 Poster: A snowHead
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We are now back from our Colorado road trip and are just about over the jet lag. What a trip! It was one of our best ever and I hope you enjoy reading my account of it.
It is somewhat lengthy, but the detail (including pricing - for info, we averaged $1.20 to the pound, using our Halifax Mastercards for all transactions) will hopefully be of interest to those of you who might be considering something similar. If you find it too long you can always skip straight to the photos! 
Part 1 (of 2)
Day 1
Our 3.45 am taxi got us to Newcastle airport in good time for our 6.40 BA flight to Heathrow and we had a relaxing time before our 11.30 onward flight. It was a pleasant 9 hour flight to Denver and seemed to pass relatively quickly. BA's service was excellent and the flight was only about 60% full, so we had a row of 3 seats to ourselves.
On landing, we were confronted with a massive queue at passport control and there were only 4 desks open - so we were pleasantly surprised that if took only an hour to get through passport control and pick up our checked-in bags. We were pleased to see that both double ski bags (containing our fatties and our skinnies) arrived on time, after having suffered luggage delays about 20 times over the years.... We took a shuttle bus to the off-airport car rental, which was miles away from the terminal. The scale of Denver airport and its setting is incredible. It sits on a vast plain, with the front range of the Rockies rising impressively on the horizon. We managed to get away from the airport at about 4 pm (1.75 hours after landing...) and had a pleasant 1 hour (55 miles) drive to our motel at Idaho Springs. We were very hungry (with it being after midnight, UK time) so had a quick turnaround and walked along the street to a lovely barbecue smokehouse. I had a pulled pork sandwich with fries; and Mrs B had a burned beef ends sandwich with sweet potato fries - a bargain at $11 each (plus the obligatory tax and tip...). The food was fantastic and I tried a new draught beer, which turned out to be one of the best I've had - Shiner Bock, from Texas. It was a dark beer but with a surprisingly light taste - and not bad at $6 (net) a (oddly, 16 fluid ounces) pint. We slumped into bed at about 8pm and (not surprisingly) I was wide awake by 2am. The motel was pleasant, opposite a gold mine, and not too badly priced at $94 (room only) for the night. An early (local time, at least...) night beckoned and we crashed into bed.
Day 2
I was wide awake at 2am and spent an hour on the internet. I then managed more sleep and woke up raring to go at 7am. We had microwave porridge, fruit and a coffee in our room before driving 30 minutes to Loveland ski area. I'd missed the November deadline for very cheap tickets online  , so ended up paying $83 each (still a discount price, in advance online) for a day ticket. Loveland is a great, small ski area with a good variety of runs - with some in the trees and others above treeline. We had sunshine and fantastic snow conditions, with lovely packed powder on all runs. We particularly enjoyed the steep, bump runs off Chet's Dream chairlift and felt as though we had the place to ourselves. We skied until 3.45pm and I then drove two and a quarter hours to our next motel at Glenwood Springs. What a drive! The road through Glenwood Canyon at dusk was stunning! We were very tired so decided to walk over the road to a Mexican restaurant opposite the motel, for dinner. We were not disappointed. I had a 2 burrito combo (one chicken and one shredded beef) and Mrs B had a veggie burrito. Top notch food for a bargain $15 (net) per person. I couldn't resist the accompaniment of a favourite beer of mine (Modelo Negra), despite the not-so-cheap price tag of $6.50 (net) for a 12 fl.oz bottle... Tonight's room (coincidentally) also cost $94.
Day 3
We awoke to it dumping with snow and headed off from Glenwood Springs on the 13 mile drive to Sunlight Mountain ski area. Our front wheel drive, Mondeo-sized, car(equipped with all season - "M+S" - tyres) managed the drive ok, on a mountain road that was snow covered for the full journey. The road wasn't too steep and the speed limit was never more than 35 mph, which helped a lot. When we arrived there, there were only about 30 cars in the car park and, despite the fact that Sunlight has only 3 (old, slow) chairlifts, the place felt completely deserted. We had a fantastic day, skiing up to a foot of powder, and were still getting fresh tracks on piste at 3pm  . We only scratched the surface of the 40 odd runs and loved skiing steep, powder runs in the glades. On most runs we were the only 2 in sight. What a day! We certainly had good value from our (advance purchase, discounted) $69 lift tickets!
