billsfanmiami(oh) Posted February 5, 2020 Posted February 5, 2020 Heading to Colorado next week for the 2nd time. Only skied Keystone last year. Staying at Keystone again but will do a day at Breck. I board and consider myself a solid intermediate. I really want to try some bowl skiing this year at one or both places but don’t want to get in over my head. Anyone been there and have suggestions for an “easier” area of any of the bowls to try? Thinking about paying for a private guide for a 1/2 day so they can gauge my ability & maybe suggest some lines I can handle and lead the way. I’ve read some reviews & difficulty ratings on specific trails but obviously this place is a great source of first hand info. Any advice / suggestions would be appreciated!
Augie Posted February 5, 2020 Posted February 5, 2020 We did Breckenridge coming from Sarasota, FL. The difference between 14’ of elevation to about 9,300’ at the base did us IN! Goes up close to 13k I think. Spent the first couple days hooked up to oxygen in the condo. We were not alone. People all over town carrying tanks. Got a bill for like $450 from Main Street Oxygen months later, thought we had already paid, but nope. Our little travel soccer star bent over to make his first snowball upon arrival. This kid could run ALL DAY LONG on hot Florida weekends for soccer tournaments. He tried to rise up after picking up his first snow, but semi-passed out and almost did a face plant on the sidewalk, but I grabbed his hood. FREAKY! Next trip was to Park City, not as high. If you’re not at sea level, probably not a big deal. I can’t tell you about the skiing, other than amazingly beautiful, and not enough green for my tastes. I’m a ski wimp. It must have been March because we watched some NCAA hoops at Eric’s Down Under and had a great time there. We went to Vail after a work trip to Denver a couple years ago. Didn’t ski, but glad we added a couple days to see it. Not as high as I recall, and very nice. 1
SinceThe70s Posted February 5, 2020 Posted February 5, 2020 37 minutes ago, billsfanmiami(oh) said: Heading to Colorado next week for the 2nd time. Only skied Keystone last year. Staying at Keystone again but will do a day at Breck. I board and consider myself a solid intermediate. I really want to try some bowl skiing this year at one or both places but don’t want to get in over my head. Anyone been there and have suggestions for an “easier” area of any of the bowls to try? Thinking about paying for a private guide for a 1/2 day so they can gauge my ability & maybe suggest some lines I can handle and lead the way. I’ve read some reviews & difficulty ratings on specific trails but obviously this place is a great source of first hand info. Any advice / suggestions would be appreciated! Do yourself a favor, figure out how to do Vail instead of Breck. Get there early and head straight to the Vail back bowls. China Bowl is very doable for intermediates and you can branch out from there. Vail will cost an arm and a leg but might be cheaper than a guide and I doubt you'll regret it. Wherever you wind up, have a great time. Hope it dumps while you're out there! 1
billsfanmiami(oh) Posted February 5, 2020 Author Posted February 5, 2020 2 minutes ago, SinceThe70s said: Do yourself a favor, figure out how to do Vail instead of Breck. Get there early and head straight to the Vail back bowls. China Bowl is very doable for intermediates and you can branch out from there. Vail will cost an arm and a leg but might be cheaper than a guide and I doubt you'll regret it. Wherever you wind up, have a great time. Hope it dumps while you're out there! Prob Vail next year. It doesn’t seem like much but the extra distance kinda played in for a shorter trip. Plus we’re taking the little guy and keystone is super family friendly. I’ve heard it’s amazing though and really want to check it out. Certainly a different universe from skiing holiday valley and stuff like that. We also just had one set of friends move to Tahoe this year and another buy a condo in whitefish, MT. Def got some good (and free!) lodging options for trips in next couple years! Luckily, the altitude didn’t bother us at all last year, we flew in early Friday morning and went right to the slopes. Wifey was real hungover too and rallied big time for a few hours on the hill. Staying the night in Denver this time then driving over. They’re supposed to get two storms before we get there next week, should be solid!
