Colorado Expansion begins at Beaver Creek

[ski otter 2]

An article from the Vail Daily in the Denver Post this morning, Sunday, July 4th, describes the expansion now underway.
I don't know Beaver Creek, so can't say how significant this change will be.

It's my understanding I can't post the whole thing, but can post passages and quotes:


Beaver Creek breaks ground on new expansion

By John LaConte

Vail Daily

BEAVER CREEK » With wildlife closures expiring for the season Thursday, Beaver Creek began work on the ski area’s expansion of lift-served terrain in the area of the resort known as McCoy Park.

Beaver Creek Chief Operating Officer Nadia Guerriero said the earliest of the crews got to work during the 4 a.m. hour, as time is of the essence on the project.

“We’re putting in two quad lifts, seventeen new trails, building a warming hut, building compostable toilets, a pit toilet down at the bottom of the chairlift for employees, so there’s a lot to do,” Guerriero said.



There will be three intermediate and fourteen beginner trails in the new area, the article says.

From the article, preliminary work went on up to the May 5th wildlife closure, and since then around the edges of that area, but now work has begun for lift installation and trail clearing starting later this week, on the mountain, near the Nordic ski area.

Denver Post

This full replica of our printed product provides you the newspaper as you know and love it from the convenience of the web.

enewspaper.denverpost.com

 

[mikel]

Mostly more beginner terrain up top but I think a few blue runs also

 

[martyg]

I am all for more beginner terrain, at every ski hill. If I were king, every ski hill would have extrodinary beginner terrain that was segregated from the main runs, and without the threat of the general skiing population bombing through to get to the lift.

Want to bring more people into the sport for the benefit if all skiers? Build a better experience for that "never ever", first time participant.

 

[Bad Bob]

More long preferably top to bottom honest green beginners runs are a very good thing. Not as glamourous as the blacks but so much better for the life of our sport.

 

[James]

Yea for beginner terrain. Consistent low pitch runs without double fall lines or brief steep sections! Also a place where advanced skiers don’t go to demonstrate how they’re better than a beginner.

 

[Bad Bob]

Copper Mt. used to have a cool layout back in the day when I taught there. From the base the farter right you went the lower the terrain level, the farther left you went the hairier it got. It was natural division of the levels of terrain.

 

[mike_m]

Same layout at Copper (the mountain hasn't changed!), just more terrain features added on the west (easier) side. With the new Lumberjack express lift going in soon, with expanded easier terrain away from the advanced runs, there will be some of the best terrain going for skiers making the progression from never ever to solid green skier.

 

[Kneale Brownson]

The expansion will be bigger than most total ski resorts in the Midwest.

 

[Ken_R]

An article from the Vail Daily in the Denver Post this morning, Sunday, July 4th, describes the expansion now underway.
I don't know Beaver Creek, so can't say how significant this change will be.

It's my understanding I can't post the whole thing, but can post passages and quotes:


Beaver Creek breaks ground on new expansion

By John LaConte

Vail Daily

BEAVER CREEK » With wildlife closures expiring for the season Thursday, Beaver Creek began work on the ski area’s expansion of lift-served terrain in the area of the resort known as McCoy Park.

Beaver Creek Chief Operating Officer Nadia Guerriero said the earliest of the crews got to work during the 4 a.m. hour, as time is of the essence on the project.

“We’re putting in two quad lifts, seventeen new trails, building a warming hut, building compostable toilets, a pit toilet down at the bottom of the chairlift for employees, so there’s a lot to do,” Guerriero said.



There will be three intermediate and fourteen beginner trails in the new area, the article says.

From the article, preliminary work went on up to the May 5th wildlife closure, and since then around the edges of that area, but now work has begun for lift installation and trail clearing starting later this week, on the mountain, near the Nordic ski area.

Denver Post

This full replica of our printed product provides you the newspaper as you know and love it from the convenience of the web.

enewspaper.denverpost.com

This will make Beaver Creek one of the best areas for beginner and intermediate skiers. The snow quality up there is very very good with good amounts and preservation throughout the season. Much better than in the lower mountain. This area will produce some fantastic low angle powder skiing.



the article does have a paywall and I do not support the Denver Post. sorry

 

[dbostedo]

This will make Beaver Creek one of the best areas for beginner and intermediate skiers...