After skiing we set off on the 140 mile drive south west to Montrose and all went well to begin with, on clear roads with lovely desert/cowboy-esque scenery. However, once we were 30 miles south of Grand Junction it began to dump snow. By then it was dark, the road became completely snow covered and we still had 30 miles to go. I was almost hypnotised by the falling snow in the headlights and was very much aware that we were in the middle of nowhere, with it being difficult to make out where the road was. Luckily the road remained passable, as it had been ploughed, although it was impossible to drive faster than 25 mph. Consequently the last 30 miles took about 70 minutes of intense concentration. We were pleased to arrive at our motel in Montrose but found the carpark buried under almost a foot of snow, though the receptionist did a good job of digging out a parking spot for us near our ($73) room.
The snow continued to fall heavily and, as we were tired, we decided to stay in to eat - enjoying a microwave curry and rice in our room (washed down with Blue Moon beer, for me) - and an early night in bed.
Day 4
We awoke at 7 to find it continuing to dump snow and the car park was even more buried. It was just as well that we had our avalanche kit as we had to dig the car out, which would otherwise have been stuck. We asked a member of staff about road conditions, as we had planned to drive over Red Mountain Pass to Silverton, having booked 3 days skiing there, starting the following day. We were disappointed (but not surprised) to hear that the pass was blocked with snow and so began to doubt that we would be able to reach Silverton for our first ski day. I therefore emailed Silverton Mountain to explain our predicament and ask if there was any way that we could switch our first day booking (Thursday) to Sunday. We were disappointed to receive a curt response advising that it was not possible to switch days and, in any event, they anticipated that the pass would open later... To say we were concerned was something of an understatement as, at that point, we envisaged being unable to reach Silverton and waving goodbye to the money we had paid for guided skiing there ($310 each, per day...ie $260 for the skiing, plus $50 avalanche airbag rental). Nevertheless, we set off (at about 11am) on the 60 mile drive south, with the intention of reaching Ouray (36 miles away, at the foot of Red Mountain Pass) and reassessing the situation there. On the way we stopped off at a Safeway store, to buy provisions for the trip, and could not believe the prices. We bought only a few items and were relieved of $63  , including a loaf of bread for $4, 6 kiwis for $6 and a small carton of blueberries for $6.... (see photo below). The road conditions were atrocious and were fully snow covered (but ploughed) all the way. Consequently it took us 75 minutes to reach Ridgway, 27 miles down the road, where I stopped to ask for travel advice at a garage. I was told that Red Mountain Pass was still closed and that the alternative route, via Durango (and meaning a detour of an extra 3 hours - under clear road conditions) was also closed, as that involved crossing 2 mountain passes. We decided to go for a walk round the small town of Ridgway and got talking to a lovely local who pointed out a building there that had been the saloon in John Wayne's "True Grit" film. When we explained our predicament he went in his house for his iPad and checked the live traffic reports, to reveal that there was no mention of the pass being closed... At that point we weren't sure what to believe, as (although the snow had now stopped falling and the sun was shining) the roads in Ridgway were snow covered, the footpaths were under a foot of snow and the local said that Red Mountain Pass would be buried in comparison - as it was by far the most snow Ridgway had had in years. We remained concerned and decided to go to a lovely coffee shop, where we had a very nice breakfast burrito and a cuppa, then decided to press on to Ouray (9 miles away) and check road conditions there. The road to Ouray was also snow covered (but less so) and we reached the foot of Red Mountain Pass at 2pm. We knew what was in store, having driven it before, and weren't looking forward to the narrow road with no guard rails/crash barriers - and a 1,000 foot precipitous drop on the passenger side (with little