I'm planning a little spring break getaway to Keystone this year (I've never seen snow, I was even out of town when it snowed in Houston this xmas ) and I was wondering if anyone had any advice as to what to expect from the A-Basin.. or if that is a crappy place to ski, etc. Any locals around there, or has anybody visited? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
A-basin is a lot of fun it can get crowded on a big weekend, but it's not bad during the week. The most important thing is snow and they seem to be getting a good amount this season.
I went to the 'Stoner for New Years. At the time, there wasn't much snow. As a result, runs were constantly being closed, they were manufacturing snow on the open ones, and yet I still would hit icey patches. So I was a little unimpressed with the slopes. That said, they'll probably have more snow when you get up there. You should (at least) plan an all day ski event (you can only ski the backside of the mt. in the morning) and a twilight one (night skiing is cool!). The surrounding area is pretty cool, all told, though. We enjoyed going to a local watering hole called The Goat. There are also a few bars right there off the slopes. And if you drive into the next closest town (I believe it's called Dillon), they have a local brewery called the Dam Brewery that's quite nice. We picked up a little 3 (or was it 5?) gallon keg of some of their brew. I highly recommend doing that.
Forgot to add ~ if you want a cheaper trip to the spot in Col. that gets the most snow check out Wolf creek. Never crowded cheaper rooms, lift tickets, and it's closer.
Thanks guys. I'm glad to hear the skiing should be good this year. I found a cheap hotel in Keystone (Arapahoe Inn) and online coupons for lift tickets for Arapahoe, and a ski rental store that isn't too far from the hotel that will give me a discount if I book them online. All in all, for a group of 4 of us, it should be $182 for 2 nights in a hotel and 2 days of skiing. That brewery sounds cool, I will definately check that out!
Man...I've been skiing all in that area.... Keystone, Copper Mountian, Breckenridge, Arapahoe Basin, Winter Park, Vail, Steamboat Springs.......I have to say out of all of them I loved skiing at Keystone the most with Breckenridge coming in second. It's been awhile since I've been to Keystone but I think it has three peaks you can ski on. Two of them you can ski on both sides but the last one you can only ski on one side. I would recommend Keystone to you. You've probably already ran into this site if you searched Keystone but just incase you didn't. Keystone Resort And about what Toast mentioned about Dam Brewery, it is in Dillon.
Although Keystone will be where we are staying, unfortunately we won't be skiing there, only the Arapahoe Basin. (lift tickets are CHEAP there). The Dam Brewery sounds awesome, anyone know of any other things that are good visits for nightlife around that area?
Oh, one more thing. Does anybody know what the deal with renting ski clothing? I've found plenty of places to rent skis, snowboards, etc.. but no where to rent goggles, jackets, pants, etc. What should I do about this?
If you're desperate thrift stores always have tons of old ski clothes. Well maybe desperate isn't the right word ~ let’s just say if you have some free time to dig around you can find some treasures. _________________ It is if A-basin is crowded and icy. Hiking up and jumping off the cornice at Wolf creek is a blast.
Do you guys think I'll need snow chains for my truck driving around keystone and silverthrone? I've never had to deal with that stuff before, don't wanna end up stranded or wreck.
It's a really good idea to get some just in case especially if your truck isn't 4 wheel drive. Trucks being so light in the back get about zero grip in snow and ice.
I lived in Denver for about 3 1/2 years growing up and I can definitely vouch for Keystone. Its a good beginners mountain, easy to read trails, good ski instructors, amenities, etc. Its a fun place to ski, and you dont get a bunch of ass-holes burning past you on the easier terrain. Also they used to have night skiing as well, which was cool too. I would stay away from A-Basin. Its more of an advanced mountain and doesnt offer many amenities, although they always get really good snow. Its a smaller place and they cater more towards advanced skiiers. As far as renting gear, I dont think there are places that do that. You can get really cheap stuff on Ebay or as someone mentioned a thrift store. Maybe you can hit up a friend and borrow some stuff - save some $$$ for the slopes. You need (just in case you didnt know): Layered jacket (fleece layering with an outer shell is ideal) Long underwear Ski socks Gloves (really warm ones) Goggles Powder pants (or bibs) Stocking cap Have fun man! Skiing is a blast!!
Other tips: Get there early. Dont wait around till 9 or 10am. Get there before the lifts are open, have your gear rented from the night before, and purchase lift tickets as well. Rent a locker. They are avaiable everywhere.... You can store your lunch in there, snacks, extra equipment - whatever. Keep track of your ski's. Put them in a good spot where they wont get nabbed. Its easy to lose track of them with all the racks, and since the rental copanies use the same types of skis, its easy to get confused. DRINK WATER! I cannot stress this enough. If you have never skiied before, there is a slight chance that you could get altitude sickness. Also getting dehydrated is really easy too. keep a bottle of water with you. Dont try to be a stunt man and stretch your limits. "Most Difficult" means Most Difficult. You dont want to look like and ass-clown sliding down the mountain on your butt because you cant get down the terrain.
I know our Keystone lift tickets were also good at Arapahoe Basin. I dunno if Arapahoe Basin lift tickets are good @ Keystone, though. That might be the reason for the price differential. Again, for more nightlife fun, go to a bar/club called The Goat. They have good live bands playing there. Some even from our surrounding area (Austin, New Orleans, etc.)! Hey, you also need a gater (neck warmer thingie) as well as some of the other gear mentioned. I'd freaking die without one. And chapstick. And as mentioned earlier, drink buckets and buckets of water. It's good for what ails ya.
don't forget chapstick in your pocket at all times as well. everyone is giving good advice on what you need, lockers, etc. have fun!!!!
This info is 10 years old but ... Keystone is my favorite. You can ski the back side of Keystone (and the front side of the adjacent mountain to the baskside iirc). The backside has lots of good, long intermediate runs. The backside is also less crowded. Breckenridge is fun to ski but tends to be very crowded. Breckenridge the town has a night life. Cooper intermediate runs were the easiest of the three. Cooper was also the least crowded. I have never done A-Basin. On the drive-by, it looked more advance than I wanted to take on A multi-day ski for The Summit got you all four mountians. I have been told that this has since changed. There was also a bus that would take you between the four resorts. I will be skiing Utah this February. It has been ten years so I think I am due.
Thanks for the advice/info all. We won't be skiing keystone, the lift ticket prices are twice as much there as they are for A-Basin, so it's simply not in the budget. I read somewhere that A-basin has about 5 beginner runs, and a bunch of intermediate runs. We're only going to be skiing for 2 days, will the A-basin work for a bunch of beginners for that amount of time?
I have only skiied A Basin one day. There had been a buch of snow during the week I was in summit county and A-Basin doesnt goom much of anything. Im a decent intermediate skiier and the powder at A-basin completly kicked my ass. Some of the blacks had moguls the size of VW bugs. My overall impression of it was it would be a cool place if you are a somewhat advanced skiier. If you are just starting off im not sure it would be the best place. They have greens (beginner runs) and they were not groomed when i was there. It can also get really cold there since its above the tree line so make sure you pack warm enough gear.
What is a black, a mogul, and what exactly does grooming entail? Does it make a huge difference? (i'm assuming it does)
