Colorado A Basin vs Loveland season pass

[mikel]

The trail map also makes Loveland look like a vast ocean of blues, which most resorts tend to groom--what blue intermediate trails are not groomed at Copper?

Depends on the day. You need to read the grooming report or check out the lighted trail map board at Copper. 100% of the blue runs are not groomed. Some runs may be groomed on the skiers right and not groomed on the skiers left half. All depends on variables. You can even find greens that are not groomed.

 

[mikel]

That Powder Daze list is helpful, @Green08. I am planning to get LL's 3-lesson pass next season. There was no discount on that over Powder Daze, so I should watch for early bird pricing. If there is no real savings to be had, I'll wait until the season starts.

I'm not sure there is ever a discount on the 3 class pass. I would definitely talk with them before purchasing. The price includes rental equipment whether you use it or not. I would consider getting the early season 4 pack at Powder Daze. You always get scratch off tickets and the worse you could do is get an additional early season $35 lift ticket. Winning a free lift ticket is highly possible. You could register for the 3 class and use your 4 pack tickets. Maybe sell or give your remaining tickets to someone. Even the $118 price for lesson and lift ticket for the day + $150 still comes out cheaper than the 3 class pass.

 

[VickieH]

The 3-lesson pass I'm referring to includes 3 half-day lessons plus a season pass. I assume, but will verify, that it also provides Powder Alliance since it is a full season pass.

But I will be watching Powder Daze for a few tickets for another location.

 

[Ken_R]

My renewal pass price for Loveland was $389 this year. The simple reduction in food and fuel costs makes it effectively free compared to anywhere else.

Over a 40 day season the cost of one beer a day Loveland vs. A-Basin will save you $100. A meal a day at least $200 over a season. 1-2 gallons less fuel for each trip can easily add up to another $200.

So that’s covered the entire cost of the pass and more without factoring the value of time (and aggravation) at all.

The fewer days one skis, the more the pass cost matters. If you ski a lot, other costs are far more material than modest differences in pass price.

Loveland has bad lifts, bad food, bad terrain, bad parking. No one should ski there. Should be returned to the wild.

 

[nay]

Man, we all just need to shut up now. Point is made and we're putting too much "evidence" on the interwebz.

Can we delete this thread? My wife keeps telling me to shut up.

Loveland sucks. The terrain is boring, it’s always wind stripped, and parking is a disaster.

The base buildings are dilapidated, the food is terrible and expensive, and the lift lines are long and full of people who make Epic look tame.

To make matters worse, it’s really hard to get there, traffic is a disaster, and you just have these days where it takes you 2-3 times as long to get there and go home as it should.

There’s sastrugi everywhere, the ridge is always closed due to avalanche danger, the ridge cat terrain is super lame with terrible snow, and the lifts are always on wind hold.

And the least snowfall in Colorado to top it off, plus that snowstake way over estimates conditions on the mountain.

Boo.

 

[VickieH]

You forgot that it's not on a pass with anyone else so you are locked into these horrors.

And I'm assuming if the bathrooms are worthy of writing home about, it's not in a good way.

 

[skix]

Man, we all just need to shut up now. Point is made and we're putting too much "evidence" on the interwebz.

No please proceed. I've already got an ABasin pass paid for next year and think everybody is on the right track! Haven't actually ever skied Loveland myself but I'm sure it's WAY better than ABasin!

 

[Chris Walker]

Can we delete this thread? My wife keeps telling me to shut up.

Loveland sucks. The terrain is boring, it’s always wind stripped, and parking is a disaster.

The base buildings are dilapidated, the food is terrible and expensive, and the lift lines are long and full of people who make Epic look tame.

To make matters worse, it’s really hard to get there, traffic is a disaster, and you just have these days where it takes you 2-3 times as long to get there and go home as it should.

There’s sastrugi everywhere, the ridge is always closed due to avalanche danger, the ridge cat terrain is super lame with terrible snow, and the lifts are always on wind hold.

And the least snowfall in Colorado to top it off, plus that snowstake way over estimates conditions on the mountain.

Boo.

Ooh, then I hate to break it to you, but this post...

My renewal pass price for Loveland was $389 this year. The simple reduction in food and fuel costs makes it effectively free compared to anywhere else.

Over a 40 day season the cost of one beer a day Loveland vs. A-Basin will save you $100. A meal a day at least $200 over a season. 1-2 gallons less fuel for each trip can easily add up to another $200.

So that’s covered the entire cost of the pass and more without factoring the value of time (and aggravation) at all.

The fewer days one skis, the more the pass cost matters. If you ski a lot, other costs are far more material than modest differences in pass price.

...Convinced me to try Loveland next year. Hope I don't take your favorite parking spot.

 

[mikel]

...Convinced me to try Loveland next year. Hope I don't take your favorite parking spot.

You just reminded me of something @nay left out of his post above. The Subaru / parking lot conspiracy he use to speak of

It doesn't matter if he stops talking. I remember when he defected from Copper and point out all of the virtues of Luv. Money, time, driving, free refills, etc Easy enough to link

 

[tball]

Loveland has bad lifts, bad food, bad terrain, bad parking. No one should ski there. Should be returned to the wild.

Sounds a lot like Berthoud Pass Ski Area. Be careful what you wish for. The Forest Service might just shut down Loveland Ski Area and return it to the wild.