Augie Posted February 5, 2020 Posted February 5, 2020 2 minutes ago, billsfanmiami(oh) said: Prob Vail next year. It doesn’t seem like much but the extra distance kinda played in for a shorter trip. Plus we’re taking the little guy and keystone is super family friendly. I’ve heard it’s amazing though and really want to check it out. Certainly a different universe from skiing holiday valley and stuff like that. We also just had one set of friends move to Tahoe this year and another buy a condo in whitefish, MT. Def got some good (and free!) lodging options for trips in next couple years! Luckily, the altitude didn’t bother us at all last year, we flew in early Friday morning and went right to the slopes. Wifey was real hungover too and rallied big time for a few hours on the hill. Staying the night in Denver this time then driving over. They’re supposed to get two storms before we get there next week, should be solid! Friends who went before us said spending a night in Denver would have saved us the whole elevation thing. Go one mile up for a night, then fine to go the rest of the way. The oxygen thing gave my wife such a headache we were looking for Advil in a lodge near the peak, but the machine was empty. We asked around the lodge and someone thought they might have some aspirin. Their supply was empty, fortunately. Ski patrol ended up taking her down on a snow mobile and told her if she had taken aspirin she might have stroked out. YIKES! The things you don’t know that could kill you! 1
ExiledInIllinois Posted February 5, 2020 Posted February 5, 2020 Yes. Years ago. Don't forget A-Basin. 1
SinceThe70s Posted February 5, 2020 Posted February 5, 2020 8 minutes ago, billsfanmiami(oh) said: Prob Vail next year. It doesn’t seem like much but the extra distance kinda played in for a shorter trip. Plus we’re taking the little guy and keystone is super family friendly. I’ve heard it’s amazing though and really want to check it out. Certainly a different universe from skiing holiday valley and stuff like that. We also just had one set of friends move to Tahoe this year and another buy a condo in whitefish, MT. Def got some good (and free!) lodging options for trips in next couple years! Luckily, the altitude didn’t bother us at all last year, we flew in early Friday morning and went right to the slopes. Wifey was real hungover too and rallied big time for a few hours on the hill. Staying the night in Denver this time then driving over. They’re supposed to get two storms before we get there next week, should be solid! Nothing whatsoever to disagree with here. I had a chance to ski a bunch of places out West and they were all great. Some better than others, but weather factors in. The back bowls of Vail are breath-taking, so keep it on your list. The best and most dependable powder I ever experienced was Alta. Not sure what the snowboarding restrictions are these days - back when I was going they were dickish and didn't allow snowboarders - but put Alta/Snowbird on your list too. One last irrelevant, lampish, but hopefully mildly amusing note: back in the mid 1990's me and friends did a Vail trip that started with an overnight in Denver just like you. To this day we still have a big can of Hormel Chili purchased in Denver the morning we drove out to Vail (6 feet of snow in 3 days), never eaten and brought back home by one of my knucklehead friends. It comes out on occasion when we get together and it even made it to Vail and back a second time. Good times. Hope you and the fam have a great time! 1 1
ExiledInIllinois Posted February 5, 2020 Posted February 5, 2020 14 minutes ago, SinceThe70s said: Nothing whatsoever to disagree with here. I had a chance to ski a bunch of places out West and they were all great. Some better than others, but weather factors in. The back bowls of Vail are breath-taking, so keep it on your list. The best and most dependable powder I ever experienced was Alta. Not sure what the snowboarding restrictions are these days - back when I was going they were dickish and didn't allow snowboarders - but put Alta/Snowbird on your list too. One last irrelevant, lampish, but hopefully mildly amusing note: back in the mid 1990's me and friends did a Vail trip that started with an overnight in Denver just like you. To this day we still have a big can of Hormel Chili purchased in Denver the morning we drove out to Vail (6 feet of snow in 3 days), never eaten and brought back home by one of my knucklehead friends. It comes out on occasion when we get together and it even made it to Vail and back a second time. Good times. Hope you and the fam have a great time! I never skied Utah. Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Cali, BC, Alberta... All round Utah, but never Utah... I think I will push for that next!
billsfanmiami(oh) Posted February 5, 2020 Author Posted February 5, 2020 46 minutes ago, SinceThe70s said: Nothing whatsoever to disagree with here. I had a chance to ski a bunch of places out West and they were all great. Some better than others, but weather factors in. The back bowls of Vail are breath-taking, so keep it on your list. The best and most dependable powder I ever experienced was Alta. Not sure what the snowboarding restrictions are these days - back when I was going they were dickish and didn't allow snowboarders - but put Alta/Snowbird on your list too. One last irrelevant, lampish, but hopefully mildly amusing note: back in the mid 1990's me and friends did a Vail trip that started with an overnight in Denver just like you. To this day we still have a big can of Hormel Chili purchased in Denver the morning we drove out to Vail (6 feet of snow in 3 days), never eaten and brought back home by one of my knucklehead friends. It comes out on occasion when we get together and it even made it to Vail and back a second time. Good times. Hope you and the fam have a great time! I think Alta is still ski only. We have direct fights now from Cbus to SLC so that’s on my radar too. I can ski and as I get older I figure each season I’m getting closer to putting the board away and getting back on the skis. 32 minutes ago, ExiledInIllinois said: I never skied Utah. Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Cali, BC, Alberta... All round Utah, but never Utah... I think I will push for that next! So many great places we will need to try. If only the whole work and not having unlimited finances thing wasn’t in the way... 1
ExiledInIllinois Posted February 5, 2020 Posted February 5, 2020 (edited) 8 minutes ago, billsfanmiami(oh) said: I think Alta is still ski only. We have direct fights now from Cbus to SLC so that’s on my radar too. I can ski and as I get older I figure each season I’m getting closer to putting the board away and getting back on the skis. So many great places we will need to try. If only the whole work and not having unlimited finances thing wasn’t in the way... Yeah. Alta. Deer Valley. And Mad River Glen back East are Ski Only....I believe. MRG says it's because of the vintage single chairs. Or, so I recall... But don't quote me on it. Edited February 5, 2020 by ExiledInIllinois
Buffalo_Gal Posted February 5, 2020 Posted February 5, 2020 Geez, good luck. I attended a conference in Breckinridge 10, maybe 12 years ago. I swear I could have used an oxygen tank that first day.
