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Colorado
02-03 Intrawest Steamboat Springs Review
0This resort is so hard to describe. How do you describe something that is so nearly perfect that you don't really have words for it? The bottom line is that Steamboat is a [throw in any super-positive adjective here] mountain: huge, snowy, and steep. If you call yourself a freerider, but you aren't reading this from Steamboat Springs, then you need to either quit calling yourself a freerider or move to Steamboat!
Steamboat. What to say about Steamboat Springs? This is the question I've been asking myself the last few weeks since we visited. Do I focus on the incredible atmosphere of the town, the wonderful people, the mind-blowing terrain, the snow, the even more snow, the fact that even after riding at most of the resorts in the western US, I've found a resort, and a resort town, that I could potentially never leave? Or do I play it all down because I don't want anyone else to discover it?
This is, and I'm actually going to say it, my favorite resort out of all of the 40-50 that I have been to, and I don't expect that to change. To me, the things that make up a perfect resort are – Terrain: including trees, steep open runs, good natural cliffs and launches, a decent terrain park, and even some good intermediate to beginner terrain; Snow: good dry pow-pow is worth more than gold in my book, and Steamboat gets it like no other resort outside of Alaska; and Atmosphere: cool locals make resorts so much nicer by making people feel welcome, bling-bling is a turn-off. Steamboat maxes all of these for me, and from talking to our other reviewers, my feelings aren't alone.
While Steamboat is a resort town, and definitely works to pull in tourism, the real strength is from its local scene. People don't dislike the fact that you are a tourist. If you chill with some locals they may even show you some sweet spots (not the cool secret local stashes though). This is probably because they know that if you are a real rider you'll be one of their neighbors within a couple of years. There is a great mix of local feel with the thrown in plus of international-resort-town amenities.
The mountain is any freerider's dream, one visit to Steamboat and you won't remember any other mountains. The wide-open trees, waste deep snow, an abundance of 20 foot drops, massive rollers, endless cat-track airs, natural jibs, and, if you ever get tired of mother nature's terrain, a great terrain park.
We visited Steamboat last on our Colorado tour, 8 days of riding behind us, and so my body was already pretty worn out by the time we got there. The incredible thing about Steamboat powder is it instantly rejuvenates you. Our biggest pow day was the last day we were there, and as absolutely beat as I was by the end of the day, if we had been there another day and it had snowed, I would have been out there at 8 AM again. And that is the reason people live in Steamboat. While the thrill of snowboarding that got us all into the sport has died in many places, but is still very much alive in Steamboat.
02-03 Vail Resorts Breckenridge Review
0There is a lot to do, good food to eat, good snow, many runs, and many other towns near it to explore. Go there, I promise you will have so much fun.
Breckenridge is more town-style than village-style, but still has the feel of any great ski/ snowboard village. Between the town and the mountains are the condos- endless numbers of condos and houses- all in VERY good taste and they give the place a unique feel. We stayed at Wedgewood, which has a nice covered, outdoor hot tub, a huge main room in the lobby with comfy furniture and a fireplace, and the rooms were nice. In Breckenridge it is not uncommon to see ski lifts running through the middle of the neighborhoods. For those who don't have the pleasure of walking outside their condo or home to catch a ski lift, there are busses that run from town (free parking) to the different peaks.
Breckenridge had some of the best snow in Colorado. We got a fresh foot the first night we stayed there and it lasted well throughout the week. Towards the end of the week there were still patches of untracked powder (you had to know where to look though 
. If the town has an energetic feeling, the mountain has twice as much. With the Chevy Grand Prix going on, there was a lot to see and do. We did not explore as much of the resort as we would have liked to because of all the Grand Prix activity. However, it is no bad thing that we were contented to ride in the same spots while we were there. I had so much fun where we did ride, that I don't know if I would want to explore anywhere else- maybe if I stayed there for a month I would venture out to see the rest of what I was missing. The size of the resort is a benefit- not only adventure and option, but also it spreads out the crowds. Even over the weekend there were people and crowds, but it did not feel congested.
The Grand Prix was an incredible series of events to witness. The half pipe was massive, and the big air jump was huge. Another thing that makes Breck the place it is: the potential to run into lots of local and non-local pros. By the end of the trip, we had met a LOT of people (all, of course because of the Grand Prix, but even when competitions aren?t going on there is a lot of professional activity)- Bjorn Lines, Kier Dillon, Shawn White, Todd Richards, Barret Christy, Cara-Beth Burnside, and Tommy Czeschin. Running into them was not just at the site of the Grand Prix. Chris almost ran over Todd Richards in the parking lot. I met Barrett in the parking lot and talked to her for about ten minutes- she rocks. We ran into Shawn White at the Red Orchid. And Tommy Czeschin was just standing outside the Beaver Run Hotel. Pretty amazing to be around the guys (girls too!) that are so revered and are such incredible athletes!!! They were all really down to earth too.
Whetheror not you go to Breckenridge during something as exciting as the Grand Prix, or if you just go for a quiet family vacation, you will not be disappointed with all it has to offer.
