Colorado Ski Guide

[raisingarizona]

Right

As mentioned, the lift layout sucks for both. At Snowmass I found that Hanging Valley and the Cirque were the only things all that interesting. Both require two lifts to get to, traversing out to the goods, maybe 500-800 vertical of interesting terrain (Hanging Valley being much better of the two) then long run outs back to two lifts you have to ride to get back up and ski the short vertical. At Ajax you can at least string together a pretty consisted pitched 3k verical worth of bumps if you go skiers right off the top. I like the chutes that drop down from Ruthie's too.

That all said, if I were to take a 7 day vacation in Aspen again, 5 days would be spent at Highlands. That mountain is the shit. I'm not typically an earn your turns guy, but Highlands bowl is well worth the effort.

Sent from my XT1635-01 using AlpineZone mobile app

Reminds me of skiing anything steep at steamboat. Those laps burnt me out living there.

 

[p_levert]

FWIW, I enjoy Kusty's posts and generally agree with his take on resorts. As far as day-skiing Copper when you are based at WP, it all depends on whether or not you have been to Copper before. There is always value in bagging a new resort.

Note that there are two different ways to get to Copper. Assuming you're based in the town of WP, the fastest way is over Berthoud Pass and it takes around an hour and 15 minutes. But you have to go over a high pass and then through the tunnel, also a PIA. The alternative is to go in the other direction and avoid all passes (via beautiful Kremmling). This is about a half hour slower, but still less than two hours, so very doable.

 

[abc]

There is always value in bagging a new resort.

I don't agree with that.

Mountains out west are big. The OP said he'll be out at WP for "a few days". Depending how "few" days he's there, it may be barely enough to find the good stuff in WP and MJ.

And one day at Copper is really a waste. You won't get to find the good stuff in one single day.

Unless, the OP got really unlucky and the opened terrain were really limited. And he got bored after a day or 2 at WP/MH. In that case, by all means do a day trip.

 

[KustyTheKlown]

Thanks. I take umbrage with the “weekends at camelback” crack. Brother, it will be a real warm day in a cold climate when this here kid skis in Pennsylvania.

I don’t even ski southern vt unless it’s magic or free.

 

[bdfreetuna]

I don’t even ski southern vt unless it’s magic or free.

I think you dropped something

 

[jaytrem]

I don't agree with that.

Diff'rent strokes... I love checking out the little places. Cooper/Copper, I have a good time at both.

Just booked CO plane tickets last night. Prices plummeted yesterday and the kids got good reviews at the parent teacher conference. It's been quite a while since I've been to CO, maybe 10 years??? Figured this might be our only year with Ikon since Vail bought Mount Snow. So we'll do all Ikon with maybe some Keystone and Echo night skiing. Unfortunately no new places for me. No way I see myself getting my minimum 10 new, so far only looking like Whitetail on the way to the in-laws, American Dream and June. Early CO plan...

A-basin
Copper
4 days at Aspen areas
Steamboat
Winter Park
Eldora (then on the red eye)

 

[abc]

Diff'rent strokes... I love checking out the little places. Cooper/Copper, I have a good time at both.

Eldora (then on the red eye)

Different strokes.

I usually spend a week (or 3) in Colorado each year. I've yet to hit Eldora.

The locals warn against it, siting traffic being an issue on weekends. I really haven't heard anything particularly special about it. It maybe small and unknown to the tourist, but it's not quiet due to its proximity to Denver.

Are you going to spend each of the 4 days at different mountains of Aspen?

 

[jaytrem]

I usually spend a week (or 3) in Colorado each year. I've yet to hit Eldora.

Been there twice. Once was a perfect spring bump day, real quite. 2nd was a powder day, slightly less quiet and fresh tracks all day. But who knows, crowds might be bigger now.

Probably 1/2 day at Buttermilk.

 

[p_levert]

Different strokes.

I usually spend a week (or 3) in Colorado each year. I've yet to hit Eldora.

The locals warn against it, siting traffic being an issue on weekends.

You need to upgrade your local contacts. It's a nice, smallish ski area. The drive up and down is easy, and a huge improvement over the sh*tshow on I70. I like to ski there on the first day of a trip. Friendly, relaxed place, minimal lift lines. Trail map: https://skimap.org/data/508/3578/1561332566.pdf

There are two downsides to Eldora. (1) It's windy, which can occasionally close lifts and screw up powder and (2) the parking lots occasionally fill up. Not a problem after March 1.

Check it out, and, of course, bagging new ski areas is always good, which is how you find out about places like Eldora.

 

[abc]

minimal lift lines.

That's not what I heard. Not on weekends. (typically when I'm flying in/out)

The drive up and down is easy, and a huge improvement over the sh*tshow on I70.

I-70 is rarely an issue mid-week.

In any case, I don't have to deal with I-70 as I have a place to crash at Silverthorne. So my reference point is different.

The lack of motivation being, I haven't heard much about anything that's special about Eldora! Often times, a smaller place is preferred over a tourist destination for lack of crowds. But so far I heard that's NOT the case.

I don't bag mountains for the sake of bagging mountains. I like to check out GOOD mountains off the beaten path. (Just as an example, there's a "small mountain" near my house I would NOT recommend people to "bag". Not because of the limited terrain. But because it's almost always mobbed by local kids! Good for the mountain, good for the skiing industry. But not so good for the "mountain baggers")

 

[p_levert]

That's not what I heard. Not on weekends. (typically when I'm flying in/out)

Like I said, you need to upgrade your locals. Ask these people if they have actually skied there. I have, and almost always on a Saturday. Traffic and liftlines are not a problem. Wind and parking limitations are occasionally an issue.

I think the large majority of skiers (70%?) like to bag new areas. But we're a diverse bunch, so I guess you're in the 30%, or whatever it is.

 

[nhskier1969]

Like I said, you need to upgrade your locals. Ask these people if they have actually skied there. I have, and almost always on a Saturday. Traffic and liftlines are not a problem. Wind and parking limitations are occasionally an issue.

I think the large majority of skiers (70%?) like to bag new areas. But we're a diverse bunch, so I guess you're in the 30%, or whatever it is.

Love it, found a thread labeled "I-70 Bitch Thread"
https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/showthread.php/275353-OFFICIAL-I70-BITCH-THREAD/page290