Brendan50
Reged: 03/23/03
Posts: 14
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Thinking of doing a March trip to Colorado or Utah. What mountains/areas would you recommend for average to slightly above average skiers who also like nice restaurants, some nightlife?
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Mike R
Reged: 05/26/03
Posts: 15952
Loc: Stinson Lake - New Hampshire
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Brendan..... this is how I see it for what you want in this order:
Breckenridge
Steamboat
Park City
Beaver Creek
Keystone
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off the beaten trail but very good none the less:
Crested Butte
Teluride
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best skiing and best snow in Colorado and Utah ..nothing even comes close..but little in the way of amenities...and my personal favorite:
Wolf Creek
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I left out Vail and Aspen for a reason....despite great skiing, particularly Vail, they both have the biggest concentration of pompous, pretentious, below average skiers ( although legends in their own minds ) in the known universe...and the price gouging is even obscene by my standards......
March is insane out here.....like Christmas in St Barts..only for a month....the later in the month you can come...the better.. the last week is sometimes pretty sweet..its also the snowiest month of the year
Edited by Mike R (02/17/05 07:18 AM)
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Brendan50
Reged: 03/23/03
Posts: 14
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I was leaning towards Breckenridge so I am glad to hear that would be number one on your list. Would you recommend trying to stay on the mountain or is it better to stay in town? Are their shuttles from the town of Breckenridge?
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Mike R
Reged: 05/26/03
Posts: 15952
Loc: Stinson Lake - New Hampshire
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Breck truly has it all...and its Main Steet is amongst the very best of all ski villages out there...but just know that Breck got its reputation hundreds of years ago as the wildest brothel and drinking town in the west for gold minors to blow their money on... and the tradition sort of lives on, less the brothels....the women simply do it more for fun then money now..LOL... ...so it can get pretty crazy in town...but there is also an abundance of more mellow entertainment and dining offered ..... there isnt much in the way of slopeside lodging at all, but look at Beaver Run Resort for that....to me....staying in town and shuttling ( a 5 minute ride ) to the mountain is the way to go...if you decide on Breck, and you want, I'll you give you the detailed scoop on restaurants and bars..I only live fifteen minutes from Breck and spend probably too much time then I should indulging in all it has to offer....so I know the town pretty well..the snow is incredible right now..we just had five straight days of it....we get a two day reprieve of blue bird skies today and tomorrow...and then we are suppose to get another straight week of snow after that....if you come try to build in a day of doing nothing and adjusting to the elevation with its low oxygen and low humidity..that helps a lot with some ....the hospitals are filled here everyday with people who go too hard too soon and get altitude sickness
Edited by Mike R (02/17/05 08:01 AM)
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Dennis
Reged: 04/05/04
Posts: 3203
Loc: Chicago
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...this is MikeR's wheelhouse, but I absolutly agree that Breck is a blast. Before my knees turned to linguine, we used to get a group every year and go there. It's a great place for folks who want lots of other stuff to do other than ski. And they used to have a Summitt County Ski Pass or something like that where you could ski Keystone, Breck, A-Basin on the same lift tickets...all within an easy shuttle of one another. And staying within walking distance to town is way better that slopeside...easier to get to and from the bars! Keystone has some great Blue runs...long, cruisers...and the night skiing is a blast too...man I need a ski vacation..well, I probably need knee surgery first...
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Mike R
Reged: 05/26/03
Posts: 15952
Loc: Stinson Lake - New Hampshire
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they still have that one pass ski em all deal...and for my money A Basin is the Belle of the Ball...but not for the faint of heart.....especially the East Wall and Palavicini....and you're bang on correct in describing Keystone..my only complaint about Keystone is the lack of night life..its getting better but nothing holds a candle to Breck as far as that goes.....oh the stories!!!!.....our lease is up at Keystone this spring and we are seriously considering moving the shop to Breck...just what I need...one more reason to get in trouble...LOL
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Dennis
Reged: 04/05/04
Posts: 3203
Loc: Chicago
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I skied A-Basin once...I couldn't remember the run if you paid me...but I know we were up pretty high...no trees..and I slid down a patch of icy/snow..I landed in a 8ft drift and couldn't see a thing..my buds were in front of me and didn't see me fall..it took me about 30 minutes to dig out and find my poles, and my way back to the trail...of course they were all laughing their asses off....as I would have been if it were one of them...We stayed in Keystone Village once when we got a great deal on a condo around the pond..never again...too far to drive to drink, too far to drive home drunk...Vail Village can be fun...what's that place..The Red Lion..great apres ski scene...but you're right...bring the big wallet...Breck gets it right by being none too high brow...lot's of fun...especially back in the 80's when not all the snow...well, never mind...
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Mike R
Reged: 05/26/03
Posts: 15952
Loc: Stinson Lake - New Hampshire
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Keystone has a whole new village now, since you were there last, called River Run which is where all the action is and where my shop is...the village by the pond is pretty quiet and laid back now that it isnt the hub of the resort anymore...a plus for some..a negative to others....your A Basin experience is quite commonly seen.....thats a tough place to ski if you arent used to the kind of elements and terrain A Basin offers up.....its the highest lift serviced terrain in North America at 13 thousand plus and one of the highest in the world....I got caught up in a white out so bad up there one day I had to simply sit down on my skis and wait it out having lost all sense of direction.....its also a fantastic place to ski in May and June....the parking lot is alive with BBQ grills....kegs are tapped.... lots of great music....frisbeee...vollyall...the works....the weather is warm...the snow is great...no tourists....its really when ski season kicks in for us locals
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