Colorado Winter Park Intel

[mmascolino]

It also speaks somewhat to ability. I'm not a particularly strong tree skier...I'm not skilled enough and I am perhaps too cautious. As the angle of descent increases I certainly need more spacing to feel comfortable in a glade...otherwise I am surviving a run not skiing a run.

With that said I really, really enjoyed all the glades off of the Panoramic chair. My first time at Winter Park was this spring and i sent 2 days and 90% of our time was on Panoramic/Sunnyside/Super Gauge. For boarders or for those with a 7 year old skiier who is easily distracted, I wouldn't recommend Corona Way to get back to the base....way too flat.

 

[Monique]

What I mean by that comment is that at Brighton and Snowbird, you unload at the top of the lift and the entire mountain is skiable.

In CO, the forest cover can be thicker... Either there's undergrowth between the larger trees or the forest is too thick. Yes there are many dedicated glade runs, all of which I'd consider skiable... But you can't just duck into the trees anywhere and everywhere.

I'll have to take your word for it! I've never skied Brighton or Snowbird. My theory is that if everything is available to be skied, someone's doing a lot of summertime work to clear the glades.

 

[Jully]

I'll have to take your word for it! I've never skied Brighton or Snowbird. My theory is that if everything is available to be skied, someone's doing a lot of summertime work to clear the glades.

That's what I've heard about Park City in Utah at least, so I imagine it is similar to Brighton and Sol. Cousin lives there and was under that impression. There are some areas that are barely skiable and clearly don't have summertime work done, but anywhere that flows nicely and skis cleanly was worked on at some point.

 

[JoeSchmoe]

I'll have to take your word for it! I've never skied Brighton or Snowbird. My theory is that if everything is available to be skied, someone's doing a lot of summertime work to clear the glades.

I think it partly has to do with the type of tree. I'm not a tree or plant expert, but the tall pines/spruces in Utah have bare trunks with a canopy over top that let in little to no sunlight. I imagine undergrowth would have a hard time getting established in that kind of environment.

 

[Monique]

I think it partly has to do with the type of tree. I'm not a tree or plant expert, but the tall pines/spruces in Utah have bare trunks with a canopy over top that let in little to no sunlight. I imagine undergrowth would have a hard time getting established in that kind of environment.

Yeah, that could be. Anyway, there is tons of good marked and unmarked tree skiing in Colorado - but I have to agree it's not *every* stand of trees.

 

[Magi]

Calling @Magi who is very familiar with WP.

In order to gain the benefit being an extra 500ft lower, I'm considering staying in Fraser.

While I have no idea how big a difference 500 feet will make for your sleep. The rough math is you'll get ~2% more oxygen in fraser relative to staying in winter park / at the resort (14.8% vs 15.1%).

How is the shuttle service? My boy and I will probably be at the mountain from open to close, but some other families might not be as gung-ho. Will they be able to bail at any time and not have to wait too long for the bus? How long of a ride is it.

If you're going to stay in your condo when you aren't skiing - Fraser will be great. If you'd rather be adjacent to Idlewild Distillery, Hideaway Park brewery, and the restaurants - stay in Winter Park.

Our bus system is great, and the bus schedule is posted here: http://www.wpgov.com/264/Routes The winter schedule isn't up yet, but should run ~every 30m and take 20-30m to get to/from Fraser. depending on your loop. Very doable to get around using just the bus with some planning.

One advantage of staying in Winter Park proper is that the town runs a night shuttle that picks up and drops off door to door (think free uber with 2-4 minute response times after 5-6pm). The resort hotels also generally run a shuttle service.

I've largely been disappointed with CO tree skiing in comparison to the SLC area, but word is WP is where it's at near Denver. Is that true? How does the snow keep in the trees between storms? Does it stay somewhat fluffy for days as it does at Brighton and Snowbird?

WP has a *ton* of tree skiing. Everything between trails can be skied (given sufficient skill). Winter Park's trees are apex pine forest, and so have stellar flow, and little to no underbrush. We even have some great beginner tree areas. Snow quality is generally good to great in the trees (and all over the mountain) but you aren't going to regularly find 2-3 day old untouched powder stashes because all the locals love the trees too.

Finally, i hear a lot about the bumps on the Mary Jane side. Does that mean they don't groom at all? It would be nice to hit some good steep black cruisers, similar to Regulator Johnson.

Mary Jane is basically entirely ungroomed, but we have some great black/blue-black terrain on the front side of WP off the Zephyr/Eskimo lifts that is regularly groomed (wholly or partially).

One more thing... How is coverage off piste at the end of January? That's looking like the most likely time we can make it.

With a reasonably normal snow year - everything is open by end of Jan. I'll ski anything on the mountain with a 50"+ base.

Vasquez Cirque MIGHT be open end of January. There is a separate ticket for the Cirque Sled, $20. It saves you almost exactly a mile hike/skate. The Cirque is not one of my favorite off piste excursions, for a variety of reasons. Eagle Wind, though, should be good end of January in an average year.

The cirque is a great experience, but it is not a fast trip (I usually walk the 1.5 miles, takes about the same amount of time as waiting for the sled-cat). Seems that I do 1-2 trips to it, for 1-2 runs, a season on it. Don't bank on it being open. A much better bet are the Jane Chutes for steep.

 

[Magi]

Yeah, that could be. Anyway, there is tons of good marked and unmarked tree skiing in Colorado - but I have to agree it's not *every* stand of trees.

While I'd agree with you for CO in general - I can't think of a set of trees in WP that can't be skied...