gap between the car and the gaping valley):shock. We discussed things and decided to give it a go, pulling into a layby at the foot of the pass to fit the snow chains that we had brought from home. They were slightly small for the hire car but, on a test run at our Idaho Springs hotel, I managed to make them fit using a couple of bungee cords that I had also brought from home . I was about to fit chain number one when Mrs B spotted the snow plough/gritter travelling in the same direction as us, heading up the pass. She then suggested that we forget the chains and follow the plough, as one tyre track was now ploughed to tarmac and the road was gritted ahead of us. So off we went... The speed limit on the pass was only 25mph anyway, though I kept to a steady 20mph as the abyss beckoned to the right. I am not a nervous driver at all (and am a veteran of Alpine mountain driving) but on a couple of occasions felt my heart beating out of my chest as I viewed the road ahead with incredulity. Mrs B was close to tears, with the terror, but managed to take a few photos and some video (see below) to take her mind off it... It was a relief to get the exposed section (which probably lasted less than 5 minutes - but felt longer..) out of the way and we made it to the top of the pass in about 35 minutes, seeing no other vehicles on the way. It was a slow, steady drive down the other side of the pass (mostly on the inside/non-exposed side of the mountain), with stunning views, and we were delighted to reach Silverton, where the snow was piled high in the streets.
The above photo is Red Mountain Pass.
On arrival, Mrs B wanted to relax in our motel room but I went for a wander to take some photos - and also enjoyed a happy hour pint in one of the town's brew pubs (Golden Block Brewery). It was a bargain $5 a pint and a place with a good atmosphere. Tonight's motel (and our base for 3 nights) was small, rustic, clean and very warm - and one of the cheapest in town at a (not so cheap) $160 per night...
Day 5
We awoke bright and early to clear skies, and a forecast of wall to wall sunshine, and were very excited about the day ahead. After a breakfast of porridge and toast (included in the room rate) in the motel reception we made the 6 mile drive to Silverton Mountain. It was beautiful, with an undulating, snow covered road following a river through a forest. We arrived in good time to check-in and pick up our rental avalanche airbags - from the back of an old school bus - (though we took our own transceivers, shovels and probes) and then assembled in the car park (where it was minus 15C) to be allocated into a guided group for the day. We asked for a slow hiking group, as we would be hiking uphill at 13,000 feet, at the top of the chairlift, before each run. Following the obligatory avalanche/safety talk from our guide, Adam, we were onto the chairlift at about 10 am, with the other 6 people in our group. Snow conditions were fantastic, with at least a foot of untracked powder as we set off on our first hike, shouldering our skis. Over the course of the day we did only relatively short (max 15 minute) hikes but accessed some incredible skiing, with fresh, deep tracks on every run. Even the hiking was fantastic and it felt like a privilege to be there amidst stunning scenery, with not a cloud in sight. We had great people in our group and took it in turns to get fresh tracks and go first, skiing each run one at a time after the guide (in view of the avalanche risk). Each run finished at a remote bus stop in the forest, where we were picked up and taken (a mile or so) back to the base of the chairlift. We were surprised that our first lift was in the back of a pickup truck and it was like something from The Waltons, with 8 of us on/in the back, along with our skis. What health and safety?!  Thereafter, our lifts back were in an old school bus. We did 4 runs in the day, with each one being about 2,000 feet vertical and were somewhat knackered at the close of play, as we could definitely feel the altitude on both the climbs and the descents - with screaming thighs and lungs at times on the latter... But what a day! It was rounded off with a quick beer in the bar (tent!), which was buzzing with exhilarated skiers.
Later that night we went out for a lovely pizza in the brew pub I'd sampled the day before. The $13 pizzas and $6 pints were great value.
