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sbooker

Getting on the lift
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I'm in the early stages of trip planning.
I want to head to Colorado with a Epic Pass in hand in very late February or early March. We'll like use Frisco or Dillon or Silverthorne as a base to ski the likes of Breckenridge, A Basin, Vail, Beaver Creek and Keystone.
Can those that know advise which weeks are best to avoid spring break crowds. We would likely not ski at the weekend (we'd use that as a break from skiing).
Thanks in advance.
 

SBrown

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I'm in the early stages of trip planning.
I want to head to Colorado with a Epic Pass in hand in very late February or early March. We'll like use Frisco or Dillon or Silverthorne as a base to ski the likes of Breckenridge, A Basin, Vail, Beaver Creek and Keystone.
Can those that know advise which weeks are best to avoid spring break crowds. We would likely not ski at the weekend (we'd use that as a break from skiing).
Thanks in advance.

February.
 

Uncle Louie

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You should be fine until 3/3. The Spring brake crowds should really start on 3/4 and last through the end of the month of March.
 

Jim Kenney

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You should be fine in late Feb. Not a local, but three years ago I stayed for the whole month of March in a nice condo in Silverthorne that I found on VRBO. Honestly, I didn't find the March crowds in Summit county that bad as various break weeks are staggered around the US and I skied all the areas you are looking at. Just stay away from the Dillon City Market grocery store on Saturdays! These may not be necessary in late Feb, but here are a few crowd avoidance tips.

Breckenridge - get to the higher lifts and stay there. Don't return to Peak 8 or 9 base areas until the day is done. Peak 10 is usually fairly light all the time.

Keystone - since it offers night skiing, it can be a crowd beater if for some reason you are looking to go to a mountain from late afternoon to 8PM.

Arapahoe Basin - I love this place and it is generally less crowded than the bigger Epicpass mtns.

Beaver Creek - always less crowded than Vail. If you're feeling like easy cruising everything between Strawberry Park to Arrow Bahn chairs is usually light traffic.

Vail - sometimes going straight to Blue Sky Basin and working your way back to the front of the mtn as the day goes on is a good strategy. Northwoods chair on front side of mtn serves challenging terrain and is often not too crowded.

This article contains more info including tips about parking: https://www.pugski.com/threads/hitchhikers-guide-to-the-vail-galaxy-of-resorts-part-1-of-3.7873/
 

jmeb

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February. And then select your mtn based on the days. Midweek go to Breck, Vail, and Keystone. Saturday go to Beaver Creek. Sunday to Abasin.
 
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sbooker

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Thanks.
So if we take the Epic Pass out of the equation is the Aspen hills, Loveland, Copper etc likely to be quieter?
@Jim Kenney - great tips.
 

mdf

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Avoid the February week that includes President's Day. A lot of states in the NorthEast have the whole week off school, and there are enough of us that we fill up the whole country's vacation spots.
 

jmeb

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Thanks.
So if we take the Epic Pass out of the equation is the Aspen hills, Loveland, Copper etc likely to be quieter?
@Jim Kenney - great tips.

Everywhere is quieter than the Epic hills.

If you have the means to choose Aspen over Summit county, that is a no brainer. It's got the terrain, no crowds and a great town.

IKON local could be an option too if you're willing to move around a bit. A few days at the Boat, a few at Copper, and Winter Park on the way to/from.

Loveland is always relatively quiet. It's a great day on your way up or back to Summit County. Plus if you're a family, you could get a 4 pack for ~$140-50 dollars for a relatively inexpensive day.
 
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sbooker

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Coming from Australia so we’d like to take advantage of a pass that includes skiing here. At this stage that is Epic and Mountain Collective. We’ve done most of the Mountain Collective hills (some a number of times) so we would like to check out the Vail resorts. Depending on conditions that could include Tahoe and Salt Lake but the cluster in Colorado sounds interesting.
That said if it has to be Aspen again I could handle that.ogsmile
 

Chris Walker

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I've never seen an unreasonable crowd at an Aspen property, in limited experience. Last year at Aspen Highlands the main lift at the bottom had like an 8 minute line during Presidents' weekend and all the locals I talked to were freaking out.

I don't know how Ikon will affect crowds, but I've always found very little crowding at Copper and Winter Park on weekdays, spring break or not.

