Vail Resorts : Keystone

I just spent three days learning to snowboard at Keystone. The snow was decent, but the mountain atmosphere was great. It was very laid back and low-key, I didn't feel totally out of place while falling all the time.

Keystone is a fun mountain, and a great place to learn how to ride. Their instructors are wonderful, and I will definitelly be coming back for more.

Keystone was the first resort we had visited to review after taking a break after the '99 road trip and, boy what a way to start reviews again. This mountain truly blew me away. I spent most of my day in their fantastic terrain park. I especially like the first three hits, a 20' tabletop leading to a double launch, 15'/25' tabletop, leading to a 35+' tabletop, followed by a 20' double rail. This lead to some fun sessions, and I definitely noticed the altitude as I repeatedly hiked this section of the park.

I also made some runs down their more technical freeride runs. Keystone does not disappoint here either, magnificently crafted runs lead to a truly wonderful riding experience.

The mountain and village are pretty laid back, but you're only a short drive from Silverthorn and Dillon if you need some more city action. 

Keystone is, by far, one of the greatest places to snowboard in Colorado. Above the villages there are white slopes that provide challenges for all levels against a stunning backdrop.

The beginner runs are few, but the snow was not too choppy until the end of the day and they were definitely crowded. There were the common runs that became icy and over used by the end of the day. However, limited to that beginner's level, the mountain has a lot more to offer that I did not access. For the more adventurous riders there are plenty of sweet hidden runs to avoid the crowds and find the good snow.