Day 6
Today saw more of the same, with relatively short hikes and more great skiing - this time with Dan as our guide. Although some runs were more tracked than the day before we still managed to get deep and steep turns on every run. One run however saw us in very tight trees on a 40+ degree slope. We survived the challenge but struggled to link more than a couple of turns, along with 5 others in the group. Only the one remaining group member managed to link a few turns... Tight trees are not something we come across much in Europe. Despite the testing tree-run we still had a great day, however, as all other runs were more open. By the time we reached the final run of the day 6 group members decided to call it a day, leaving only 2 of us with the guide. We decided to go for a slightly longer (25 minute) hike, which accessed a fantastic, steep, untracked powder filled gully - a great way to finish the day! We tried to go out for food again but the 3 dining establishments in town were full at 6.30pm and we were facing a 45 minute minimum wait. There was a skijoring event in the town the following day and the place was full of cowboys, so we made do with another microwave meal and beer and slumped into bed early.
Day 7
Mrs B and I had the same guide as the day before and were placed into a group with 4 others. We did one hike and a great powder run and then the unimaginable happened... The other 4 were put into another group, with 4 of their friends, and Mrs B and I were left with our own private guide who was joined by a trainee tail guide! Mrs B was keen to do a longer, steeper hike so we trekked up the ridge for 50 minutes in a howling gale. It was an incredible experience and felt like Everest! The guide had described the access to the run as "spicy" - and he wasn't wrong! It involved a vertical drop-in onto a ledge (of "only" about 3 feet, above a 45 degree run), which Mrs B made look relatively easy (in decent light) as she sideslipped over the edge. The photo below shows the guide about to drop over the edge... When it came to my turn I couldn't see a thing, as the light had gone flat. As I shuffled sideways to my left I felt my left ski lose contact with the snow, leaving the outside edge of my right ski gripping the snow - with my left (downhill) ski hanging in thin air! After a heart stopping moment I managed to drop onto the ledge below and recompose myself. It was worth it for the run however, as even though it was slightly sun-affected we managed to find some nice untracked snow and get in some lovely turns. Although we did only 3 runs we had a fantastic day and were worn out. We had time for a quick après drink in the tent before bidding farewell to the great staff at Silverton Mountain. It really is a special place, with a great, laid back set up, a great vibe and fantastic guides. I would encourage any of you who enjoy off piste skiing to give Silverton a go. The "piste" map is shown below. That was our 3rd visit in the last 5 years (11 days there in total) and we have always had a great time there. They also offer the possibility of upgrades - with single heli runs availabe for an additional $180 per run (or a full heli day - 6 runs - for $1200. We spoke to a few people who had done the heli day and they said it was incredible). Maybe one day.... We headed off - back over Red Mountain pass - while it was still light. The roads were clear of snow this time and we had a very pleasant drive, with fantastic views, arriving at our overnight stop, Montrose, 66 miles away in an hour and 45 minutes. We slept at a pleasant Days Inn Motel ($77) and walked to a very nice BBQ smokehouse opposite, for grub. Main courses were $15 and I had an $8 (24 oz!l) "pint" of Blue Moon. Very nice!
To be continued...
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Mon 13-03-23 0:59; edited 3 times in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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What a huge adventure! One to sit in a comfy chair and read about.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| pam w wrote: |
| What a huge adventure! One to sit in a comfy chair and read about. |
Thanks Pam. It really was an epic trip. Part 2 to follow shortly...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Superb, @Bergmeister, sounds like quite an adventure! Wonderful photos. As you say, most of the prices seem pretty reasonable by US standards.
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Fantastic report, absolutely brilliant and vicariously exciting!
Photos/reports like yours make me want to gain enough skills to go off piste. Just beautiful.
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Absolutely riveting, even though I don't drink beer or ski off-piste!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Bergmeister, Great report so far, awaiting part 2 now.
BTW US pints are 16oz which is why their gallons are less - 6 instead of 8 uk pints 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Such roads are not so bad for the driver as they are for the passenger.... 
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Brilliant report @Bergmeister, thanks. can't wait for episode 2!
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Bergmeister, enjoyed reading your adventure!
Have you made “what is the damage” calculation for the trip? Would be of interest as it would help to keep Colorado on the bucket list or cross it off
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Hurtle wrote: |
| Absolutely riveting, even though I don't drink beer or ski off-piste! |
This for me too! We visited Colorado in autumn for hiking, stayed in Ouray for a few days and drove that pass without any snow on it, and it was still terrifying (I did the driving). I am trying not to picture it with snow.
