Colorado

[skibum1321]

Ok, so I'm thinking I may be going to Colorado and staying with my friend in Denver this winter. What would be my best options for mountains that aren't too far and have good BC. Relatively cheap wouldn't hurt the matter either. I really wanna go to Silverton and Telluride but they're wayyy too far.

 

[Joshua]

no offense, but isnt this a Northeast Ski forum?

 

[hammer]

This might be Greg's job, but here is the link to the CO skiing forum:

http://www.coskiing.com/

 

[deadheadskier]

Loveland is 45 minutes away - A-Basin an hour an half. They are both relatively inexpensive and offer excellent back country options from their lift systems. A-Basin for the most part is a lift serviced back country ski area - the Mad River of the west.

It's really unfortunate that Berthoud Pass is no longer in existence. I never got a chance to ski it, but drove by it plenty of times and it looked to be one narly ski area. I'm sure the drive/hike and ski options on it are still plentiful though - if I'm not mistaken its along the primary driving route from Denver to Winterpark.

 

[Greg]

This might be Greg's job, but here is the link to the CO skiing forum:

http://www.coskiing.com/

Too bad the forum's still dead... :roll:

Google's killing me on the COskiing site. I've been sitting in the Google sandbox for 10 months. Not a nice place to play...

 

[bvibert]

This might be Greg's job, but here is the link to the CO skiing forum:

http://www.coskiing.com/

Too bad the forum's still dead... :roll:

Google's killing me on the COskiing site. I've been sitting in the Google sandbox for 10 months. Not a nice place to play...

coskiing.com is the number one hit for "co skiing"...

 

[JimG.]

Loveland is 45 minutes away - A-Basin an hour an half. They are both relatively inexpensive and offer excellent back country options from their lift systems. A-Basin for the most part is a lift serviced back country ski area - the Mad River of the west.

It's really unfortunate that Berthoud Pass is no longer in existence. I never got a chance to ski it, but drove by it plenty of times and it looked to be one narly ski area. I'm sure the drive/hike and ski options on it are still plentiful though - if I'm not mistaken its along the primary driving route from Denver to Winterpark.

2 excellent choices, and you could hit Loveland Pass for some BC action too. A-basin is not to be missed.

 

[dmc]

no offense, but isnt this a Northeast Ski forum?

But he's a Northeast skier looking for advice from Northeast skiers...

You really got problems with non-Northeast posts don't you?

 

[dmc]

Loveland is 45 minutes away - A-Basin an hour an half. They are both relatively inexpensive and offer excellent back country options from their lift systems. A-Basin for the most part is a lift serviced back country ski area - the Mad River of the west.

Don't forget the quick hikes off the Continental Divide at Loveland Pass... Some great skiing there..
Ski down - hitchhike back up...

 

[Tin Woodsman]

I wouldn't hit Loveland ski area for B/C. The stuff to the dboundary on skier's left (across I-70) faces almost due south while the stuff next to Chair 1 is very avi prone. Great BC opportunities at A-Basin with Montezuma Bowl (need to leave a car) and especially the whole area skier's left of Pavi Bowl that spits you out lower on Rt. 6 and you hitch back to the base from there. Watch out though - serious avi danger there as well. Don't go alone and don't go unprepared.

Great, and relatively safe, BC action can be hand on Loveland Pass itself. Better snow than A-Basin or Loveland ski area and very easy access with a possibility of 10 runs or more in a single morning. By 10:30 or so, the traffic heading towards Summit County on Rt. 6 usually peters out and you have to pack it in. If you stay close to the road, instead of traversing south towards the far side of the bowl up there, you are fairly safe from avi danger as everything is low angle until you hit the trees.

 

[dmc]

We backed off a couple exposures when we were riding there a few years ago...
The pit gave while we were diggin it - Seemed to be a lot of windblown on a really faceted layer...

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

As mentioned above both Loveland and A-Basin are great choices. I would also hit Copper, they have very good bowl skiing and also supply cat skiing free of charge.

 

[smootharc]

College roommate lives in Denver and swears by...

Great BC opportunities at A-Basin with Montezuma Bowl (need to leave a car) and especially the whole area skier's left of Pavi Bowl that spits you out lower on Rt. 6 and you hitch back to the base from there. Watch out though - serious avi danger there as well. Don't go alone and don't go unprepared.

...A-basin. He's a pinhead pfreeaakkk and has a pass there.

 

[dmc]

As mentioned above both Loveland and A-Basin are great choices. I would also hit Copper, they have very good bowl skiing and also supply cat skiing free of charge.

Copper is great...

I love the whole Summit county vibe... I go every few years...
Colorado is great...

 

[mergs]

Loveland is 45 minutes away - A-Basin an hour an half. They are both relatively inexpensive and offer excellent back country options from their lift systems. A-Basin for the most part is a lift serviced back country ski area - the Mad River of the west.

Don't forget the quick hikes off the Continental Divide at Loveland Pass... Some great skiing there..
Ski down - hitchhike back up...

you beat me to the punch! loveland pass...

if you're there during a full moon, ski it with the locals at night, then sit around the bonfire with them as the JD bottle is passed around for warmth... good times. 8)

skimbum, that said, i would not go bc in CO without a coloradan, with bc experience, showing me the way around.

hey now... if you hop a puddle jumper to montrose its only a short 1ish hour drive to silverton i'll be there in mar 06. talk about backcountry, its 100% but you're with a guide so its fairly safe and the terrain kicks azz

 

[dmc]

The runs off of Rt6 are pretty easy to navigate...
But you should at least do some avi checking and carry a beacon,probe and shovel..