Colorado 2021-2022 Colorado Ski Resorts/Conditions/Meetups

[jmeb]

Loveland has a new trainee.
He is mildly adorable.

 

[dbostedo]

Plane tix are booked to Denver... now we're debating which resort. Skiing Wed through Fri to avoid weekend crowds, so all the resorts are in play... Keystone, Breck, Vail, Copper, WP, BC... we did Copper last time (January 2020), so I think they're looking for something different.

The group is intermediate skiers that don't care too much about nightlife, but will go out for a good dinner and a couple of drinks, and prefer not to drive too much if at all. Breck seems like a likely choice, but we'll see.

Following up on this, we decided on Beaver Creek... staying in Avon. I'm excited as I've never skied BC before, and always like hitting new places. Plus I love chocolate chip cookies.

 

[Drahtguy Kevin]

Following up on this, we decided on Beaver Creek... staying in Avon. I'm excited as I've never skied BC before, and always like hitting new places. Plus I love chocolate chip cookies.

Give Bob’s Place a try. It’s as dive bar as Avon gets. And it’s close to Beaver Liquors…

 

[Doug Briggs]

Following up on this, we decided on Beaver Creek... staying in Avon. I'm excited as I've never skied BC before, and always like hitting new places. Plus I love chocolate chip cookies.

Just don't take the cookies off the plate. You must be patient and let them serve you. I learned that by watching some anxious folks reach for them. Seriously, it wasn't me.

 

[jmeb]

Nice dawn patrol with some soft turns. And now cozily working away in the van, ready for lunch ski break.

 

[Ken_R]

Still somewhat relevant, again

 

[mikel]

Yep, here is the base of Telluride now. Not as bad as the video.

 

[TexasStout]

I had a pleasant morning yesterday at Breck. An early start and departure avoided the crowds and took advantage of some very nice grooming.

View attachment 148939
Patrol is already bombing Horseshoe. Gratefully the slides weren't ground deep. At least not yet.

View attachment 148938 A view of the Front Range.

View attachment 148936

Unfortunately, this will be my last on snow post for 10 days.
View attachment 148941
A cough, a slightly elevated temperature and the chills caused me to get tested. This is a breakthrough infection about 8 months after my last Pfizer shot. I've been masking up anytime I'm indoors in public as well as at work, too. When 1 in 48 in CO have the active infection and only 4 of 5 are vaccinated, I guess this isn't terribly unlikely. I'm grateful that I can still work from home. I'll be able to get my booster shot on the 7th, too. Damn this disease.

Aarrgghh!

That stinks! Sorry to hear that you got it, Doug. I'm right at eight months out too since my second Pfizer shot, so went and got boosted over the weekend ahead of Thanksgiving get together and then coming to CO on Dev 14. Hoping the booster will last me through ski season.

Also, hoping for more snow!

 

[Doug Briggs]

That stinks! Sorry to hear that you got it, Doug. I'm right at eight months out too since my second Pfizer shot, so went and got boosted over the weekend ahead of Thanksgiving get together and then coming to CO on Dev 14. Hoping the booster will last me through ski season.

Also, hoping for more snow!

I've got a booster scheduled. I'm feeling mostly better with little or no fever but still sinus pressure.

More snow is always better. We can't have too much. Just too narrow a ski to deal with it.

 

[Spirou]

Hello, new to the forum. I'm planning an early December ski trip and was wondering if it would be better to go to the Colorado epic resorts or to whistler. I'm a bit concerned about how many slopes would be open by Dec 4th at either Keystone, Breck, Vail or Beaver Creek. Right now it seems only about 5% of the terrain is opened. Not sure if Whistler would have more open terrain, and if its worth dealing with a border crossing and COVID testing.

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[jmeb]

No idea about WB but there isn't going to much change in the CO area prior to Dec 4th.

I'd wait to see what WB opens on opening day, look at the 10 day forecast, and make the call.

 

[Doug Briggs]

Hello, new to the forum. I'm planning an early December ski trip and was wondering if it would be better to go to the Colorado epic resorts or to whistler. I'm a bit concerned about how many slopes would be open by Dec 4th at either Keystone, Breck, Vail or Beaver Creek. Right now it seems only about 5% of the terrain is opened. Not sure if Whistler would have more open terrain, and if its worth dealing with a border crossing and COVID testing.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Opensnow.com's forecasts above. On the flip side of that Breck has some lifts and trails open, the W/BC site has no lift and trail reports so it's hard to know what their status is.

Breck will be opening trails and peaks over the next few days so their trail and lift numbers will be up substantially with both Peak 8 and 9 open on lots of nicely groomed manmade. If you ever had a hankering to see a World Cup DH, the Birds of Prey is being held at Beaver Creek while you'll be here (12/5 - 7, IIRC). Vail has reported good conditions with a fair amount of terrain and BC and Keystone are likely to be expending terrain on man made as well. I've been enjoying Keystone and Breck's conditions which are very good, if limited. I start on first chair and end early to get the best conditions and shortest lines.

I use each mountains websites to check for terrain and lifts that are open.

 

[Phelmut]

Following up on this, we decided on Beaver Creek... staying in Avon. I'm excited as I've never skied BC before, and always like hitting new places. Plus I love chocolate chip cookies.

I guess you're staying at the Doubletree then

 

[Roundturns]

Still somewhat relevant, again

Never get tired of that!

 

[pipestem]

That's a pretty awesome video. I'm not really familiar with snowmaking capability in Colorado - which ones are the best? I mean, I don't go west for fake snow, but in a pinch.....

 

[dbostedo]

...which ones are the best?

I don't know for sure, but Vail (the resort) has invested a lot in the last few years. According to this article, Breck would be the leader... but I don't know how complete or accurate it is.

The "Kings" In Snowmaking The Largest Systems in US & Canada

Curious how the largest snowmaking systems in North America stack up? From Sunday River to Whistler we show you how big their systems are.

localfreshies.com

 

[Doug Briggs]

That's a pretty awesome video. I'm not really familiar with snowmaking capability in Colorado - which ones are the best? I mean, I don't go west for fake snow, but in a pinch.....

Keystone came close to being first to open this season and I was very impressed with their snow quality and coverage. Breck was a bit later, but by plan, and had very nice clean snow (no rocks or dirt) with a bit more water content (I believe) meaning it was a bit firmer, but far from icy. Cooper just opened to the public and from what I could see from a video showing a top to bottom run, it was really firm. Breck's recent new snow made their runs even better. I hear Vail's snow was nice but have no first hand knowledge.

Like areas in the east, snowmaking is an essential part of most areas getting open early. The exceptions are Silverton and Wolf Creek. But both of those, with only natural, are prone to inflicting ski damage.

 

[Blue Streak]

I don't know for sure, but Vail (the resort) has invested a lot in the last few years. According to this article, Breck would be the leader... but I don't know how complete or accurate it is.

The "Kings" In Snowmaking The Largest Systems in US & Canada

Curious how the largest snowmaking systems in North America stack up? From Sunday River to Whistler we show you how big their systems are.

localfreshies.com

The new snowmaking system is really incredible.

 

[bamaman]

That's a pretty awesome video. I'm not really familiar with snowmaking capability in Colorado - which ones are the best? I mean, I don't go west for fake snow, but in a pinch.....

Don't mean my reply to be ugly, but don't go early December to most places anymore unless you want to ski fake snow. Best to wait till at least January. Seasons are getting started later and later lately.

 

[pipestem]

Definitely. That was just a general interest question, but in fact due to work and school schedules I will be going Jan 2-7. I'm not terribly worried... yet tbh, I can enjoy extended vacations no matter what.