Loving the food descriptions too.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Fantastic
Score
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Great write up. Looks like a mega trip and lucky in the snow conditions. Sounds like you might like some touring kit if you're keen for the hike-to-access 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Trip Report Continued - (Part 2 of 2)
Day 8
Today was a planned travel/rest day, following our exertions at altitude at Silverton. We were booked to stay tonight at Glenwood Springs (where we stayed on our outbound journey) for 2 nights. As the drive from Montrose was scheduled to be only about 2 hours (100 miles) we decided to visit Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park beforehand - which was only about a 20 minute detour from our Montrose hotel. It was a glorious sunny day and the National Park was stunning. It was interesting to note that in the summer it costs $30 to take a car into the park - but in winter it's free. The snow was three feet deep there, though the roads were clear. The canyon itself is breathtaking and we did a signposted 2.5 mile, circular hike along the rim, under total snow cover. It was incredible, with slight exposure to a drop in a couple of places - so it was good that we had our mini boot-spikes with us, as well as using our ski poles for stability. The canyon is over 2,000 feet deep and is about 400 yards wide at the top (though only 40 feet wide at the river).
After the walk we had a lovely drive back to Glenwood Springs and witnessed the most amazing alpenglow and beautiful desert scenery.
We arrived at Glenwood at about 6pm and went to the Mexican Restaurant opposite the hotel, where we had another lovely meal of burritos. Again it was great value at $15 each. When we advised the staff that we had eaten there the previous week they surprised us with a very nice (complimentary) starter of refried beans, guacamole, cheese, salsa and onion, to go with the complimentary tortillas. We thought that was a lovely touch.
Day 9
We enjoyed the hotel's (included) breakfast of porridge, toast, fruit, yoghurt and coffee then headed up the hill for a return visit to Sunlight Mountain. It was a holiday Monday and there were over a hundred cars in the car park this time, as opposed to the 30 or so on our previous visit the week before. Nevertheless, the place felt very quiet, with no lift queues and most runs feeling deserted. We had packed powder conditions and really enjoyed the bump runs in the glades on fantastic snow. We were surprised (but pleased) that last week's steep runs felt a lot less severe after our 3 days at Silverton. This time the advance purchase tickets cost us $85 each (holiday weekend increase) and we had a great day, skiing until the last lift at 4pm.
It was good to enjoy the short commute (25 minutes) back to Glenwood Springs, where we intended wandering into the town for food. However, after showering, we were too tired to go very far and made do with yet another trip to the Mexican restaurant opposite, followed by an early night in bed.
Day 10
We left Glenwood Springs after breakfast and drove 50 miles to Avon, below Beaver Creek. Today was to be the first day of our 6 free days in Vail resorts, which we get through our 3 Valleys season pass, though limited to a maximum of 2 days in any one resort. (Vail (Epic) season pass holders benefit from a reciprocal arrangement and can ski 7 days free in the 3 Valleys). We left the car at our AirBnB accommodation and walked 5 minutes to the bus stop (at Bear Parking Lot) to take the free bus to Beaver Creek, about 10 minutes up the hill. We went to the main ticket office in the lovely village centre, where the ticket attendant knew nothing about a reciprocal arrangement with the 3 Valleys. Luckily I had screenshots of the Vail website (which described the offer) and, after presenting our 3Vs season passes, we were soon the happy owners of a 6 day Vail pass. We had a fairly relaxing ski day and enjoyed yet more packed powder on all pistes, with some lovely pockets of fresh powder in the glades runs. All in all, another fantastic ski day! Beaver Creek is a very varied ski area, with a great variety of runs - ranging from immaculate groomers to very steep moguls (with a whole mountain face devoted to the latter), and gladed runs in between - and all with very few people and no lift queues. After skiing we checked into our accommodation, which was a double room in an apartment, and met the friendly host there (and his dog). Hotels in Beaver Creek would have cost over $1,000 per night, so our room (with shared bathroom) was a relative bargain at $360 for 2 nights. We had planned to eat out in the town centre, though that was a 20 minute walk from our accommodation and wee were flagging. Luckily there was a restaurant only a 5 minute walk away. But guess what? It was yet another Mexican! Not to worry, however. We were so hungry and tired that we would have eaten anything, so the $22 (giant) chicken fajitas went down a treat (as did the draught negra beer at only $6 a pint). We also made short work of the incredible (shared) home made key lime pie and can honestly say we have never tasted anything like it!
