Colorado Ski Resorts: A Little Bit of Everything

By Jonathan Berohn

Halloween means costumes, pumpkins, and candy, of course. To skiers and snowboarders, though, Halloween also means the real beginnings of ski season - at least in Colorado.  And ski season in Colorado means unmatched choices as far as types of terrain and just sheer quantity of great resorts.  One note before we go on here, this review talks about expert terrain.  For beginner and intermediate skiers, all the resorts really offer plenty of options and more terrain than you’ll know what to do with.

Vail

For those not familiar with Colorado skiing, Vail is still a name that means something.  As the crown jewel of Colorado state ski towns - at least for glitz and snootiness - Vail also boasts some tremendous skiing.  The best things about Vail, though, are the back bowls.  If you like powder skiing, head for Vail - you won’t be disappointed.

Keystone

For the most part, Keystone is fairly undistinguished when it comes to expert terrain.  They do have a couple of bowls of their own, though, that makes the trip worthwhile.  Keystone’s Outback Bowl offers you a choice of tree skiing and a steep drop into deep bowl.  Both routes are demanding but quite fun.

Arapahoe Basin

A-Basin  - as the locals call it - has the highest lift-served terrain in Colorado.  They also have some intense chutes you can seek out if you’re willing to hoof it up a little higher on your own.  Don’t underestimate how hard this is, by the way.  If you’re not used to the altitude, schlepping your skis above 10,000 feet is quite a chore - even if the pay-off is so incredible.  On the other hand, the moguls at A-Basin are also tremendous - and lift-served.  If you like the bumps, A-Basin has some of the best in Co.

Steamboat Springs

Steamboat is a little out of the way (about 4-5 hours by car from Denver), but it’s well worth the trip.  Steamboat is famous for consistently having some of the best snow in the state.  Steamboat’s champagne powder is light and fluffy, and skiing it is an experience every skier and boarder should try at least once.

Eldora

Eldora is a smaller resort about half an hour west of Boulder.  It doesn’t have the amenities or sheer size of the larger resorts, but - because it’s relatively uncrowded - it offers one thing they can’t: space.  If you want a break from the crowds Eldora is a great place to spend the day.