Here's why I don't ski Colorado

I thought you didn't ski Colorado because you live in Utah. (If I lived in Utah I'd never go to CO).

That looks more crowded than anything I've ever skied anywhere.
 
Holy Yikes!

No wonder I stopped skiing Breck for the most part. It's proverbially being loved to death. Also no wonder I hardly ever ski early season even with a 'big storm'. (hint: ski Loveland instead)

=; I recall you skiing Keystone back ~5 years ago in the early season though. If I recall, it was similar dangerous crowding.
 
EMSC":gng7pl2e said:
=; I recall you skiing Keystone back ~5 years ago in the early season though. If I recall, it was similar dangerous crowding.
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It was crowded, but not as bad as in that video. What put it over the top for us was the intoxication level. We were there because we fielded a team for the 24 Hours of Keystone. The problem was that they kept the mountain open to the general public also for the overnight period. By 2:30 a.m. my kid threw in the towel, and given how stupid it was getting when I quit at midnight I had no problem with conceding defeat.
 
I had seen a still of that scene at Breckenridge, but not video. The video brings new meaning to the term, "if you fall, you die."
Death by base grind :-P
 
Several years ago NASJA officer Claudia Carbone was hit by an errant snowboarder on an early season WROD at Breckenridge: out for the season with fractured vertebra and pelvis.

FYI I think the upper alpine terrain at Breck is as good as any in Colorado. But I have little desire to ski there before that upper terrain is open.
 
That video is comical, but not a fair representation of Breckenridge. We all know that's an example of early season with limited terrain and just poor decisions by the management of the ski area. I know Breckenridge gets crowded, but once the entire mountain is open you won't see anything resembling that even on the busiest days.

Due to the limited terrain I don't understand why the mountain doesn't slow down that six-pack significantly -and or- load every other or every third chair. I think that video is a perfect example of irresponsible ski area operations. They could've also controlled crowds by limiting ticket sales, requiring passholders to validate to obtain access and limiting the total # of validations available.
 
marcski":7g22gt4o said:
With 54" you'd think they'd have a few more trails open, wouldn't ya?
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That video was from 2 weeks ago and prior to the 54" they recently received.
 
Marc_C":338w354o said:
marcski":338w354o said:
With 54" you'd think they'd have a few more trails open, wouldn't ya?
Click to expand...
That video was from 2 weeks ago and prior to the 54" they recently received.
Click to expand...
9NEWS (KUSA)

November 17 at 7:00pm · 

Opening day at Breckenridge is a sight to behold... 

Perhaps, but this was the quote from the facebook page where the video was posted:

"Breck has seen 54” of snow in the last seven days, and people were clearly ready to take advantage.Becky Ditchfield will let us know if they'll be seeing even more in the coming week on 9NEWS tonight."
 
Marc_C":11sxe1co said:
marcski":11sxe1co said:
With 54" you'd think they'd have a few more trails open, wouldn't ya?
Click to expand...
That video was from 2 weeks ago and prior to the 54" they recently received.
Click to expand...
Perhaps, but this was the quote from the facebook page where the video was posted:

"November 17 at 7:00pm · 

Opening day at Breckenridge is a sight to behold... 



Breck has seen 54” of snow in the last seven days, and people were clearly ready to take advantage.Becky Ditchfield will let us know if they'll be seeing even more in the coming week on 9NEWS tonight."
 
2 factors: 1) Breck is fairly conservative in what they open compared to many resorts, 2) It takes time to get the signage, ropes up, toboggans staged around the hill etc... Breck did open a couple hundred more acres over the next day or two after that $#!^ show.
 
Typical day at...Killington, Hunter, Belleayre, Sugarbush...etc.....looks exactly like Killington just the other day...
 
http://www.steamboattoday.com/news/2014 ... aises-sta/

At the very bottom of the article: :lol:

Cohee, who owns China Peak ski area near Lake Tahoe, said that as far as he’s concerned, Utah and the Tahoe resorts never will be able to match the ski resorts of Colorado with their 3,000 feet of vertical and never-ending broad intermediate runs. Utah may have dramatic terrain at Snowbird, but that isn’t necessarily what attracts affluent vacationers

“All of us have wondered for years why Utah doesn’t do more business,” Cohee said. “The terrain in Colorado is just spectacular. The fact of the matter is, Copper Mountain, Breckenridge, Vail, Beaver Creek, Steamboat and Winter Park are just better ski areas. They’re just better mountains. There’s nothing in Utah that can compete with one of those mountains.

“Snowbird is a great ski area. Alta is one of the best 2,000-vertical-foot mountains anywhere. Park City is OK. The Canyons is not OK. Deer Valley is good. But they are not Colorado," Cohee explained. "Steamboat has 3,000 vertical feet of intermediate runs that are 200 feet wide with the best snow there is."
 