Day 11
We had a leisurely breakfast and a later start today, as the exertions of the trip were beginning to catch up on us - not least as we were still waking up nightly in the small hours (for an hour so, with jet lag). There was a raging storm, with very strong winds, fog and snow, so we stayed in the trees and lapped the bump runs in the glades. The great snow conditions continued and we had nothing worse than packed powder all day! After skiing we had a wander around the beautiful (compact) town. It's a lovely, purpose built development but has a nice, non-man-made feel to it; and the heated pavements meant there was no sign of ice or snow. We enjoyed window shopping in the estate agents - and imagining ourselves in the $20m, 7,000 square feet, 7 bedroom, 8 bathroom, ski in/out properties there!
Day 12
We checked out of our accommodation and had an early start for Vail, only 10 minutes drive away. Our host had advised us to arrive there by about 8am to ensure that we got a free (street) parking spot, as opposed to paying the day rate of $30 (or $40 on a weekend). We arrived at 8.10 to find hundreds of available parking spaces and took a free bus to Vail centre. We were looking forward to sampling the 6 inches of fresh snow that had fallen overnight and we weren't disappointed. There were a lot of runs with untracked snow at the sides and we enjoyed a few bump runs that were under untracked powder. We then headed to our favourite spot in Vail - Blue Sky Basin, which had great runs that weave between the trees, mogul-filled gullies and a precipitous drop in to the steep run of Lovers Leap, which had some fantastic powder. We discovered fantastic bump runs in trees and found an amazing, narrow, winding gully that had great snow and lovely bumps top to bottom (the quaintly named "Hairbag Alley.") Yet another fantastic ski day. And yet again we were buzzing at the end of it! From Vail we drove (an uneventful, snow-free) 35 minutes, via Vail Pass, to our hotel at Silverthorne, which was to be our base for 2 nights. It was our first hotel of the trip to have room access from an internal corridor (as opposed to being a park-at-your-room-door motel) and we paid $206 per night for the privilege (including continental breakfast). Despite our booking 5 months in advance, nothing in the area was any cheaper... We went to the brew pub next door for food - but walked out as soon as we walked in, as the only available tables were directly in front of the live band that was playing at an eardrum-bursting volume. After soothing our damaged ears we enjoyed a microwave curry with rice, in our room, and had an early collapse into bed.
Day 13
After a very nice breakfast of porridge, toast and coffee we drove 20 minutes to Keystone and managed to get a spot in the main (free) car park near the pedestrianised town centre. From there it was a pleasant 15 minute stroll through the town to the River Run gondola. As there was a big queue for the lift we split up and went into the singles queue, where we walked straight to the front and immediately got onto (separate) gondolas. Job sorted!
We headed straight to our favourite spot in Keystone - The Outback - where every run is a mogul run in trees - and spent the day there lapping our favourite runs of Bushwhacker, Badger, Timberwolf, Wolverine and Oh Bob! Snow conditions were fantastic, with big bumps and packed powder. Lift queues were never more than 5 minutes, as we repeatedly used the singles queue. We finished with another fantastic bump run - Cat Dancer (which felt like a wilderness tree run, with the place to ourselves) and needless to say we were too tired to participate in the floodlit, night skiing (though we did do 2 top to bottom runs at dusk, just as the lights were coming on). When we got back to our Silverthorne hotel we had a quick turnaround and went out early to eat at Baker's Brewery, opposite the hotel. My half pound burger with fries was possibly the best I've ever had; and Mrs B's Philly Steak sandwich with fries was also delicious. Each meal was a bargain $13; and the Belgian wheat beer went down well at $6 a pint.
