The Cupp's Summit County Condo

The Major Resorts Offer Winter Activities

Keystone

Breckenridge

Copper Mountain

Vail

Winter Activities

Skiing
Keystone has night skiing which is great for those super hard-cores that want to get every minute of skiing possible. Keystone has an excellent ski school and good powder stashes on the North Face and Outback. Feel free to email me if you are a you can handle the steeps and trees and I will fill you in. I like Paymaster on a powder day when all the beginners are on schoolmarm and everyone else is racing to get to the Outback. There is always powder on the edges. For experienced riders only... I like the trees to the right of Starfire and doing the 2 minute hike over to the backside of the Outback. I like to drop in to the left (when facing up the mtn.)

At Breckenridge you never know what Olympian might be hanging out at the big half pipe. It is a wide mountain so there is plenty of variety. I like the blue/blue-black runs on the right side of peak 9 (looking up the mtn). and springmeier and park lane are great beginner runs. I also love the T-Bar, but don't try it on a snowboard unless you really know what you are doing....trust me. The runs on  the Peak 10 Falcon Super chair are also fun when it isn't windy. If it is windy it can be cold coming down and brutal riding up.

Copper has naturally divided terrain so the experts tend to stay on one side of the mountain (left when looking up) and the beginners the other (right when looking up) . Good for both.

Vail is Vail. Actually I don't think Vail is any better than any other large resort except except on a big powder day... and then it is the best skiing in the world. It is virtually impossible to not yell and scream like a little kid when skiing or riding the back bowls on a powder day. If you are a beginner the back bowls are not for you. Skiing in deep powder is different than groomed runs. It can wear you out quick.

Loveland and A-Basin. Smaller areas, both are local favorites. Geared towards more intermediate-advanced skiers. They will be relatively empty during the week but busy on the weekends. If you get sick of lift lines or want to find some fresh powder a day or two after the dump, both of these resorts are worth checking out. Both are at high elevation and a significant part of both are above treeline, which means they can be brutally cold when it is windy.

Beaver Creek. I have never skied there, but I hear it is a lot of fun. Vail on a smaller scale, supposedly less crowded, but about a 15 minute farther drive.

Steamboat. A long drive, might be preferable to overnight in cheap hotel if bad weather. I have never skied there, but I like the town in the summers. Supposed to have great tree skiing.

Rentals:
The simplest way is to rent at the mountain; however, you will pay 20%-40% more than in town.

Wild Ernest is probably the most convenient. It is on the right as you start up the hill after the Outlet Stores. There is a discount for ordering online on their site. Ernest was apparently an Olympic skier. Ski packages from $12-15. Kids $10-12. Snowboard $22-24.

Blue Valley Rentals has ski packages from $11-$16 per day. You can even reserve them online. Snowboard rentals are $20-$23. Kids ski packages are $7-$11 per day and snowboards are $14. You can also rent helmets for $5. We've rented our kids skis there and they were very nice.

Virgin Island Ski Rental sometimes has good prices 970-468-6655

Online Coupon to Pioneer Sports ski packages $13-27, Kids $7, Snowboard $23-25. Advance reservations discounts.

Lift Tickets:

Never buy tickets at the resort ticket window!

You can purchase online direct from the Resorts...there is also tons of info on this site about costs, so you can compare prices.

Wild Ernest has dicount lift tickets. ie. $10 off 1 day adult at keystone & Breck.

Blue Valley Rentals has discount tickets to Copper, Keystone, Breck, A-Basin.

Most of the Denver Area grocery stores sell discount tickets as well. The last cheap grocery store tickets are at the Safeway in Idaho Springs (about halfway between Denver and Silverthorne) 303-567-4471

Virgin Island sometimes has good prices. -970-468-6655

Grocery stores in Denver sell discount tickets -
King Soopers 1-877-415-4647
Safeway 1-877 -723-3929

If you search the individual ski resort sites you can also find discount tickets, but it can be complicated. They have a special if you buy online before Nov. 15. So does Copper.

Keystone, Breckenridge, A-Basin season pass for $299, get 10 days at Vail or Beaver Creek for an extra $50

5th graders ski free!. Colorado ski country provides three day lift tickets to 23 resorts (including Breck, Keystone, Vail, Copper). I don't believe you have to be a Colorado resident. Phone 303-866-9707 website

There are a lot of complex dealshere

Ski Cams:

Copper, Breck, Keystone and  Loveland

Ice Skating
There are outdoor rinks at Breckenridge , Copper Mountain and Keystone (my favorite...but expensive), and an indoor rink in Breckenridge.

Tubing
There is a tubing hill at Keystone and Copper Mountain

Snowshoeing
If you can walk you can snowshoe however you can get tired quickly. You can take a guided tour at one of the resorts or rent at a local shop and save some money and strike out on one of the hiking/cross-country trails. This is a great way to have a day of fun without spending quite as much as you do skiing. I like it because you can go on a trail that is popular and crowded in the Summer and have it virtually to yourself in the Winter.  If you are not familiar with backcountry travel in the winter do not go far. The 10 essentials of hiking (check summer activities) apply. Check with the Forest Service office for more detailed info.

Blue Valley Rentals rents snowshoes for $10.00

Pioneer Sports rents snowshoes for $10.00

Cross-Country Skiing
There is also 5 Nordic centers in the area. 
Breckenridge Nordic
Keystone Nordic
Frisco Nordic 
Silverthorne Nordic

You can rent skis from Blue Valley Rentals $8.00 a day (Telemark for $15). 970-468-0400

Virgin Islands also has cross-country skis as does Wild Ernest.

Shopping
Silverthorne Factory Stores - Hundreds of stores including J. Crew, Nike, Tommy Hilfiger, Gap, Levis and more. The smaller Dillon Factory Stores Outlet includes Coach, Reebok and Donna Karan. Plus there are hundreds of local shops that are great for browsing, especially in Breckenridge.