BuffaloBud Posted February 5, 2020 Posted February 5, 2020 I can vouch for the oxygen / Breck thing. My family went out there years ago and the sea levelers were sucking air like it was going out of style. My mom and nephew had to go on oxygen for the majority of the week. Me - for some reason - was good to go. I actually had to carry my 10yo nephew down the hill at Arrowhead.
Wacka Posted February 5, 2020 Posted February 5, 2020 Went to a conference at Keystone sometime in the late 80s. The altitude affected me for a few days. Tried cross country skiing there. I ended up with sciatica because at a y in the trail , I leaned back too far and landed flat on my back.
stony Posted February 5, 2020 Posted February 5, 2020 10 hours ago, billsfanmiami(oh) said: Heading to Colorado next week for the 2nd time. Only skied Keystone last year. Staying at Keystone again but will do a day at Breck. I board and consider myself a solid intermediate. I really want to try some bowl skiing this year at one or both places but don’t want to get in over my head. Anyone been there and have suggestions for an “easier” area of any of the bowls to try? Thinking about paying for a private guide for a 1/2 day so they can gauge my ability & maybe suggest some lines I can handle and lead the way. I’ve read some reviews & difficulty ratings on specific trails but obviously this place is a great source of first hand info. Any advice / suggestions would be appreciated! IIRC, there’s a T-Bar beneath the summit chair that provides access to some open, above tree line terrain. It’ll give you a good idea of the main bowls one chair up. Have fun, best day of boarding in my life was at Breck. Awesome town, too.
ExiledInIllinois Posted February 5, 2020 Posted February 5, 2020 2 hours ago, BuffaloBud said: I can vouch for the oxygen / Breck thing. My family went out there years ago and the sea levelers were sucking air like it was going out of style. My mom and nephew had to go on oxygen for the majority of the week. Me - for some reason - was good to go. I actually had to carry my 10yo nephew down the hill at Arrowhead. It's not usually everybody... Even at +11,000' or so. If we were all born in Buffalo, that's around +500-600' msl. It is a big jump Back in Scouts, our Philmont crew, we had one Scout feeling the effects of high country. Staying hydrated is key. Eating well too. We got back down below 10,000 and he squared it away. Which was a good thing... Would have sucked to hike him out. This was in mid-1980s before modern communicative technology. 1
\GoBillsInDallas/ Posted February 5, 2020 Posted February 5, 2020 12 hours ago, SinceThe70s said: Do yourself a favor, figure out how to do Vail instead of Breck. I have a house in Vail if you'd like to rent it. 1
Guffalo Posted February 5, 2020 Posted February 5, 2020 Breckenridge has some nice skiing, but as others said, try to get to Aspen if you can for some nice bowl skiing. Breckenridge has some nice glade skiing as well as some nice cruisers. I don't recall a lot of bowls when there. Stash away for another trip, Jackson Hole is a nice trip, great bowl skiing, but if you go, carve out some time for the backside of the Tetons, Grand Targhee is a smaller (but still big) mountain about an hour away. We had 2 epic days there a few years ago. When we got to the condo at the end of the day, the people that skiied Jackson Hole were beat from sloppy conditions, meanwhile we had great, crisp powder, great terrain, bowls and spines that are just breathtaking. An awesome side trip if you are in the area. The only problem is you need to go through the Teton pass, which can get closed from time to time due to avalanches. 1
Steve O Posted February 8, 2020 Posted February 8, 2020 Alta's ski only policy was taken to court and appealed, but remains ski only. https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/04/19/474878983/court-upholds-snowboarding-ban-at-utah-ski-resort 1 1
ExiledInIllinois Posted February 8, 2020 Posted February 8, 2020 19 minutes ago, Steve O said: Alta's ski only policy was taken to court and appealed, but remains ski only. https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/04/19/474878983/court-upholds-snowboarding-ban-at-utah-ski-resort Good... Boards really do "chop" up a piste. I don't mind... But I have to get to a ski only resort to compare the difference... It's been years... It be interesting to compare the difference.
ExiledInIllinois Posted February 8, 2020 Posted February 8, 2020 Also... Years ago had my daughter, when she was very little, got run over by an out of control boarder. Sure it happens on skis... But you shouldn't have to hit your azz on the deck to stop. Uphill skier/rider is burdened should be in total control.
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