Free buses at peak holiday times

[Mum skier]

I know the first responses will be “don’t ski at holidays“ or “don’t ski at weekends“ or “Vail sucks”. But serious question. If we went to Vail or Beaver Creek or another major Vail CO resort for Presidents week and have not splurged for slopeside accommodation are you able to actually get on the free shuttle buses peak times in peak weeks or are they so crowded morning and after skiing that you can’t get on? For example the shuttles from Avon to Beaver Creek, or around Vail valley. And you can take skis on them? I’ve been in places before where supposedly there is a shuttle but you simply can’t ever get on the shuttle!
We have stayed local (East Coast) for the past two years and I think this really is the last year we do a pass as we use it less and less, and kids in school so Presidents week is only option. Something like Christie Lodge in Avon seems a reasonable way to stay at Beaver Creek. But would the village gondola have hours long lines.

Somthose who have braved the peak week in Colorado what was your strategy.

 

[jimk]

I've stayed at the Comfort Inn in Avon a few times over the years. Last was 2018 I believe. It could be a little raggedy by this time from heavy usage. It's quite popular with youth-ski racing families. They used to serve a pretty good free breakfast. There's a free bus stop to the BC main base village near it's front door. The Avon gondola is also within walking distance from the Comfort Inn. You may be correct about buses being crowded at peak times. They weren't too bad if memory serves me from my visits, although from paid parking lots in other parts of Avon seats on the buses could be very competitive these days? Don't know Christie Lodge, but If you get accommodations within walking distance of that Avon Riverfront gondola you should be golden as I don't recall it being used very much from that base station. People do load on the chairlift it leads to on the other side of the river, but I don't remember that being too crowded either. You can eventually get to the entire BC trail layout from there, but it will take a few lift rides. You can also ski to the gondola and down load on it at the end of the day to get back to Avon and avoid buses altogether. Beaver Creek has a huge 4000'+ vertical drop if you start down there.
I believe there is a county bus service from Avon to Vail that's not too expensive. Some Avon hotels may also offer a shuttle to Vail??

While a popular place, BC is one of the least crowded of the major ski resorts on Colorado's I70 corridor, primarily because it's a little bit farther from Denver than the rest. Also, the upscale reputation may deter some folks. But if you can score some affordable accoms in Avon there are a lot of reasonable places to eat there and even a Walmart IIRC.
Here's a budget oriented report I wrote on Vail and BC in 2018. Some of the info is outdated now: https://www.skitalk.com/threads/hitchhikers-guide-to-the-vail-galaxy-of-resorts-part-1-of-3.7873/

 

[KustyTheKlown]

i havent been to vail in many many years and i typically have my own car when i go on my western trips, but i will say that i ski a different destination resort the 2nd half of february every year and i have never really noticed 'holiday' crowding. i think the presidents week holiday is largely a creature of east coast schools only.

i was in aspen for presidents week and then summit county the following week last season. no notable crowds anywhere.

 

[jimk]

Regarding @KustyTheKlown comment on holiday crowding; in Utah on Presidents Weekend - Saturday and Sunday places like Snowbird are not too bad, in fact eerily quiet sometimes in recent years. It's because those dates are blacked out on the base Ikon Pass and apparently a lot of UT locals are base pass holders. All bets off for Prez Weekend - Monday as it's not blacked out. I've experienced this phenomenon at Park City too. Not sure if that holds for Epic resorts in CO as I haven't been to them for that holiday.
Also, about Aspen (particularly Ajax, Buttermilk and Highlands), that place is never too crowded from my experience. If you got Ikon and a fat wallet for lodging/dining it's a good crowd beater destination all winter.

 

[Mum skier]

Thanks everyone. We booked flights to Denver. Still debating final destination or destinations!

 

[Mum skier]

Hi everyone. providing an update. We skied at Beaver Creek Monday to Thursday Presidents week. No lines at all, even on Monday. We stayed in Avon and the village gondola to get across to Beaver Creek landing also no line. On the way out we stopped at Keystone Sunday afternoon and also no lines (arived late enough to get parking at mountain side as people were leaving). Though took us 2 hours to get from Keystone back to the Highway afterwards!
Amazing snow conditIons. But terrifying driving in both directions.

 

[deadheadskier]

A lot of the country doesn't have Presidents week off. That is really a NJ on North thing. My friends in MD and VA get Presidents Day off and then a spring break week in March with a week earlier summer release at the end of the school year. It's really only the Northeast that does the week in February and week in April. So, it doesn't surprise me to hear that Western resorts aren't crazy busy Presidents week like the Northeast ski areas can get.

One thing I love about most of NH is our kids get the week after Presidents week. The benefit is less crowded slopes and cheaper lodging.

 

[cdskier]

A lot of the country doesn't have Presidents week off. That is really a NJ on North thing. My friends in MD and VA get Presidents Day off and then a spring break week in March with a week earlier summer release at the end of the school year. It's really only the Northeast that does the week in February and week in April. So, it doesn't surprise me to hear that Western resorts aren't crazy busy Presidents week like the Northeast ski areas can get.

One thing I love about most of NH is our kids get the week after Presidents week. The benefit is less crowded slopes and cheaper lodging.

Even in NJ a lot of schools don't do the full week any more. My town does Friday prior to the weekend and Presidents Day off. That's it now.

 

[AdironRider]

Almost every school up north here in NH has Pres. week off, which is different than the Seacoast districts I grew up in. Right across the river in VT it is the week after. That said, I think it is relatively unique that the entire state of Mass has uniform vacation weeks, but honestly I think that makes sense logistically.

In terms of the bus, just keep the same expectations as you would for public transportation. It will take longer and be more crowded than if you drive yourself, full stop.

 

[deadheadskier]

Didn't know that about the upper valley, but did know NH schools have a choice. Maybe it's because it's near the VT border and it keeps families who work in different states in the same schedule. Though I have a buddy who has kids in Keene schools and they are this week.

 

[BenedictGomez]

It's really only the Northeast that does the week in February and week in April. So, it doesn't surprise me to hear that Western resorts aren't crazy busy Presidents week like the Northeast ski areas can get.

We get a week in February and a week in April in Utah (at least where I am). I think it's more of the US than you're thinking. And Park City was slammed that week.

 

[4aprice]

Well I-70 was a mess a couple of times that week according to my son. Beaver Creek seems to be just far enough away from Denver (Aspen too) to avoid the hoards of Summit County. Son tells me he's just about had with the month of February in Colorado. He cheers the move on to March and April.

Next up, "Texas Week" at least in Colorado (usually 2nd week in March)

 

[deadheadskier]

We get a week in February and a week in April in Utah (at least where I am). I think it's more of the US than you're thinking. And Park City was slammed that week.

Maybe it's more a thing in the South to get school over with earlier before the furnace of hell turns on