Colorado Ski Resorts
The cold temps are here and some of Colorado’s ski resorts have started to make snow in the race to see who can open first. Colorado is home to some of the best skiing in the world. The high elevation and dry air across the state provide the perfect conditions for pristine powder and some of the longest seasons in the industry. In preparation for ski season, I’ve made a list of some of the most popular ski areas in Colorado and included my reviews on them as well as some tips and more. Want to know where to ski this season? Look no further than this (alphabetical) list:
Arapahoe Basin
One word: Fun. Abay is Fun with a capitol “F”. Abay is one of a kind. The ski area has its own, unique and fun vibe that separates it from the rest of the pack. The terrain at Arapaho basin is no joke. It doesn’t take a lot of exploring before you will find a surplus of natural features and steep, challenging terrain. When open, the famous East Wall provides some of the steepest expert skiing in Colorado. If you like bowls then the Montezuma Bowl has you covered with its wide range of groomed blues, wide open bowls, tree skiing and cliffs. The Pallavicini lift, in my opinion, has the most advanced front side terrain off of any base lift in Colorado. Perhaps the best part about Abay is its not your average tourist filled resort. The mountain is well known as the home of some great early and late season skiing as generally, Abasin is the first to open and last to close in Colorado. Personally, I try and to squeeze in a few mid season powder days and then I save my Abasin days for the summer because skiing Abay in mid June or even July 4th is just awesome.
Aspen Mountain
I’ve only skied Aspen Mountain once, and it might have been when they reopened for Memorial Day weekend in 2019 but it was still one of the most fun days of skiing I’ve had. The snow for that time of year was surprisingly great, we even got a few fresh inches throughout the day. The people skiing on the mountain were some of the best I’ve seen, not a Jerry in sight. Aspen Mountains terrain is also no joke, its steep and has plenty of challenges. The base of the mountain is also conveniently located smack dab in the middle of downtown Aspen.
Beaver Creek
Ah Beaver Creek, Vail’s version of Utah’s Deer Valley. Which is quite fitting because its the only place I’ve ever seen prime rib served on the mountain. Believe it or not, for as country club as Beaver Creek is, its home to some of the best skiing in Colorado. The mountain has a little bit of everything when it comes to terrain which makes it great for everyone. There is some nice beginner and intermediate terrain for families including the recent McCoy Park expansion. Birds of Prey (World Cup Runs) and Grouse Mountain are as steep as they come with over 3k vert ft per run. Oh and ya, those runs, they have some big ole moguls. Some of the best shaped moguls in the business might I add. And if thats not hard enough on your legs then check out BC’s glades which are steep, tight and have some fun cliffs. The two big downsides to BC are that sometimes you have to deal with some really snobby tourists and if you’re like me and don’t want to pay $30+ to park then you have to take not one, not two but three lifts before you take your first run of the day.
Breckenridge
Ok, ok, I’ll admit I’m a bit biased towards Breck… I always say “if you know where you’re going then Breck is the best resort in Colorado” in other words, if you can avoid the lines at the bases you’ll love it. Breck has a little bit of everything. It is a perfect mountain to learn to ski as Peak 8 and 9 offer tons of beginner terrain and Peak 7 offers long intermediate runs. Breck is well known for its abundant high alpine terrain that offers bowls and chutes way above tree line. If you really want a challenge, hang out off of 6 Chair, go find Oatmeal on Peak 10 or try the Peak 7 Bowl which is as steep as they come. The resorts updated lift system has made a big difference in the past few seasons. Breck also boasts a historic main street filled with shops and restaurants. I’ll expand more on Breck in the Breckenridge, Colorado Winter Edition blog post. If you don’t want to waste your time reading about the best of Breck, send me a message and I’ll send you the info on how to sign up for a ski lesson with me and I’ll be happy to guide you around to all of the best spots!
Copper
For some reason, whenever I ski Copper the rest of the wold does too. I never don’t wait in lines at Copper. Like 30+min lines. That however, is really the only negative. Copper is a smaller version of Breck. They offer a bit of everything from beginner to intermediate to the back which has some awesome bowls. You have to try the bubble chair American Flyer and the old two seaters that don’t have safety bars are really cool. What Copper is best known for is its park. In my opinion, the Woodward Park at Copper is the best terrain park in the world. Its features and size are so vast that it has stuff for never-evers to stuff only professionals should be doing and of course everything in between. If you are a park rat, want a change from the other I-70 mountains or bought an Ikon and want some good, close to Denver skiing, look no further than Copper.