I haven't been there, but I thought it already had that rep, for having a bunch of green terrain up high. How would this new terrain compare?

 

[ski otter 2]

This will make Beaver Creek one of the best areas for beginner and intermediate skiers. The snow quality up there is very very good with good amounts and preservation throughout the season. Much better than in the lower mountain. This area will produce some fantastic low angle powder skiing.

View attachment 139374

the article does have a paywall and I do not support the Denver Post. sorry

I can relate. Not really much news that's got depth or sensible point of view there. Pre-pandemic, it was more of an old, broken habit for me.

I think I actually gave all the detailed info in that article in my first post, so no real need.

 

[Ken_R]

I haven't been there, but I thought it already had that rep, for having a bunch of green terrain up high. How would this new terrain compare?

Should have similar vert and pitch but the new terrain is at about 1000ft lower in elevation but has a similar ideal NNE aspect. Should have a tad less snow but still decent early and late season. Generally in Colorado the best snow lies above 10500 ft so this new terrain is bellow that still given the local topography and prevailing winds a lot of snow blows in there.

 

[Snowflake2420]

This area, in addition to the existing Red Buffalo Park, will be great. McCoy Park is on the opposite side of the mountain and has numerous lifts to get into this zone, also good for beginners.

 

[Seldomski]

I haven't been there, but I thought it already had that rep, for having a bunch of green terrain up high. How would this new terrain compare?

The other area (Red Buffalo) is a long hike from the Bachelor Gulch area. Probably about an hour of skiing/lifts to get there. Coming back from that area is not beginner/low intermediate friendly. Lots of cat tracks and at lower elevations.

I am guessing this new area will help them keep the bachelor area skiable earlier in the season and improve the experience for beginner skiers that stay in that area throughout the winter. One of the big groups at BC is wealthy families with young children. IF you lodge on the Bachelor Gulch side, it's not really ski in/out since you really have to shuttle over to the other base area to get the kids in ski school.

 

[Asnis]

The other area (Red Buffalo) is a long hike from the Bachelor Gulch area. Probably about an hour of skiing/lifts to get there. Coming back from that area is not beginner/low intermediate friendly. Lots of cat tracks and at lower elevations.

I am guessing this new area will help them keep the bachelor area skiable earlier in the season and improve the experience for beginner skiers that stay in that area throughout the winter. One of the big groups at BC is wealthy families with young children. IF you lodge on the Bachelor Gulch side, it's not really ski in/out since you really have to shuttle over to the other base area to get the kids in ski school.

I'm looking at BC and Keystone for a trip with 2 young kids and a wife that are general beginners.... This new expansion looks ideal for them. My concern though is where to stay so that they're able to ski down from the beginner area. With BC, it appears the ideal location is in the main village, but that may be more $$$ than what I'm looking to spend. Any insight on the green runs down to other areas?

 

[Seldomski]

I'm looking at BC and Keystone for a trip with 2 young kids and a wife that are general beginners.... This new expansion looks ideal for them. My concern though is where to stay so that they're able to ski down from the beginner area. With BC, it appears the ideal location is in the main village, but that may be more $$$ than what I'm looking to spend. Any insight on the green runs down to other areas?

We were at BC with friends and their 2 kids in March 2020. The four of them were basically never-ever skiers. We all stayed at the Westin Beaver Creek. All group kids lessons start and end at the main village. So that meant shuttles in the morning to go to the main base for their lessons. How good of skiers are the kids? Are they never ever? Note that never-ever skiers stay in the haymeadow area, then eventually move up to red buffalo after a couple/few days.

 

[Asnis]

We were at BC with friends and their 2 kids in March 2020. The four of them were basically never-ever skiers. We all stayed at the Westin Beaver Creek. All group kids lessons start and end at the main village. So that meant shuttles in the morning to go to the main base for their lessons. How good of skiers are the kids? Are they never ever? Note that never-ever skiers stay in the haymeadow area, then eventually move up to red buffalo after a couple/few days.