I only skied one day at A-Basin last year, but I noticed something about the crowd. Only 1 day sample size so I don't know if this is typical but it may be instructive depending on your terrain preferences. It was one of those Sundays where the lower lot was full by like 7:30 and pretty soon people had to shuttle in from Keystone. In other words, about as crowded as the Basin can get. Now back in the old days when I was a Base-head, a day like that guaranteed a full maze at Pali from first lift to closing bell. But on that day I didn't wait in line hardly at all. It never got to the point where they had to call out "Front row!" or whatever. Maybe 2 minutes at the worst and I lapped Pali pretty much all day. I took a few runs on the back side and there wasn't much crowding there either. But the BME and Lenewee Mt. lifts were totally backed up all day. So if you want blue cruisers, you might have said that was a frustratingly crowded day. But for me, it was no sweat. Again I don't know if this represents like a shift in patron preferences or if I just caught it on a freakish day, but that was my experience.
 

Ken_R

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If you must go to an Epic Pass resort then stay as far from the front range as possible. Beaver Creek is the best regarding low crowds. I have also gotten some really nice days at Vail before and after the pres. day holiday week which is a complete crowdfest.
 

Kneale Brownson

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Our daughters come to visit us in Breck the last Saturday in February through the first Saturday in March. Both Saturdays are travel days.
 

Lofcaudio

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For whatever reason, I have a STRONG preference for the Mountain Collective spots compared to everywhere else. Vail and Beaver Creek would probably be the closest thing to an Aspen-like experience, but are generally more crowded and don't have quite as many terrain options as what you can get from Aspen's four mountains.
 
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sbooker

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For whatever reason, I have a STRONG preference for the Mountain Collective spots compared to everywhere else. Vail and Beaver Creek would probably be the closest thing to an Aspen-like experience, but are generally more crowded and don't have quite as many terrain options as what you can get from Aspen's four mountains.

We’ve done quite a few MC trips now and we’ve loved every destination. I’ve never skied the Epic mountains (aside from a few days at Northstar when we first got into skiing).
I’m curious about the Epic resorts and wouldn’t mind checking them out. I do have a aversion to feeling violated financially when it comes to eating on the hill or out at night. Strangely I didn’t experience that feeling when we stayed at Snowmass.
Things are still open as far as where we head - MC is still an option. Altabird/Jackson/Big Sky would make a good trip as would Altabird/Moab/Aspen.
 

Bill Miles

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if you do MC to Jackson, you might consider giving Sun Valley a try also. SLC-Jackson-Sun Valley makes a nice triangle, about 4-1/2 hour drive each leg.
 

Kneale Brownson

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Having paid over $5 for an apple on the hill at Snowmass, I'd say that if you can tolerate the prices at Aspen, you should be able to survive on-mountain prices anywhere. The cost to supply on-mountain facilities is significantly greater than in town, where trucks can park outside the restaurant.
 
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sbooker

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if you do MC to Jackson, you might consider giving Sun Valley a try also. SLC-Jackson-Sun Valley makes a nice triangle, about 4-1/2 hour drive each leg.

I have great memoties of skiing lots of powder in January 2017 at Sun Valley. We loved the mountain and also the town of Ketchum.
To be honest I don’t want to spoil the fantastic memories of that few days - I know we got really lucky.
 

Nancy Hummel

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Having paid over $5 for an apple on the hill at Snowmass, I'd say that if you can tolerate the prices at Aspen, you should be able to survive on-mountain prices anywhere. The cost to supply on-mountain facilities is significantly greater than in town, where trucks can park outside the restaurant.

I do not think the prices at Vail Resorts mountains are any different than Snowmass.
 

DerKomisar

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A few friends are headed out Tues thru Thurs.to Breck for a couple days next week and play hooky to ski.

Trying to decide if I take the RTM 84's or Enforcer 93's- any recommendations?
 

Green08

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Based on the forecast they may want both. Alpine and trees will probably still have a little left after this weekend come Tuesday. But most of the goods will have been skied off over the weekend. Thursday could paleo provide some soft turns if the current forecast for another storm midweek holds.

Tuesday and before any snow falls again, may just be good groomer conditions, unless you are willing to hunt or hike.
 

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