Day 14
Back to Keystone today, where we made it for 8.30 to secure a weekend parking spot. It felt a lot busier than the day before and that was evidenced by the queue for the lift at the Outback area, which took 17 minutes at one point. Thereafter our longest wait was 10 minutes, though after 1pm we didn't queue any longer than 5 minutes. Mrs B was keen to repeat all the runs from yesterday and I was keen to agree. We just do not have that type of skiing in Europe, with the perfect combo of glades, packed powder, steep bumps and only us on every run. We enjoyed our usual picnic lunch of sandwiches and coffee again, after giving the on-mountain offerings a miss on the trip. Vail resorts make the 3 Valleys look cheap, with coffee costing a bargain $6.50 a cup, slices of pizza $14 and chicken strips in batter (just like McDonald's...) with fries a snip at $20 . Our home made tuna sarnies went down a treat; and our coffee sachets went well with the complimentary hot water, meaning our wallets weren't $400 lighter over the course of the trip, due to our coffee consumption . By 4pm, after another full day of bump skiing, we were totally knackered (but exhilarated) and decided to call it a day, as we had to drive an hour to Fairplay to our next motel. It was a lovely drive at dusk and we arrived in the dark at what felt like a remote, strung out, linear settlement. The hotel receptionist advised us that there were no restaurants in walking distance, so that (plus a lack of street lights) helped us to decide to stay in for another microwave special and a relatively early night. Tonight's room was colossal - ballroom-esque with 2 king beds and a kitchen, so not bad for $110.
Day 15
We decided on a fairly early start for what would be our last "full"(ish) ski day (see below) of the trip, as we were looking at a 35 minute drive to the skier parking at Breckenridge and then a free bus to the gondola outside the town. As we left the motel we spotted a sign for historic Fairplay Main Street and went to explore. We were so pleased that we did, as it was stunning. Real cowboy stuff! (See photos below).
Then followed a beautiful drive over Hoosier pass, with great views. We arrived at Breck car park at about 9.15 and were soon on the bus to the gondola. We had a great day, skiing a nice mix of groomed cruisers, moderate bumps and some very steep bump runs (like The Devil's Crotch) - all on packed powder snow. We were pleasantly surprised by the lack of lift queues and felt that we had skied a lot before our planned finish time of 1.30 pm.
We had been warned by several locals that the traffic would be ridiculous if we left after 2pm (with it being a Sunday stampede, back to Denver...) so we decided to call it a day early and head off to our hotel at Idaho Springs (50 miles away). Things started well and we pulled away from the car park at Breck at 1.55 pm. We were then stuck in crawling (less than 5mph) traffic on I-70, for what felt like an eternity, and covered 2 miles in over half an hour. Things eventually picked up and we arrived at Idaho Springs in two and a half hours. It was just as well that we left Breck early! We checked in at the motel (that we had stayed at 2 weeks earlier - $94 again) and that night went back to the smokehouse that we had visited last time. A pulled pork sandwich with chips hit the spot for me; and Mrs B went for a burned beef ends sandwich again. And the Shiner Bock draught beer didn't disappoint. We reflected on a fantastic trip and looked forward to our final fling at Loveland the day after.
Day 16
We were up at 7, had a light breakfast and coffee and were on the road for 8 for the 25 minute drive to Loveland ski area. We almost managed pole position and got into the 5th row from the front of the car park. It was good to be there before the lifts opened and we enjoyed relaxing in the cafe, with a coffee and a very nice veggie breakfast burrito. We were on the fast (1,000 feet vertical) chair by 9.15 and lapped that repeatedly, getting in 10 runs and a coffee break. The place felt deserted and we repeated the steep bump runs immediately under, and to the side of, Chet's Dream chair and enjoyed some fantastic powder conditions.