The youngest, 5, is basically a never ever, as is the wife. I could get the 5 year old down any green. The wife... Id prefer we head home from the trip together. My oldest, 9, needs some variety with the greens. Id like to avoid the shuttles. Without having been, I wonder what those greens on the trail map are like that wind around the mountain and can get down to the other base areas?

 

[Seldomski]

The youngest, 5, is basically a never ever, as is the wife. I could get the 5 year old down any green. The wife... Id prefer we head home from the trip together. My oldest, 9, needs some variety with the greens. Id like to avoid the shuttles. Without having been, I wonder what those greens on the trail map are like that wind around the mountain and can get down to the other base areas?

C-prime/Stone Creek meadows that lead into Rose Bowl lift are basically green runs with a patch of blue somewhere on them. The entire top serviced by Red Buffalo is green. So between that and the easy blues leading into Rose Bowl, there's a lot of green stuff at the top with good snow conditions. I can't speak to Cinch/Dally cat tracks that wind their way down. I don't know if these are fun to lap or not since I generally do not ski them. Downloading Centennial is also a good option - I think this is what the ski school does with most beginners.

On the other side the, Upper Beaver Creek Mountain Express lift is a REALLY long ride with very little gain in vertical feet. The trail map distorts it and makes it look a lot shorter than it really is. It's about 2x longer than the Red Buffalo lift. I swear riding it, it feels 4x longer.

Red Buffalo Express 5

YOC 2017, Red Buffalo Express 5: Chairlift at the ski resort Beaver Creek, 4pers. High speed chairlift (detachable)

www.skiresort.info

Upper Beaver Creek Mountain Express

YOC 2004, Upper Beaver Creek Mountain Express: Chairlift at the ski resort Beaver Creek, 4pers. High speed chairlift (detachable)

www.skiresort.info

In March, the snow condition of the greens at the base of Bachelor and Arrowhead are nowhere near as good as the stuff at Red Buffalo and Rose Bowl. I have only skied BC recently in spring conditions.

If you are going to be putting people in ski school and not paying for private lessons, then things will be much more convenient at the main village area. The shuttle from the Westin does not take long and is definitely viable too... depends on how spoiled you want the kids to be...

 

[Asnis]

C-prime/Stone Creek meadows that lead into Rose Bowl lift are basically green runs with a patch of blue somewhere on them. The entire top serviced by Red Buffalo is green. So between that and the easy blues leading into Rose Bowl, there's a lot of green stuff at the top with good snow conditions. I can't speak to Cinch/Dally cat tracks that wind their way down. I don't know if these are fun to lap or not since I generally do not ski them. Downloading Centennial is also a good option - I think this is what the ski school does with most beginners.

On the other side the, Upper Beaver Creek Mountain Express lift is a REALLY long ride with very little gain in vertical feet. The trail map distorts it and makes it look a lot shorter than it really is. It's about 2x longer than the Red Buffalo lift. I swear riding it, it feels 4x longer.

Red Buffalo Express 5

YOC 2017, Red Buffalo Express 5: Chairlift at the ski resort Beaver Creek, 4pers. High speed chairlift (detachable)

www.skiresort.info

Upper Beaver Creek Mountain Express

YOC 2004, Upper Beaver Creek Mountain Express: Chairlift at the ski resort Beaver Creek, 4pers. High speed chairlift (detachable)

www.skiresort.info

In March, the snow condition of the greens at the base of Bachelor and Arrowhead are nowhere near as good as the stuff at Red Buffalo and Rose Bowl. I have only skied BC recently in spring conditions.

If you are going to be putting people in ski school and not paying for private lessons, then things will be much more convenient at the main village area. The shuttle from the Westin does not take long and is definitely viable too... depends on how spoiled you want the kids to be...

Thanks for the info

 

[Kneale Brownson]

Breckenridge has some of the best lift-served beginner and improving terrain in Colorado. Just saying. You can ski in and out of the Village at Breckenridge or stay in easy walking distance to the Village base. Breck has the best spring snow of anywhere in the Rockies. But it does have that little elevation issue.