Ski filter: Rocky Mountain Super pass vs the Colorado pass.
August 22, 2010 9:25 AM Subscribe
Ski filter: Rocky Mountain Super + vs the Colorado pass.
My buddy and I are looking for a ski pass for this season. We live in Denver. We're both advanced skiers looking to find some bowls, back-country and some cliffs. My argument is for the Rocky Mountain Super + because Copper and W.P. are closer and will have less lift lines. He's concerned there isn't enough challenging terrain. Also, is it worth getting just two resorts and 6 days at steamboat vs. 3 resorts and 10 days at vail/beavercreek? I've skied all the resorts except A-basin and Steamboat. Suggestions? Thoughts?
My buddy and I are looking for a ski pass for this season. We live in Denver. We're both advanced skiers looking to find some bowls, back-country and some cliffs. My argument is for the Rocky Mountain Super + because Copper and W.P. are closer and will have less lift lines. He's concerned there isn't enough challenging terrain. Also, is it worth getting just two resorts and 6 days at steamboat vs. 3 resorts and 10 days at vail/beavercreek? I've skied all the resorts except A-basin and Steamboat. Suggestions? Thoughts?
Response by poster: I've heard the horror stories too which was another reason I was leaning toward the RMS+ since W.P gets you off 70 earlier so if traffic is bad just head down 40 as soon as you get there but wasn't really sure if that would make much of a difference.
posted by no bueno at 11:38 AM on August 22, 2010
posted by no bueno at 11:38 AM on August 22, 2010
I have friends on the west edge of Denver and have skied with them on numerous occasions. I-70 indeed is a nightmare. Make sure you have plenty of in-car entertainment. I'm with TheBones on Breckenridge being a great place. It is in a real town rather than some artificially created village. Also, since you are advanced skiers, there is plenty of fun up top and at the edges of the resort that only see a small fraction of the crowds that are at the main base area. I've comfortably skied Breck this way even during Christmas week without long lift lines.
posted by mmascolino at 11:59 AM on August 22, 2010
posted by mmascolino at 11:59 AM on August 22, 2010
The drive from 70 to Winter Park can be a total bitch too. They really should build some avalanche sheds over the road there..
If you've got a place you can stay that's the best way to avoid the traffic. Otherwise don't drive when everyone else is, as much as you can.
Breck's the resort I grew up skiing at, and it does have awesome high terrain, but can be annoyingly windy (although Loveland is worse...). Also at least during high season (e.g. Christamastime last year) .. everyone finds the good stuff in the high area fast and it gets skied out in a hurry.
I actually really like A Basin, and keep meaning to get back there; but it's often just too far of a drive. Also it is noticeably high altitude. (with both good and bad results of that, of course).
So I always get the Colorado card, but honestly it sounds like you've got good reasons to go the other way. I haven't been at Copper in more than a decade now, but I seem to recall it forms some really nice cornice in a few places, that's always fun.
posted by nat at 12:18 PM on August 22, 2010
If you've got a place you can stay that's the best way to avoid the traffic. Otherwise don't drive when everyone else is, as much as you can.
Breck's the resort I grew up skiing at, and it does have awesome high terrain, but can be annoyingly windy (although Loveland is worse...). Also at least during high season (e.g. Christamastime last year) .. everyone finds the good stuff in the high area fast and it gets skied out in a hurry.
I actually really like A Basin, and keep meaning to get back there; but it's often just too far of a drive. Also it is noticeably high altitude. (with both good and bad results of that, of course).
So I always get the Colorado card, but honestly it sounds like you've got good reasons to go the other way. I haven't been at Copper in more than a decade now, but I seem to recall it forms some really nice cornice in a few places, that's always fun.
posted by nat at 12:18 PM on August 22, 2010
Response by poster: I'm definitely a fan of Break but I've skied there and Keystone so many times I'm getting worn out on them. Copper is definitely one of my favorites but haven't been there in a few years. Anyone know how early is early enough to beat the traffic? Probably going to have to be a weekend warrior. 6 a.m. saturday mornings early enough or would it be better to leave Fri night and maybe crash in the car w/ a good sleeping bag?
posted by no bueno at 2:47 PM on August 22, 2010
posted by no bueno at 2:47 PM on August 22, 2010
I probably don't have enough of a sample size but we've never had any problems in the mornings (we were shooting for a time that got us to the lifts more or less when they started running. Where we often have problems is coming home.
posted by mmascolino at 3:24 PM on August 22, 2010
posted by mmascolino at 3:24 PM on August 22, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
If you haven't skied based in denver, the I-70 corridor is MISERABLE!!! A buddy of mine had the WP/copper pass and had a multi-person rental that he got to use whenever he wanted. I love mary-jane (and the ski area's great too) and it is less crowded that Breckenfridge, by far.
A-Basin is great, but you can run through the terrain in a day and the good stuff (montezuma bowl) doesn't open up until way late season, but it stays open until end of may/june.
As much as everyone hates on breck, I really like it. I get the season lesson pass which, for $200 lets me skip lines on the weekends.
I lived in colorado springs so the drive was radically different for me than it is from denver. My wife and I heard horror stories about the tunnel being shut down and people being stuck on the highway for 6+ hours.
posted by TheBones at 10:19 AM on August 22, 2010