It was a great way to finish the trip and we were still on a high when we we left the car park on the stroke of 12 noon. We made it to Denver airport in about 90 minutes and enjoyed the scenic drive, without any problems.
It was good to arrive 3 hours before our flight and, although getting changed, packing our bags at the airport and checking in our ski bags took a while, it was worth it for that final, great, Loveland ski morning! The flight home was great - only 8 hours to Heathrow and a row of 3 seats to ourselves again, on another flight only about 60% full. I particularly enjoyed watching Top Gun:Maverick. We then had only 75 minutes before our connecting flight to Newcastle, where one of our ski bags failed to turn up - only about the 20th time we have lost luggage over the years! We lived happily ever after, however, as the skis were couriered to us the following day - having been left at Heathrow.
So that was that.... 16 days. 9 hotels. 7 ski resorts and 1,100 miles driven. Until the next time....
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Mon 13-03-23 10:41; edited 4 times in total
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| mooney058 wrote: |
@Bergmeister, enjoyed reading your adventure!
Have you made “what is the damage” calculation for the trip? Would be of interest as it would help to keep Colorado on the bucket list or cross it off |
Not yet - but will do so soon. Watch this space...
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@Bermeister, what a fantastic trip report... that sounds like the trip of a lifetime (again!) and a real adventure in the mountains! Quite inspiring to get... fitter, younger and better at skiing!!
Thanks for the effort and my skiing fix
womble
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Looking good ! Thanks for the write up.
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Thanks all. I'm pleased you have enjoyed my trip report.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Super read, enjoyed that and have some nice ideas from it !
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@Bergmeister, what a great trip and report, thanks for writing it up. One question, is there a reason Silverton guides hike up vs skinning (which I assume would be easier in deep snow?)
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Sounds like a good trip!
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| ... tight trees are not something we come across much in Europe |
Something to do with where the tree line is, I think.
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You know it makes sense.
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Loving the pics - will take time to read with a cuppa - thank you
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| kitenski wrote: |
| @Bergmeister, what a great trip and report, thanks for writing it up. One question, is there a reason Silverton guides hike up vs skinning (which I assume would be easier in deep snow?) |
Because everyone is hiking you get a pretty good bootpack, so deep snow isn't really an issue. Mostly it's pretty short hikes (less than 15mins) so the time it takes to put skins on and off is probably more than any time saved. Plus there's the hassle of guides having to deal with in-experienced skiers trying to get skins on. Also it opens it up to more people as many don't have touring gear.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| boarder2020 wrote: |
| kitenski wrote: |
| @Bergmeister, what a great trip and report, thanks for writing it up. One question, is there a reason Silverton guides hike up vs skinning (which I assume would be easier in deep snow?) |
Because everyone is hiking you get a pretty good bootpack, so deep snow isn't really an issue. Mostly it's pretty short hikes (less than 15mins) so the time it takes to put skins on and off is probably more than any time saved. Plus there's the hassle of guides having to deal with in-experienced skiers trying to get skins on. Also it opens it up to more people as many don't have touring gear. |
I reckon you are spot on with your answer!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| orange wrote: |
| Super read, enjoyed that and have some nice ideas from it ! |
I'm pleased to hear that. We really enjoyed the road trip aspect of the holiday and think it added to a brilliant overall trip.
There are still a few lesser-known places we would like to have visited, like Cooper, Monarch, Wolf Mountain and Purgatory, and hope to ski those in the future. Although we didn't ski there on this trip, Arapahoe Basin and Powderhorn are also worth a visit, so may be of interest to those of you considering places a bit more off the beaten track.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Excellent
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I need a lie down simply as a consequence of reading your trip report!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Bergmeister, Nice report and some great pictures.
We skied Monarch, Wolf and Purgatory - wouldnt head back to Purgatory but certainly can recommend the other two.
But if its enroute you might as well drop in for a day - it has a weird layout both on and off mountain.
Also if you're in that area worth dropping down to Taos.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Superb, @Bergmeister, thanks again.
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| denfinella wrote: |
| Superb, @Bergmeister, thanks again. |
+1
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