Skiing near Denver in late Feb/early March - Winter Park?

[eakins]

Rob,
were you drinking when you posted this?
I think he wants to go skiing.

Are you getting cabin fever in Steamboat and thinking it's been along time since you've been to Mexico???

Why not help the guy out and offer up your place to stay in Steamboat Springs and he can go there for a few days (which I would recommend over WP) and be able to save $ on lodging?

Originally Posted by ROAD DAMAGE

Alright zeeede,

If none of these other inmates are gonna be honest with you ...........it's time for an intervention, ADV style.

I've read all the comments. "Go to Winter Park, go to Vail, ski Mary Jane, try a different hill everyday, rent skis, blah, blah, blah, blah, These guys are all delusional. Really. They NEVER get out of the house ........... if you don't believe me .......... just look at their post counts. THAT tells all the story you need to know amigo.

My candid advice ................. is GO TO THE BEACH! You seem like a nice kid. Save yourself some headache and heartbreak. Just go to the damn beach. Skiing is for losers. Everyone knows that. I'd recommend Isla Mujeres right off the coast of Cancun. Get a decent little hotel room at Marias Cabanas Del Mar on North Beach, rent a couple of rusty mopeds and terrorize the malecon, and have the fresh coconut ice cream with warm dark "salsa chocolate" every night at Rolandis for dessert. Oh yeah, they have Leon Negra there too. My favorite Mexican beer. The same folks that try to get you to go skiing ....... are also "the same guys" that will tell you how good Corona, Pacifico, and Tecate are. Cat Piss. They are NOT to be trusted with making any weighty decisions for others.

Everyone thinks that they'll ski bottomless powder under clear blue skies every day, and then finish up that day by having hours of incredible condo sex on a bearskin rug in front of a crackling fireplace with their hot mama. The reality will be that you barely survived a raging blizzard, skied on rocks, sticks and grass all day for $110 a pop, had to have the local ski patrol drag you off the hill in a sled, visited with some other nice tourists at the local orthopedic clinic, and the sex thing (at altitude) ........... you'll end up "gasping for wind like a mouth breathing flat lander", while fighting off leg cramps in your hamstrings, and looking for some aloe vera because "somebody" tipped over and got a little too close to the fireplace! Seriously, you should reconsider. It's not a pretty picture dude.


And really, when has anyone ever looked across at a veritable sea of people teeming with hundreds upon hundreds of upper middle class white folks on desperate, frantic vacations from their stress filled lives and thought, "oh, this is gonna be so much fun spending my week with these folks"? It ain't gonna be that much fun. Go to the beach. Go. To. The. Beach.

So there you have it zeeede. Candor. Truth. Honesty. It's a rare commodity on ADV these days.

Well, I got to go. I've got a date to go "skiing" for a couple of hours with a hot mama!

Rob

[zeeede]

Originally Posted by ROAD DAMAGE

Alright zeeede,

If none of these other inmates are gonna be honest with you ...........it's time for an intervention, ADV style.

I've read all the comments. "Go to Winter Park, go to Vail, ski Mary Jane, try a different hill everyday, rent skis, blah, blah, blah, blah, These guys are all delusional. Really. They NEVER get out of the house ........... if you don't believe me .......... just look at their post counts. THAT tells all the story you need to know amigo.

My candid advice ................. is GO TO THE BEACH! You seem like a nice kid. Save yourself some headache and heartbreak. Just go to the damn beach. Skiing is for losers. Everyone knows that. I'd recommend Isla Mujeres right off the coast of Cancun. Get a decent little hotel room at Marias Cabanas Del Mar on North Beach, rent a couple of rusty mopeds and terrorize the malecon, and have the fresh coconut ice cream with warm dark "salsa chocolate" every night at Rolandis for dessert. Oh yeah, they have Leon Negra there too. My favorite Mexican beer. The same folks that try to get you to go skiing ....... are also "the same guys" that will tell you how good Corona, Pacifico, and Tecate are. Cat Piss. They are NOT to be trusted with making any weighty decisions for others.

Everyone thinks that they'll ski bottomless powder under clear blue skies every day, and then finish up that day by having hours of incredible condo sex on a bearskin rug in front of a crackling fireplace with their hot mama. The reality will be that you barely survived a raging blizzard, skied on rocks, sticks and grass all day for $110 a pop, had to have the local ski patrol drag you off the hill in a sled, visited with some other nice tourists at the local orthopedic clinic, and the sex thing (at altitude) ........... you'll end up "gasping for wind like a mouth breathing flat lander", while fighting off leg cramps in your hamstrings, and looking for some aloe vera because "somebody" tipped over and got a little too close to the fireplace! Seriously, you should reconsider. It's not a pretty picture dude.


