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January, 2025

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Heading to Vail/Breck/Keystone for the weekend, any pointers?

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Krokodile
Posts: 350 - Karma: 40
First trip to CO, so stoked!  I'll be there with 4 of my friends from back here on the ice coast.

What terrain/trails are prime at these places right now?  We're looking for some good trees, bowls, hike-able sidecountry, and generally any fun big mountain stuff (and of course pow but I know the locals don't wanna give away any of the best pow stash secrets, which is cool).  Not concerned with skiing park really.

Also, we will be skiing Fri, Sat, Sun, so what order would you recommend we hit the resorts in?  I was told to avoid Breck on Saturday because it would be crowded.  And finally any food recs?  Staying in Breck so looking for any cheap, good eating there.

Thanks in advance and +k for help.
Jan 2 2013 7:03PM
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49566738265
Posts: 0 - Karma: 7,704
Ski Breck Friday and Vail/Keystone on the weekend. Honestly for the stuff you want, Vail is the best playground and it's fucking huge so you won't get bored. Ski upper Peak 8/7 or Peak 10 and avoid lower 8 and Peak 9 based on what you are looking for. Anything at Vail is going to be a blast for you, but Blue Sky is where most people tend to flock to. Keystone is mostly groomers until you get to Outback where you can find some short hikes and tree skiing. I personally like to hike from North Peak because it's actually pretty steep and people typically don't hike it since it's pretty long.

Plenty of good eats and drink in Breck. Mi Casa has a happy hour with super cheap tacos and wings, Eric's is always good and you can go visit my boys in SlopeStyle (only freeski shop in town believe it or not) across the street while you wait on a table, Breck Brewery has great beer and food as well. Daylight Donuts is my all time favorite place for breakfast, but lots of places put out good breakfast burritos if you don't want to sit down.

Have fun man, too bad you don't shred park. Breck's Freeway would make your head explode.
Jan 3 2013 12:22AM
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Krokodile
Posts: 350 - Karma: 40
Thanks a bunch and +k

I do ride park but I have all season to ski park back here (even if our parks aren't nearly as good).  I more so wanna hit the stuff that I don't get to experience back here.  I will probably take a few laps through A51 and Freeway, but definitely not gonna lap the parks all day.

Thanks again.
Jan 3 2013 12:44AM
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drumbumocdp
Posts: 3230 - Karma: 1,107
This is good stuff. From what I hear, Vail has the best snow/bowls out of the vail resorts. Breck has the best night life in my opinion, but coming from out east, you're going to have a killer time regardless of where you go. Good luck man
Jan 3 2013 10:48AM
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mistaT
Posts: 2336 - Karma: 79
On Breck I'd start over on Super Falcon and hit some fucking faaaasst cruisers if there's no new snow. THen work your way over to E-Chair/Chair 6 for a lap or two simply because its old school....then head up to the top
Jan 4 2013 12:35PM
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droseph
Posts: 18 - Karma: 31
e-chair and chair 6 at breck for sure. the snow is still pretty shitty so you probably won't find any decent tree runs. blue sky basin is probably what you're looking for though. it's huge, super fun and my favorite place to ski in all of summit county.

for food/drinks i highly recommend ollie's. the gold pan is awesome too. i've met a bunch of really cool people there and drinks are always cheap. cecelia's is the "nightclub"/cigar bar there and it's always packed, but i like dive bars much more than the club scene.

an unrelated word of advice: watch out for patrollers. they seem to be much more strict this year than ever before. its always tempting to duck a couple ropes real quick, but don't do it. two of my buddies already got their passes pulled without any warning.

hope that helps. have fun!
Jan 4 2013 3:05PM
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speedin
Posts: 731 - Karma: 131
While I am not a local, and have only skied Vail a handful of times. I can safely say the back bowls are where its at. What I usually do is on the first chair up I make my way over the blue sky as soon as possible. I ski the back bowls, all morning, then in the after noon and towards later in the day I ski the front side. Vail is HUGE is there is plenty of terrain. The back bowls are soo massive that even on a busy day you will have all the space you desire.


Jan 4 2013 5:08PM
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49566738265
Posts: 0 - Karma: 7,704
Vail is like 5 mountains, so "back bowls" and "frontside" are extremely ambiguous terms for a first timer considering he could spend an hour getting from point A to point B.
Jan 5 2013 12:52AM
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doGelyst
Posts: 2492 - Karma: 509
Don't turn and stomp it.

only pointers you need
Jan 6 2013 2:13AM
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concept311
Posts: 1937 - Karma: 78
From Lions head to the top of Blue Sky Basin is 7 miles if that helps explan how huge it is. In the 2 years i worked at vail there is still stuff I havn't skied. If it does snow and you want to head to blue sky better get out there right away. the best bet to get back there the fastest would be to take the New Gondola from the Village up to Mid vail, then Take Chair 4 which is the Mountaintop Express, then follow signs to Sleepytime Catwalk this will take you in to the back bowls and will get you to the bottom of the chair 37 skyline express.

In the 2 years i worked there as a groomer I only skied blue sky twice it takes so long to get out there and get back. Always had so much fun on the frontside and backbowls. have fun.
Jan 6 2013 11:10AM
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Eggbert
Posts: 329 - Karma: 46
at vail in blue sky basin the run 'into the wuides' is pretty sick.... its all ungroomed small bumps with near 40 small (<15 foot) rocks/cliffs to jump off of
Jan 7 2013 4:09PM
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