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Resort: Breckenridge (+ Vail and Keystone, day each)
Country: United States of Americstan
Domain: None
Author: Hobbiteater

Date: 27th Jan 2007 to 3rd Feb 2007
Our holiday: Hobbiteater (intermediate piste basher) and Mrs (3 weeks plus coming back from knee op)
Website : www.breckenridge.com
Basics : Colorado, Thomsonfly cattle-flight from Gatwick to Denver 10hrs. Bus transfer 2hrs
Lift system : Modern Fast (all 3 resorts) - status board indicates if there is a queue. I have a picture of such an occurrence - there are 20 people ahead of me wink

The terrain : Breck - 4 "mountains" - (read different sectors of the same long hill on one side of a wide valley.) all with similar runs through the trees. Peak 7 blues were rolling - on the other hills pisted runs were flat inclines if that makes sense... Blacks under lift 6 good fun and do-able by intermediates. Generally runs were either pisted or "Bumps". Peak 9 would be excellent to learn on. Peak 10 had some good blue-blacks.
Vail - only a day but Blue sky was awesome with pisted runs through the trees ie lots of clumps of trees in a big area in the piste as opposed to at its sides. Back bowls were huge but pretty similar. Front side had some good runs and a sense of travel but horrible views of the I70 motorway. Claims the most groomed runs on the planet - not sure if this was number, kms or that extent to which each groomed run was groomed - seems a typical US style claim where "world = state or perhaps the whole US"
Keystone - seamed quite small but it was in a blizzard so most exploring was limited to the hot choc purveyors...
The snow : 50cm in 3 days - say no more. Actually before the snow came during the first 3 days some of the slopes where "fast conditions" and a little scoured in a very few places. Last day was 60mph winds and -65F wind chill at Breck which mostly closed down. We went to the more sheltered Keystone but it was still a bit parky
Off-piste : Breck - under lift 6 and the t-bar was unbashed - the high double diamonds were a bit extreme for me but looked good. - some walking
Vail - back bowls tracked out when we where there (before the above mentioned 50cms) but they are huge and not all scary steep - at least in some places. Blue Sky Basin although was in good shape.
The resort : Beck was a nice town with a resort feel. Good vistas and quite quiet with traffic.
Food : Breck Brewery good cheap food, nice beer (and next to Hotel). Mi Casa nice Mexican. Rasta Pasta different and large portions.
Accommodation : Breck Mountain Lodge. Nothing flash but all fair. A bit tired but clean and functional. Good location.
Costs: Eating out was cheap (even cheaper if you tip like a European). Ski Hire was European price. Lift Pass was expensive and I dont abide by the "but the US have to cover insurance against suits etc" as Co law explicitly prevents this. Package was cheap and discounted. Samnaun in March will cost more.
Conclusion: Good holiday, good skiing. Miss the satisfaction of having barged your way to the front of the lift queue - -no sense of achievement wink

Would recommend staying in Breck with a car and doing 2 days Breckenridge, 2 days Vail and 2 days in each of Keystone or Copper mountain.

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