Crested Butte
Crested Butte is the best ski mountain in Colorado. Think Arapahoe Basin on steroids. Its steep, its deep, the cliffs are massive, the chutes are tight and cliffed out, the natural terrain features are like none other in Colorado and maybe the best part, you have to take one of the two t-bars to access the best terrain. Theres never more than a handful of snowboarders as this mountain is not the easiest to get around. If you like expert skiing then take The North Face tbar or The High Lift and go explore, just watch out there are some not well marked massive 40+ft cliffs back there. If you want to be challenged but not put yourself out there too much, check out the blues and blacks off of SilverQueen and Paradise. Perhaps the only flaw at CB is that the lift system really makes no sense but I’m sure with time Vail will correct that. It is a very tough mountain, I believe something like 75% of the terrain is labeled extreme terrain so certainly not for the faint of heart. But for expert skiers, CB is a paradise. And of course, you can’t talk about CB without mentioning the town and all of the great locals that live there.
Eldora
This place is the sh*t. It’s one of my favorite places to ski. As a college student at the University of Colorado Boulder I became quite fond of Eldo. But, to be honest, Eldora is a glorified East coast mountain with an awesome Woodward terrain park. Most people don’t bother going to the local mountain especially when considering that some of the best ski areas in the state are located just a little further down the road and more conveniently located off of I-70. I’d say if you’re visiting Colorado on vacation, skip Eldora. But if you’re local, have an Ikon or just want to try a new place then 100% give Eldora a go. Conveniently located about 30min from downtown Boulder, Eldora is the best place to go get some turns in before or after class. If you have lived in Boulder, you love skiing the Corona Bowl on a powder day and if its a bad snow day which usually means the runs are icy and its EXTREMELY windy then hit the Woodward park.
Keystone
I’m gonna be honest here, I go to Keystone in October when nothing else is open but I have that itch to ski. Other than that, I don’t bother with Keith Stone. It’s a family resort with below average terrain and even more below average skiers and slow boarders. When someone tells you they like the tress skiing at Keystone know thats a major red flag. The bowls are not worth the hike and the tree skiing is not great/nonexistent. The resort is one day (supposedly this season) adding a lift to the Bergman Bowl so maybe that will change my view on the bowls but we shall see. Keystone is the only ski resort off I-70 that offers night skiing which might just be the coldest activity on earth and they have the Area 51 terrain park which is hit or miss depending on the season. I will say, Keystone has some awesome golf…
Loveland
Somehow, I still have never skied Loveland but every time I drive I-70 through the tunnel I think about how cool it would be to ski on top of the highway. So one day Loveland, one day.
Steamboat
Overpriced, overrated. I was pretty disappointed in the boat when I visited. The town was way more built up and commercialized than I expected, it looked and felt like Silverthorne Colorado. The skiing, like the drive in to town through Rabbit Ears Pass was “ok”. Not bad, not great, nothing really to write home about. There are some spots in the Morning Side area that I think would be a lot of fun on one of Steamboats famous champagne powder days. Make sure if you are skiing at the boat that you keep your head on a swivel, there are some very very bad skiers there. Parking is somehow more expensive than Vail. Yes, you read that right, more expensive than Vail parking. Oh and if you don’t have an Ikon pass you’re in luck, the boat is home to the most expensive day lift ticket in North America! If you spend some time in town make sure to check out Howelsen Hill!
Telluride
I have never been but have only heard great things. How do people get there in the winter? Someone send directions.
Vail
I don’t know if anywhere in Colorado compares to Vail’s Back Bowls and Blue Sky Basin on a powder day. If its not a powder day, Vail is hit or miss but if its a powder day, get to Vail and get to the back. The Jerrys hang out on the front so unless you’re skiing the run “Lodgepole” stick to the back. I prefer the Orient and the Outer Mongolian bowls in the back and Lovers Leap in Blue Sky Basin. The China Cliffs and Dragons Teeth are a lot of fun when theres snow. If you’re really into local spots on a mountain go find Jerrys Garage, the hidden Jerry Garcia tribute area.
Winter Park
I’m gonna get yelled at by a front ranger with an Ikon Pass for this but here we go… This places sucks. Skip it. This is by far my least favorite place to ski and I really have tired to give it so many chances. Let me explain, you have to pay separate for certain runs and certain terrain parks and if you want to ski the Cirque Territory you either have to hike a mile or so or pay for the cat, which of course, they don’t mention until your past the point of no return. MaryJane, folks, those are not bumps. I don’t get the appeal. I skied the chutes on a 12in+ powder day and they were terribly maintained and somehow 100% ice. I once asked a friend, who’s skied WP his entire life, what his favorite run at Winter Park was and he responded “40 Gate”. I had him show me 40 Gate and guess what I found out; 40 Gate is out of bounds…its not apart of the resort…so I think that says it all about WP. If you do decided to give WP a try and want to try out 40 Gate just know there are some massive cliffs in there so be careful and go with someone who really knows where they’re going if you send it.