 

[JoeSchmoe]

This is all really good info... Thanks!!!

 

[JoeSchmoe]

Regarding the altitude, I've slept at Vail, Snowmass, and just under 8000ft in Arizona and had no issues. At Breckenridge and Keystone i could not get a good night's sleep no matter what I tried. I'm guessing my comfort zone is around 8500ft.

 

[Magi]

Regarding the altitude, I've slept at Vail, Snowmass, and just under 8000ft in Arizona and had no issues. At Breckenridge and Keystone i could not get a good night's sleep no matter what I tried. I'm guessing my comfort zone is around 8500ft.

Then make sure you stay on the West side of route 40 - because a lot of the places you'd in rent in Fraser will be up a big hill on the east side, gaining you ~200 feet of altitude.

This is all really good info... Thanks!!!

Happy to help.

 

[Read Blinn]

With a reasonably normal snow year - everything is open by end of Jan. I'll ski anything on the mountain with a 50"+ base.

A 50" base? Ah, the shameless luxury of western skiing.

 

[Jerez]

While I have no idea how big a difference 500 feet will make for your sleep. The rough math is you'll get ~2% more oxygen in fraser relative to staying in winter park / at the resort (14.8% vs 15.1%).



If you're going to stay in your condo when you aren't skiing - Fraser will be great. If you'd rather be adjacent to Idlewild Distillery, Hideaway Park brewery, and the restaurants - stay in Winter Park.

Our bus system is great, and the bus schedule is posted here: http://www.wpgov.com/264/Routes The winter schedule isn't up yet, but should run ~every 30m and take 20-30m to get to/from Fraser. depending on your loop. Very doable to get around using just the bus with some planning.

One advantage of staying in Winter Park proper is that the town runs a night shuttle that picks up and drops off door to door (think free uber with 2-4 minute response times after 5-6pm). The resort hotels also generally run a shuttle service.



WP has a *ton* of tree skiing. Everything between trails can be skied (given sufficient skill). Winter Park's trees are apex pine forest, and so have stellar flow, and little to no underbrush. We even have some great beginner tree areas. Snow quality is generally good to great in the trees (and all over the mountain) but you aren't going to regularly find 2-3 day old untouched powder stashes because all the locals love the trees too.



Mary Jane is basically entirely ungroomed, but we have some great black/blue-black terrain on the front side of WP off the Zephyr/Eskimo lifts that is regularly groomed (wholly or partially).

With a reasonably normal snow year - everything is open by end of Jan. I'll ski anything on the mountain with a 50"+ base.


The cirque is a great experience, but it is not a fast trip (I usually walk the 1.5 miles, takes about the same amount of time as waiting for the sled-cat). Seems that I do 1-2 trips to it, for 1-2 runs, a season on it. Don't bank on it being open. A much better bet are the Jane Chutes for steep.

spot on

 

[Chris Walker]

A 50" base? Ah, the shameless luxury of western skiing.

Yeah but the Rocky Mountains are just that: rocky. You can gouge up your bases pretty good skiing the steep stuff on only a 50" base.

 

[Magi]

Yeah but the Rocky Mountains are just that: rocky. You can gouge up your bases pretty good skiing the steep stuff on only a 50" base.

At Breck or certain parts of Copper/A-Basin - I worry about rocks due to base depth.

At Winter Park I haven't found rocks to be an issue. Windowmakers (sideways trees at shin/knee height) are my worry in trees (hence waiting for 50" base), I don't worry about rocks pretty much at all on/off piste at Winter Park. Our patrol is really good about marking areas that have rocks on piste, and our base is generally laid down over grass, not rock (caveat emptor on sections of the Jane).

 

[Chris Walker]

At Breck or certain parts of Copper/A-Basin - I worry about rocks due to base depth.

At Winter Park I haven't found rocks to be an issue. Windowmakers (sideways trees at shin/knee height) are my worry in trees (hence waiting for 50" base), I don't worry about rocks pretty much at all on/off piste at Winter Park. Our patrol is really good about marking areas that have rocks on piste, and our base is generally laid down over grass, not rock (caveat emptor on sections of the Jane).

The next time the base is 50", follow me. I'll show you where the unmarked rocks are. I seem to have a special talent for finding them.

Definitely less at WP than the other areas you mention. Not unheard of though in my experience.

 

[pete]

Aside from higher altitude and more dining, Winter Park bus routes overlap a lot downtown so one can catch one every 10 to 15 min.

 

[JoeSchmoe]

How is Steamboat for coverage late January? I'm considering the Route 40 pass. Would probably do 2 days at WP followed by 2 Steamboat. Say Tues-Friday.

 

[Magi]

Aside from higher altitude and more dining, Winter Park bus routes overlap a lot downtown so one can catch one every 10 to 15 min.

Going to/from downtown to the resort - absolutely. Any other route will be on an ~30m cycle.

How is Steamboat for coverage late January? I'm considering the Route 40 pass. Would probably do 2 days at WP followed by 2 Steamboat. Say Tues-Friday.

On anything like a normal year, practically everything is open all over Colorado by late Jan.

 

[JoeSchmoe]

I ordered the Route 40 4-pack yesterday. I'm already getting excited. I'll be watching Steamboat and WP videos on YouTube with my son for the next 4 months until we go.

 

[Lofcaudio]

I'll be curious to hear what you think to see if we continue to have differing opinions on resorts. Be warned there are lots of flat spots on the Winter Park side of Winter Park.