 

[nay]

You just reminded me of something @nay left out of his post above. The Subaru / parking lot conspiracy he use to speak of

It doesn't matter if he stops talking. I remember when he defected from Copper and point out all of the virtues of Luv. Money, time, driving, free refills, etc Easy enough to link

This is true. There are so many clean Subaru’s in the parking lot when there is nobody on the mountain. This clearly has something to do with the Rapture.

Although, Loveland may have figured this out - they gave Subaru the boot and in their words “upgraded” to Toyota for vehicle sponsorship.

So things may be somewhat different now and people expecting to be raptured are now just hanging out in the lodge looking at trail maps while not actually skiing.

 

[nay]

You forgot that it's not on a pass with anyone else so you are locked into these horrors.

And I'm assuming if the bathrooms are worthy of writing home about, it's not in a good way.

The bathrooms are fine - a number of them have been renovated, and the on mountain options are certainly decent.

Wait, no. The bathrooms are disgusting.

 

[nay]

Depends on the day. You need to read the grooming report or check out the lighted trail map board at Copper. 100% of the blue runs are not groomed. Some runs may be groomed on the skiers right and not groomed on the skiers left half. All depends on variables. You can even find greens that are not groomed.

Yea, Loveland has a decent amount of mid-mountain bowl pitch that is blue and never groomed.

Those are fun runs to watch people eat it who can’t ski 3D snow, and the rating does probably sucker them in to try.

Those pitches aren’t black with respect to the rest of the mountain, but they probably aren’t blue to what most people are used to, especially given the wind is forever adding...shall we say...variables, from density transitions (OTB face plants) to surface features that could be soft. Or not. Buyer beware.

 

[Green08]

Haven't actually ever skied Loveland myself but I'm sure it's WAY better than ABasin!

Advantages of A-Basin (I guess I owe a few folks to writing propaganda copy for both sides).

A-Basin has arguably the longest season in the Rockies, and often by a lot.
The Basin has one of the youngest lift fleets in CO. Zuma, Beavers, and BMX are all basically less than 10 years old. Even Lenawee is a spring chicken by fixed grip standards.
Technical terrain, either above treelike or in the trees, is perhaps the best combined collection in the Front Range.
Highest snowfall totals in Summit County, and only Summit Country resort with continental divide weather pattern advantage.
A-Basin has an historical charm and legendary lore unmatched in Summit County.
A-Basin has a pass cheaper than Loveland, both midweek and unrestricted.
Only resort in Summit County that is not a colony or charter state of the Epic and Ikon evil empires.
Black Mountain Lodge is perhaps the best mid-mountain lodge I have ever used. Views are awesome, seating is pretty good, food quality is top notch, and bathrooms are entry level with no stairs!
The Basin is the only ski area in Summit County with easy access from Denver if Eisenhower Tunnel is closed.
The inclusion of a single day lift ticket with most lessons is a major steal on the value front.
The Molly to the Mountain program is THE best deal in CO for beginner skiers. Unlimited beginner lessons with rentals for $250. Only $100 to upgrade to a full pass, which is $50 below the early bird price even!
Childrens programs are a terrific value, and with only one base area its hard for families to get split up accidentally.
Variable aspect from one single summit is ideal for Spring skiing, allowing you to follow the sun with near zero traversing.
Highest elevation restaurant in the USA at the Refuge summit house.
Free parking, and the ideal Fall or Spring group cookout setup with the Beach.
Even on the busiest of Saturdays the upper lifts are never too crowded.

 

[nay]

A-Basin has arguably the longest season in the Rockies, and often by a lot.

This is the reason why trying to buy less than a full season pass is futile as you do the numbers.

Highest snowfall totals in Summit County

Breck’s high alpine is likely quite a bit more and benefits from windfill whereas at A-Basin wind is generally unfavorable (stripping vs. depositing). This is the same reason why, in terms of snow surface, Loveland is so much better.

Wind is more important than powder in the high alpine. At least until the spring freeze/thaw cycle when the tables begin to turn.

Black Mountain Lodge is perhaps the best mid-mountain lodge I have ever used. Views are awesome, seating is pretty good, food quality is top notch, and bathrooms are entry level with no stairs!

.

Yes. Yes. Yes. BML rocks. Bought Moonlight Dinner tix for April today. This why despite my protests I will have a full pass again. The two randonee Moonlight Dinners are two of the best days of the year.

The Basin is the only ski area in Summit County with easy access from Denver if Eisenhower Tunnel is closed.

Yea...but if you correlate tunnel closed and Loveland Pass open, it won’t for the most part. Loveland Pass closed with tunnel open is the far better correlation, and now you have to drive around. Or do what other people do and pony at the Loveland ticket counter instead of burning your powder day driving.

Even on the busiest of Saturdays the upper lifts are never too crowded.

Lenawee. Regularly too crowded. And also not skill segregated as beginners use it, too, causing constant stops. The removal of Norway leaving only Lenawee to the top unless you want to do Pali to Beavers is a huge flaw in the lift mapping. It sends literally everybody to the top in a single three chair lift, low intermediate to experts side by side.

 

[Ken_R]

I think its time for @Philpug to use his thanos glove and erase this thread.

 

[dbostedo]

I think its time for @Philpug to use his thanos glove and erase this thread.

Eh... that would only randomly erase half the posts in the thread.

 

[Ken_R]

Eh... that would only randomly erase half the posts in the thread.

Or half the threads on the site

 

[nay]

Eh... that would only randomly erase half the posts in the thread.

Just make them mine.

 

[Green08]

Eh... that would only randomly erase half the posts in the thread.

Or half the threads on the site

I think Robert Katz already snapped his fingers once--and poof when EpicSki