And really, when has anyone ever looked across at a veritable sea of people teeming with hundreds upon hundreds of upper middle class white folks on desperate, frantic vacations from their stress filled lives and thought, "oh, this is gonna be so much fun spending my week with these folks"? It ain't gonna be that much fun. Go to the beach. Go. To. The. Beach.

So there you have it zeeede. Candor. Truth. Honesty. It's a rare commodity on ADV these days.

Well, I got to go. I've got a date to go "skiing" for a couple of hours with a hot mama!

Rob

Everybody thinks a trip to Mexico is a ton of fun... warm sunny days, cool water, hot senoritas and a coconut water by the beach. What will end up happening is we'll get terrible sun burns on our pasty New England skin, sand in our ass cracks, and swamped when a hurricane takes out our hotel. Then spend the next three days puking our guts out from the enterotoxigenic E. Coli in our water. My girlfriend will be stolen by a suave latin man and my wallet will be stolen by some street thugs. I'll get kidnapped by a cartel and forced into slave labor as a drug mule. After getting arrested trying to re-enter the country with a kilo of coke wrapped in condoms in my stomach, I'll be made someone else's girlfriend in prison, where I'll be serving 15-20 years of hard time.

No thanks!

[zeeede]

Originally Posted by eakins

Rob,
were you drinking when you posted this?
I think he wants to go skiing.

Are you getting cabin fever in Steamboat and thinking it's been along time since you've been to Mexico???

Why not help the guy out and offer up your place to stay in Steamboat Springs and he can go there for a few days (which I would recommend over WP) and be able to save $ on lodging?

I think he's sick of tourists like my flocking to his home town every winter, so he's trying to get us to stay away.

[eakins]

Originally Posted by zeeede

I think he's sick of tourists like my flocking to his home town every winter, so he's trying to get us to stay away.

could be, but Steamboat lives on tourism as does as does the work Rob does in a trickle down effect and most all of his friend's work.

...i'm going with he was drunk.

truth be known Rob is one of the most standup kinda guys I know and a great person to have as a friend.

[ROAD DAMAGE]

Originally Posted by zeeede

Everybody thinks a trip to Mexico is a ton of fun... warm sunny days, cool water, hot senoritas and a coconut water by the beach. What will end up happening is we'll get terrible sun burns on our pasty New England skin, sand in our ass cracks, and swamped when a hurricane takes out our hotel. Then spend the next three days puking our guts out from the enterotoxigenic E. Coli in our water. My girlfriend will be stolen by a suave latin man and my wallet will be stolen by some street thugs. I'll get kidnapped by a cartel and forced into slave labor as a drug mule. After getting arrested trying to re-enter the country with a kilo of coke wrapped in condoms in my stomach, I'll be made someone else's girlfriend in prison, where I'll be serving 15-20 years of hard time.

No thanks!

Well played zeeede, well played!


No, in reality I was just trying to have a little fun and be a little contrary and irreverent.

But with your Mexico trip scenario, at least you'd have your room and board taken care of for the next 15-20 years, and steady sex. That's not nothing, ya' know.

And Eakins is right, (dammit, he's ALWAYS right) if your trip takes you to Steamboat, get in touch. I might could help out a fellow ADVer a little. Seriously, PM me if you head up this way.

Safety Third!

Rob

[ROAD DAMAGE]

Originally Posted by eakins

Rob,
were you drinking when you posted this?
I think he wants to go skiing.

Are you getting cabin fever in Steamboat and thinking it's been along time since you've been to Mexico???

Why not help the guy out and offer up your place to stay in Steamboat Springs and he can go there for a few days (which I would recommend over WP) and be able to save $ on lodging?

Come on Bill, you know my motto: "Ya' Can't Drink All Day, If You Don't Start In The Morning!"

[Tellydoug]

Originally Posted by ROAD DAMAGE

And Eakins is right, (dammit, he's ALWAYS right) if your trip takes you to Steamboat, get in touch. I might could help out a fellow ADVer a little. Seriously, PM me if you head up this way.

Safety Third!

Rob

If you get up to Steamboat I could probably be coerced into a bit of guiding service as well. I'm always looking for an excuse to play hooky....