02-03 Vail Resorts Breckenridge Review
0Breckenridge is definitely on my top 5 in the US list.
Explaining Breckenridge to someone who has never been there is almost impossible. It is among the biggest resorts in the US, has a great town at the base, and super friendly residents. I've ridden at some amazing resorts over the years, and Breck sits right up at the top of the list. We received about a foot of snow overnight, which was cool for us, but sucked for the pipe crew working on the Grand Prix. One of the most amazing events of the week was making a run by the terrain park early on in the morning and noticing a patroller headed towards the closed sign, after raking all of the launches. I ended up making first tracks down the park; it was a ride I will never forget. It was like being in the backcountry except someone had dropped perfectly shaped tabletops and rails in the middle of it. Huge thirty foot airs off massive table launches, and landing in a foot of untracked snow. Looking up at my tracks, long drawn-out S-carves interspersed with 30-40 foot gaps where my tracks disappeared. The park stayed good all day and by the end of the afternoon there was a good sized crowd, but the park is so big that it can handle the traffic.
We spent a lot of time at the Grand Prix events, which are a story in and of themselves. Hanging out with Todd Richards at the 411 Snow video premier was definitely a highlight. Throughout the week, the time we spent riding at Breck was amazing and there was never a dull moment.
01-02 Vail Resorts Beaver Creek Review
0Any trip to Beaver Creek will be a good trip!
Beaver Creek has a lot to explore. In fact there were so many different areas to go we didn't come close to covering them all. The resort's large size provides for some wild adventures, and even a long vacation to Beaver Creek will not leave any time for boredom.
The mountain has a very unique set up (I am referring to the area around Lift 6 and up). The harder runs are found towards the bottom of the mountain while the easier terrain is found higher up. Depending on skill level, this is a blessing or a curse. For advanced riders, it is really nice to not have to take the lift to the highest of peaks to find challenging terrain . . . time is not lost riding lifts. For less advanced riders- depending on the level- the easier runs are well kept and the view is gorgeous- perfect for slow/ learning conditions. However, while learning it is easy to get tired fast and so at the end of the day it may be a struggle to get down the mountain. There are only two green runs that take you to the bottom, Cinch and Dally. If you are learning and have limited energy, save time for a good 30 minute-plus run to the bottom. Moving on from the length, Dally and Cinch are BEAUTIFUL. They are pretty narrow runs with lots of switch backs. They are toward the ends of the property and are isolated from a lot of the other runs. This gives the affect of a cross country ski trail, or back country snowboarding. It is peaceful, gorgeous and you will feel like you own the resort if you take these runs.
For a nice change from the switchbacks- for those more advanced, there are blues and blacks that connect sections of Cinch. To make a quicker run down the mountain, the blues and blacks are in relatively short segments, so as much or a little time may be spent on them. Therefore, perfect for learners because you can do a challenging segment then catch Cinch and take a break from the blues.
On top of the peak is the Spruce Saddle, a good size lodge with plenty of seating and good food. Whether you want a cup of cocoa or a full meal, it is placed in a very convenient spot (especially since it is between the easier and harder parts of the mountain). Advanced riders can grab food then head down the mountain, while beginning riders will not have to take Dally and Cinch all the way to the bottom to get food at lunch. Rather, they can hang up top in the easies all day.
Beaver Creek has a lot to offer for all stages of riders. It has a really cute village below it, including an outdoor ice rink (that scores HUGE points in my book), and there are great places to stay in Avon. It is in close proximity to Vail and Breck, too.
00-01 Vail Resorts Keystone Review
0 If you are going to be riding in Colorado, don't miss out on Keystone's great runs and laid back atmosphere.
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.
00-01 Vail Resorts Keystone Review
0It was a beautiful day when we were there, the moon rising through the deep blue sky over the Colorado Mtns is truly amazing from the top of Keystone. As a complete package, it is truly A+ resort.
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.
00-01 Vail Resorts Beaver Creek Review
0Beaver Creek is a great upper-class resort for riders looking to get away from the bro-brah attitudes that inhabit so many of the I-70 resorts.
We had a wonderful time kickin' it in Avon and riding at Beaver Creek. It all started with waking up in our extravagant condo/suite in Chapel Square. One of the most beautiful places I've ever stayed, I highly recommend these condos to people staying in Avon.
Once we convinced ourselves to actually leave the condo, we had an awesome time on the slopes. Like the rest of the Vail owned resorts, BC is huge. There is great variety in the runs; you can be linking turns in an open bowl one minute, then move into wide open tree runs, and end up at a impressive terrain park for some freestyle action.
The park is well cared for, featuring clean launches and plenty of landing space. There is an abundance of diverse rails, ranging from rainbows to up-at-45-degree to flat to down-at-45-degree rails, mailboxes, and anything else you could want. I'm not going to tell you where, but according to legend, hidden in the woods is a secret local hot-spot consisting of a cabin that usually has a BBQ going, and a huge swath of treeslides.
The atmosphere of Beaver Creek is different from just about any other Colorado resort. It's definitely upper-class, but it's not snooty or pretentious about it. We had a great time bumming around, but you can tell everything is a cut above.