Colorado discount tickets. Current conditions?
hud...@enh.nist.gov
skiing. When we go to Colorado we usually buy lift tickets in
Denver. But is it worth buying tickets for 3-10 April? The
areas usually discount their tickets in April. Do the Denver
stores also discount their tickets proportionally?
In April we usually ski areas that we hear have good snow. Thus,
investing in a specific area's ticket in Denver has some slight
risk that we would end up with tickets to areas that we would prefer not
to ski. So I guess the conjugate question is "who has good snow?"
Are Vail's back bowls still worth visiting? How's Copper,
A-basin, Winter Park, Breckenridge, and Keystone?
Mind you, we like the spring stuff. We are not discouraged by wonderful corn,
light mashed potatoes and other spring delights...but we hate hitting
>4 rocks per run.
Jeff Hudgens
Lyle Scheer
> In April we usually ski areas that we hear have good snow. Thus,
> investing in a specific area's ticket in Denver has some slight
> risk that we would end up with tickets to areas that we would prefer not
> to ski. So I guess the conjugate question is "who has good snow?"
> Are Vail's back bowls still worth visiting? How's Copper,
> A-basin, Winter Park, Breckenridge, and Keystone?
>
Well, I just spent last week skiing in Colorado (I believe that was 3/23-3/27)
I skiied for five days, monday thru friday, at Arrapahoe basin, Keystone,
Breckenridge, Loveland, and Vail, in that order.
The weather was quite warm. No real need for thermal underwear. Ski
conditions were springlike (surprise, surprise). Pretty much everybody had
good cover. Add to that fresh powder on Monday and Wednesday, and it made for
a pretty good week.
My favorite places were Arrapahoe basin, Breckenridge, and Loveland (Loveland
was probably the best of them all) Any slopes that got a lot of sun were
cement-like. I thought the most un-cement-like snow was on some of the shadier
slopes of Loveland. I also preferred the smaller ski areas because the lines
were short (ie. ski on to the lift), and the ticket prices were cheap ($23
discount at Loveland versus $39 discount at Vail plus $8 for parking)
The Vail back bowls were all well exposed to the sun, and extremely cement
like. I had to ski either groomed trails or bumps, because the cement was too
much work. Also, if I got down to the bottom half of Vail, I was skiing slush.
It literally sucked my skis. I could feel it holding me back. So, I'd say a
general rule would be: "The higher the resort, the better the snow conditions."
as well as: "Less sun, better snow." Vail would be the one resort that I would
AVOID. This was the most expensive place I went to, had the longest lift
lines, and the worst snow. I couldn't find a parking lot that I didn't have to
pay for.
For the whole week, I did not eat at a single ski cafeteria. I brought my own
food, generally sandwiches bought at Safeway, usually leaving them in the car
and eating there, though in a couple of resorts, this was impractical because
of the distance of the parking lots from the slopes (best place for that was
Loveland... we got there early and parked at the end of the first row... the
end about 100 feet from the main lodge.)
> Mind you, we like the spring stuff. We are not discouraged by wonderful corn,
> light mashed potatoes and other spring delights...but we hate hitting
> >4 rocks per run.
You're in luck. There were bare spots at all of the resorts I skiied at, but
they were generally avoidable. I have a few new scrapes on my skis, but
nothing major.
>
> Jeff Hudgens
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John Cooley
>Sort of the same question for me. I'll be in Denver next week on business,
>and plan to go out a day or two early for some skiing. I expect to go to
>Winter Park. What is a good ski shop in Denver to rent gear and get a
>lift ticket? As cheaply as possible?
Don't worry about getting your ticket in Denver. Any reputable place will
simply tell you to buy tickets at the area, since most Colorado ski areas
have moved to April pricing. Winter Park is $20 or $21 at the ticket
window. Ignorant clerks at supermarkets may still let you buy a ticket -
for $28.
Breeze Ski Rentals are cheap. There's one on I-70 at Downieville (spelling?
I don't read the signs any more!). Specialty shops in Denver and Winter Park
will have better, but more expensive, equipment available.
Spring skiing in Colorado is often the best of the season, partly because
even though I'm broadcasting this all over the place, few want to ski this
late. The weather is warm, the bases are deep, and liftlines are nonexistant.
What more could you ask for?
John Cooley
Andrew Gerber
>In article <bwalls.92...@marconi.ee.eng.auburn.edu> bwa...@eng.auburn.edu (Bryan K. Walls) writes:
>
>>Sort of the same question for me. I'll be in Denver next week on business,
>>and plan to go out a day or two early for some skiing. I expect to go to
>>Winter Park. What is a good ski shop in Denver to rent gear and get a
>>lift ticket? As cheaply as possible?
>
>Don't worry about getting your ticket in Denver. Any reputable place will
>simply tell you to buy tickets at the area, since most Colorado ski areas
>have moved to April pricing. Winter Park is $20 or $21 at the ticket
>window. Ignorant clerks at supermarkets may still let you buy a ticket -
>for $28.
>
The above advice applies to most areas, except for Loveland. Loveland
tickets are now $17 at the front range outlets, and $21 at the area.
But of course, noone from out of state EVER wants to go to Loveland,
it's too cold, the altitude is too high, the base is too deep, and the
lift attendants don't have the plastic smiles like they do at the
bigger areas. :-) :-)
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