[whitewater18]

Originally Posted by Tellydoug

If you get up to Steamboat I could probably be coerced into a bit of guiding service as well. I'm always looking for an excuse to play hooky....

watch out for Teledoug's guiding ability, he's been know to steer people down the wrong path....

[MountainsandRivers]

Originally Posted by ROAD DAMAGE

Alright zeeede,

If none of these other inmates are gonna be honest with you ...........it's time for an intervention, ADV style.

I've read all the comments. "Go to Winter Park, go to Vail, ski Mary Jane, try a different hill everyday, rent skis, blah, blah, blah, blah, These guys are all delusional. Really. They NEVER get out of the house ........... if you don't believe me .......... just look at their post counts. THAT tells all the story you need to know amigo.

My candid advice ................. is GO TO THE BEACH! You seem like a nice kid. Save yourself some headache and heartbreak. Just go to the damn beach. Skiing is for losers. Everyone knows that. I'd recommend Isla Mujeres right off the coast of Cancun. Get a decent little hotel room at Marias Cabanas Del Mar on North Beach, rent a couple of rusty mopeds and terrorize the malecon, and have the fresh coconut ice cream with warm dark "salsa chocolate" every night at Rolandis for dessert. Oh yeah, they have Leon Negra there too. My favorite Mexican beer. The same folks that try to get you to go skiing ....... are also "the same guys" that will tell you how good Corona, Pacifico, and Tecate are. Cat Piss. They are NOT to be trusted with making any weighty decisions for others.

Everyone thinks that they'll ski bottomless powder under clear blue skies every day, and then finish up that day by having hours of incredible condo sex on a bearskin rug in front of a crackling fireplace with their hot mama. The reality will be that you barely survived a raging blizzard, skied on rocks, sticks and grass all day for $110 a pop, had to have the local ski patrol drag you off the hill in a sled, visited with some other nice tourists at the local orthopedic clinic, and the sex thing (at altitude) ........... you'll end up "gasping for wind like a mouth breathing flat lander", while fighting off leg cramps in your hamstrings, and looking for some aloe vera because "somebody" tipped over and got a little too close to the fireplace! Seriously, you should reconsider. It's not a pretty picture dude.


And really, when has anyone ever looked across at a veritable sea of people teeming with hundreds upon hundreds of upper middle class white folks on desperate, frantic vacations from their stress filled lives and thought, "oh, this is gonna be so much fun spending my week with these folks"? It ain't gonna be that much fun. Go to the beach. Go. To. The. Beach.

So there you have it zeeede. Candor. Truth. Honesty. It's a rare commodity on ADV these days.

Well, I got to go. I've got a date to go "skiing" for a couple of hours with a hot mama!

Rob

Dude, you must be drunk! To go into that much detail, right down to Rolandi's, which is great BTW, and not mention that North Beach is the only topless one there. Hammock swings at the beach bar, and a great view! Good diving and tasty seafood...mmm fresh Barracuda..but i digress...
Back to the topic at hand, which thinking of North Beach reminded me of a great weekend up to Steamboat, rented a basic cabin at Strawberry Park Hot Springs and had some great days skiing..20 minute drive from town, and a nice soak every evening..weekdays didn't used to be very crowded. It's been awhile, so maybe Telly or Rob could update, but skiing Winter Park one day then heading to the Boat wouldn't be a bad way to spend the trip, and you would get a good view of Colorado!

[Dukeryder]

Book the trip yet?

I'm amazed nobody steered you towards liftopia.com yet. They have some deals on there, I scored the 4 by 40 pass a couple weeks ago, it's 2 days at Steamboat and 2 days at Winter Park. So far I've got a day in at each place.

Steamboat is Incredible. It's been getting dumped on for days. I went up on Friday and the official snow total was 5", there's parts of the mountain that got significantly more.


For $229 you get four days of skiing. And I think mixing it up with 2 days at Winter Park and 2 at the 'boat would make an epic ski vacation. The Mary Jane side of Winter Park is pretty awesome, and I think you're doing something wrong if you're not having a good time there.

I grew up skiing small icy ski hills in W. Mass and usually did 1 VT trip each year to Mt. Snow or Killington. Out west skiing is going to blow your mind if you're used to the man made snow and ice of New England.

I would NOT recommend you go to Keystone, Breck or Vail if any of your ski days will be on a weekend. Those places get packed and it's a M' Fer to park and Keystone is usually full of assholes from Dallas that don't know how to ski (there is some good tree skiing there if you catch it on a good day). A-basin, Loveland are also good suggestions and are the closest to Denver, Copper Mt is awesome as well and Groupon had a 2fer1 deal not long ago.

