Breckenridge, CO 3-18-18

[EMSC]

Firm

Thin snow cover this year and while a couple of inches had fallen a couple days prior, things were rather firm for the most part with a small amount of soft in N facing areas (eg Burn, E chair). I was there for the first time in many years since my son had a race. Lots the same - including unbearable traffic in town. After getting Jr with his coaching group I hit 5 laps on Falcon chair doing high speed Super G turns on the firm but very gripable corduroy. Then back to watch the first race run and lunch.

For the second run of fee skiing I did some laps on E Chair. Super thin in many areas and just barely enough soft if you skied the left side of Devils Crotch and Mineshaft. Lots of thin and rocks to avoid though. Then back once again to watch Jr's second race run. He really wanted (begged) to go to the top of Peak 8 so we did the 3 lift extravaganza to the tippy top with one lap down back to E Chair and then down to Beaver Run to end our day just as snow flurries started to fall (I think they eventually reported ~8" storm total over two days).

Very few people all day with no more than a wait of a dozen chairs at most. Can't be good for Vail Inc's bottom line.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

Look at Mr. Gottrocks ponying up the $150 lift ticket to ski Breckenridge! :wink:

 

[EMSC]

Fortunately no where near that price. As is customary at all resorts, racer and parent tickets are discounted relative to walkup window pricing... Ski racing is already a very expensive sport. Can't imagine also paying full day ticket prices at every race.

 

[jasoncapecod]

I was out there last week for 2 days of skiing..They spanked me hard , full price...Oh well still better then skiing back east...

The trails off of lift 10 were wicked fast and fun...The terrain off of lift 6 was soft and fun too...

 

[Tony Crocker]

Oh well still better then skiing back east...

Most of the time but perhaps not now based on this TR and what we are reading from kingslug.

Colorado conditions are still a bit low tide from the slow start. In a normal spring that wouldn't matter, but if this one is dry like March of the similar starting 2011-12 season, terrain could start closing prematurely.

 

[jasoncapecod]

I will stand on the highest mountain and shout this.. best eastern day doesn't compare to a average western day...

king was showing narrow bumped up trails with -20 wind chills...looks like a ton of fun

 

[Tony Crocker]

best eastern day doesn't compare to a average western day...

That's a bit hyperbolic. I'd take this one over EMSC's day at Breck anytime: http://nyskiblog.com/winter-storm-riley-at-plattekill/

And note that's a secondary area. A big powder day at Stowe or MRG (which get similar snowfall to most Colorado areas by the way) would surely rank high. Overall unreliable areas do have their moments, as several of my Mt. Baldy days exemplify.

The problem with the East is not the top end of the snow quality distribution but the bottom end, notably the aftermath of the all too frequent rain events. Probably 1/4 to 1/3 of the eastern ski season falls into the "not worth skiing" category by my jaded standards.

 

[EMSC]

IMHO Best place to ski is wherever the Pow is... I have had many phenomenal days at Greek Peak growing up there. But also many, many stinkers. On average, Western skiing is dramatically better than the East and really only the best days of each season in the East have a shot at being as good or better than skiing the west usually (leaving out all other geographies in this comparison for simplicity).

I find that most of the time when talking to others it is not just the best terrain/lifts/etc..., but the places that they went that had the best powder/conditions on that specific trip that people refer to in their personal list of 'best resorts to ski at'. Conditions trumps a LOT of other factors IMO.