James this is really interesting, and he makes some points but misses on a lot. I lived on the front range for 10 years and skied most of northern colorado which his what he compares. I now live in park city.
He forgers to mention snowbasin, he is also way off on steamboat, it compares to the canyons with a bit better snow. It is not anywhere near 3000 vert fall line skiing just like the canyons is not even though the both have over 3k rise. I would also argue that the canyons is steeper overall. And has world class side country acess.
Winter park is so similar to park city, again park city is slightly steeper on the upper mtn. Snow wise they are almost identical with winter park getting a bit more at base and PCMR a bit more up high (per Tonys numbers). Pcmr has more variety and more pucker factor in spots.
Copper breck and keystone may all have a bit more fall line then average utah but the snow in summit cty is not the same as utah IMHO . they can inflate numbers all they want but summit get around 250" per yr. and is colder and windier on average.
Vail and beaver creek are amazing nothing compares really, just like the cottonwoods nothing compares. Again he doesn't mention snowbasin great long runs and a couple of lifts that serve up 2400' vert each of fall line (more with tram and hike). Then throw in powder mtn. Amazing backcountry feel and big snow. Even sundance on a powder day is great.
 
TRam, I think you missed that he was talking exclusively about for the vast majority of intermediate skiers. They don't give two hoots about the steeper terrain in Utah, nor big powder day skiing.

I would agree that Snowbasin has excellent intermediate skiing and long runs, but it is so much lower in altitude that the snow surface just doesn't preserve like in Summit County Colo for one example. Intermediates are also much more likely to enjoy 4-6 " snows more regularly than 12"+ snowfalls slightly less regularly, etc...

Copper officially is around 280" and is considered to be somewhere in the accurate to very slight under-reporting category. Call it ~300" and ~350" down the road at Vail/BC. Not exactly bad numbers - certainly no Alta, but close to in-line with PCMR and with much better snow preservation top to bottom. As to Steamboat, agreed that no one skis it's supposed 3600' vert at one time, but the upper lifts do give 2000' vert at once.

You can certainly hit anywhere in the world just right and have a superb ski vacation but the odds are frequently enough better (esp March 1 onward) of having good snow in much of Colo IMHO, which is when most destination visitors come west.

Add in that many Colo resorts have a mountain town - some quint, some not quite so much vs only Park City as a ski town in Utah and it seems clear why Colo has dominated the conversation with so many intermediate skiers for so long.

Which is not to say other ski destinations are badly lacking or something. I wonder if, as demographics change, the conversation will change more significantly to other places in the future.
 
EMSC":2qa4xika said:
TRam, I think you missed that he was talking exclusively about for the vast majority of intermediate skiers.
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I actually saw the article before it was posted here. While I understood that Cohee was speaking about the typical intermediate ski traveler, I don't think that the author of the article, or Cohee, were especially clear on that point, especially with comments like:

“All of us have wondered for years why Utah doesn’t do more business,” Cohee said. “The terrain in Colorado is just spectacular. The fact of the matter is, Copper Mountain, Breckenridge, Vail, Beaver Creek, Steamboat and Winter Park are just better ski areas. They’re just better mountains. There’s nothing in Utah that can compete with one of those mountains.
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That quote isn't qualified at all. He didn't write, "The intermediate terrain in Colorado is just spectacular. The fact of the matter is, Copper Mountain, Breckenridge, Vail, Beaver Creek, Steamboat and Winter Park are just better intermediate ski areas. They’re just better mountains. There’s nothing in Utah that can compete with one of those mountains."

EMSC":2qa4xika said:
Add in that many Colo resorts have a mountain town - some quint, some not quite so much vs only Park City as a ski town in Utah and it seems clear why Colo has dominated the conversation with so many intermediate skiers for so long.
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It's not possible to over-estimate that point. The fact that Utah has only one true "ski town" is a huge deterrent for the more casual ski traveler. In Colorado you have Breck, Steamboat, Vail, (less so) Beaver Creek, Crested Butte, Telluride, Aspen, etc. The hardcore, which constitues many regulars here care more about the mountain, the terrain and the snow. Your typical ski vacationer cares as much, if not more, about the resort amenities. Salt Lake's new "Ski City" marketing campaign is an ingenious approach to making lemonade out of lemons.
 
Emsc- when reading it didn't think of the intermediate skier but you are correct, steamboat is great for that and there runs are about 500 more vert on average. I do think that the demographic has changed and the steep and deep ski culture is in place and to that utah has an advantage . The reason skier visits are less is due to Lds, lack of quaint ski towns and misconceptions. This is all fine with me honestly I don't want a ton more traffic but I due understand it's value.
Admin thanks for pointing that out, the way I read his quotes is fr different then what emsc clarified
 
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