. Never done the Cat there.

Copper has a little in-bounds Cat ski option (free?) which could be cool. And the Ski Cooper Cat access a huge ridge of semi-treed slopes (rather than the big bowls of Keystone and Copper).

I will check it out. Both Cooper and WP. Been leaning towards Vail and Breck though.