[Patj551]

I've lived in the Winter Park area since '97 and love it up here! Are you interested in skiing or night life? Winter Park & Mary Jane are known for amazing skiing, not the night life. Snow conditions in Colorado are not the best they've ever been, so I suggest you check the snow report before making decisions. Summit County resorts (Copper, Breckenridge, Keystone) currently do not have a good snow base. Steamboat has been getting the most snow lately. But don't take my word for it, check out the snow report. http://www.onthesnow.com/colorado/skireport.html
And, yes, I agree WP is more friendly to skiers than boarders from the standpoint that there's some crossing terrain and double fall lines. However, WP also has multiple terrain parks and a HUGE half pipe that appeal to boarders.

I'm an IT consultant and have several resort and lodging clients in the area. My best friend is the Director of Sales at WP Resort. I'm not certain what the ADVRIDER rules are for this kind of thing, but I can give you several personal contact numbers and emails. PM me if you'd like that info.

We are so very fortunate to live and play in the beautiful state!!!!

[_CJ]

For my money, nothing beats A-Basin. Nothing. Very low-key, non-resort feel. No on site lodging though.

-Berthoud was my favorite when the buses were running. Fat skis, backpack, avalanche beacon, and helmet were standard equipment there.
-WP/Mary Jane is okay, but it seems like I end up skating flat connecter runs between here and there all day. It's extremely frustrating. The night life is very sleepy.
-Keystone is good. Really scenic, and fairly diverse terrain, but seems to lack that special something. No non-resort night life there either.
-Breckenridge, I really enjoy skiing, especially the northern-most peaks...but it's a pain getting in and out if you're not staying there. Lots of varied terrain, and I'm sure you could buy a Breck/Keystone/Basin/Vail pass with shuttle service included. The town is kind if Disney-fied, but everything is walking distance, and there are good restaurants and bars.
-Copper, meh. Nothing on-site except the resort, and you get to look at the interstate all day while skiing.
-Vail, Fantastic in every way. If I were going to ski and stay in one place, that would be it. Not sure about current snow levels though.

I don't know that you're going to find any ski in/out deals on the cheap. If you're really on a budget, it's probably best to book a place in Dillion/Frisco and use it as a base to sample different resorts. They're all within thirty minutes or so. If you do go this route...get to bed early, and get an early start. This means getting to the lifts before they open. Ski traffic is insane....to the point that I don't really ski anymore. Beating the front range traffic to the lift lines and getting back into the far out areas of the resorts is the way to play it. Pack a lunch, eat it while sitting in the trees and enjoying the surroundings. Sell it to your GF as a picnic. If you enjoy skiing after being bent over and f---ed while shoulder to shoulder with hundreds of strangers, have lunch in a mid-mountain lodge. Leave at 2:00, go back to your room, drink beer, have an early dinner, do it again the next day....imho.

[MountainsandRivers]

Go northwest to the Boat or come to the Southwest. All that crowded skiing sucks, and is scary and dangerous. We actually have gotten some decent snow the last few weeks and supposedly a lot more to come. I went out on Sunday, Presidents weekend, and our main base lift had a 5 minute wait, which I avoided after that because who wants to wait? I know Copper doesn't have much nightlife, but it was my favorite on the front range, or Beaver Creek..uncrowded skiing, then go into Vail at night...

[zeeede]

Unforutnately it doesn't look like an out-west trip is going t ohappne this year. The budget gods just didn't arise. I'm all ready saving up for next year though!

Our tree skiing here in the east is a bit different then what you get:

[Dukeryder]

Originally Posted by zeeede

Unforutnately it doesn't look like an out-west trip is going t ohappne this year. The budget gods just didn't arise. I'm all ready saving up for next year though!

Our tree skiing here in the east is a bit different then what you get:

Where was that taken? Looks similar to crap I used to ski in the Berkshires of W. Mass. Snow looks pretty wet in that pic!

I wish I had known more about Back Country when I lived there (15 years ago), there's a pretty good guide you can pick up on Amazon cheap. Earlier this season one of my buddies was actually baggin more pow days in Northern Maine than we were here in CO.

Just get your passes before you come instead of paying the window prices.

I used to take bare bones budget trips out here for several years before actually moving here and you can find cheap lodging, tickets and flights if you look hard enough and don't mind the inconvenience of driving a little bit.