• For more information on how to avoid pop-up ads and still support SkiTalk click HERE.

Ron

Seeking the next best ski
SkiTalk Tester
Joined
Nov 8, 2015
Posts
9,282
Location
Steamboat Springs, Co
I think Thursday won't ben bad at all, But, yes, crowds will increase. Come on out and deal with it :).

Relevant to this day:

"If you don't do it this year, you will be one year older when you do"

Warren Miller, RIP.
 

Slim

Making fresh tracks
Skier
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Oct 2, 2017
Posts
2,973
Location
Duluth, MN
I'm not sure if you saw my post, but I'd pick them up at WP if needed.
If you are picking people up at WP side, the parking ramp is free at the end of the day, so you can drive over from MJ side, park in the ramp and walk through the faux village to the WP abse, puts you out by the private lesson area, still a long way from the skischool
 

Slim

Making fresh tracks
Skier
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Oct 2, 2017
Posts
2,973
Location
Duluth, MN
For the stranger skiers, once you have passes, going up the Challenger lift is often a shorter wait if it’s busy. And the runs it hits tend to be calmer than other areas too.
 

Chris Walker

Ullr Is Lord
Skier
Joined
Dec 8, 2015
Posts
739
Location
Denver
For the stranger skiers, once you have passes, going up the Challenger lift is often a shorter wait if it’s busy. And the runs it hits tend to be calmer than other areas too.

It took me way too long to figure out that you probably meant to say stronger skiers, LOL. But often you can find pretty strange skiers on C-Lift too. :D
 
Thread Starter
TS
J

JoeSchmoe

Snowboarder
Skier
Joined
May 4, 2017
Posts
450
Hi everyone... Just thought I'd provide a mini TR after the thoughtful advice from everyone.

We drove up to WP from DIA Monday morning. I'm guessing we were on the slopes by 1030-1100. Against Magi's advice, we ended up parking in the Corona Lot on the MJ side. We took the Super Gauge up and skied down to find out Pano had just opened after being closed the day before. I don't recall official totals but there was about a foot or so in Parsenn Bowl. My son and I broke away from our friends, and he reluctantly dropped into the bowl. He panicked in all the powder and wiped out. He was scared as it was hard to get up... so sadly we had to get back to the groomers. Eventually I talked him back into the trees off Parrys Peak and he performed admirably. Unfortunately, he said he didn't enjoy skiing in the deep powder so that was the end of Pano.

He really enjoyed skiing the somewhat tracked trees on the sides of the runs off Sunnyside. Once we met up with our friends (with the beginner son), they also get this was the best area.

At the end of the day, i boarded back solo over to MJ to get the car, and met them at the WP village (not before sampling some of the legendary bumps). Grabbing them at the village was a total waste since CW is a very mellow cat track. The next day we again parked on the MJ side and skied back to the car together.

Day 2, Pano was closed which was a bit disappointing, as my son's confidence was getting better and better.

By the end of the day we had figured our where and where not to ski. As previous posters had mentioned, there is so much flat terrain at WP. It really sucked at times. The 2nd half of the Vasquez Ridge (Vasquez Flats!) was a write off. Why did they run the lift as far back as they did?! Hi-Lo sucked as did some of the Olympia Lift runs.

Highlights of the day were the runs off Zephyr, Sunnyside, and Sleeper off MJ... which our beginner confidently skied (as I said, he's a very athletic kid and picked things up quickly). All in all though, I'd put WP at or near the bottom of the resorts I've skied in CO. There were just too many flats, and the massive extent of bumps off MJ limited the terrain our group could ski. (On a side note, for all the hype about MJ's bumps, the runs were always VERY empty... It seems to me the resort should think about grooming a little more terrain over there to better disperse the crowds :snowball:).

Continued...
 
Last edited:
Thread Starter
TS
J

JoeSchmoe

Snowboarder
Skier
Joined
May 4, 2017
Posts
450
Days 3 and 4 were at Steamboat. If WP was closer to the bottom of my list of CO resorts, Steamboat would be at or near the top. Sadly, the resort was in serious low-tide and the legendary trees were somewhat limited to the top 1000ft or so of the mountain. Even still, much that was sketchy. Our beginner fell in love with the mellow blues off the Sunnyside lift. The rest of us had fun blasting through what was left of the soft snow in the trees that lined those runs.

My son really enjoyed the steep black groomers which were in abundance. Storm Peak was his favourite run of the trip (I'm guessing we hit it at least 5 or 6 times). On day 4 he even talked his beginner buddy into trying it... and he tackled it with ease. Later i had my son on some black bumps. He handled them well but said they weren't as fun as going fast.

I wish we could have hit the resort with more snow, because there was so much terrain that would have been sweet had there been full coverage and/or not bumped out. The Pony Express lify was not running so we didn't get to see things over there.

The group thought the town was pretty cool too. It's neat how built up it is for being in the middle of nowhere.

All in all it was a great run! My only regret is that I wish there was more snow. That said, I'll stand by my earlier statements about Utah being far superior to CO... given I've now been to every resort off the I-70 corridor. Steamboat was great... I'd potentially put it on par with Solitude in my personal preference ranking. But my 3 fav's are still no question Snowbird, Snowbasin, and Brighton. Next year, I know where I'll be going...

Thanks again for the input everyone!
 

RJS

Out on the slopes
Skier
Joined
Feb 28, 2017
Posts
627
Location
Seattle area
I am going to Steamboat in a couple weeks, so @JoeSchmoe I appreciate the report. It's too bad that they don't have more snow, but this is really good info to know. It looks like almost all of their terrain was open. Were there any tree runs that you did not feel comfortable on because of the low snow conditions?

My impression, and this could be totally off, is that Steamboat is doing better than most of CO in terms of snow coverage. Part of that might be that Steamboat's terrain requires less coverage to open than other mountains.

@JoeSchmoe what specifically did you like better about Steamboat than Winter Park? I was deciding between the two (and Fernie, but am deciding to put that off).
 

Slim

Making fresh tracks
Skier
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Oct 2, 2017
Posts
2,973
Location
Duluth, MN
“On a side note, for all the hype about MJ's bumps, the runs were always VERY empty... It seems to me the resort should think about grooming a little more terrain over there to better disperse the crowds”

No, please don’t! The fact that so many runs on MJ are empty is a big part of what makes them so nice.

as for the rest.. I agree, the mountain has it’s fair share of flat spots, so indeed it would not be my first choice for snowboarders (don’t say we didn’t warn you). An instructor once told me they had planned to put the base area at the base of Vasquez ridge, and that’s why it’s so long and flat. No idea whether that’s true or not, but I’ve always wondered about it too.
 

Chris Walker

Ullr Is Lord
Skier
Joined
Dec 8, 2015
Posts
739
Location
Denver
Hi everyone... Just thought I'd provide a mini TR after the thoughtful advice from everyone.

(On a side note, for all the hype about MJ's bumps, the runs were always VERY empty... It seems to me the resort should think about grooming a little more terrain over there to better disperse the crowds

:eek::eek::eek::eek:

I'm confused. If nobody skis MJ's backside, how do the bumps get there in the first place? Maybe it seems empty back there because there's 24 named runs you can lap from an old, slow double, the pitches are short, and MJ skiers like to burn laps, not stand around and admire what they are skiing. Grooming more runs to get more people to go would only draw a few people away from the already ample groomed offerings before totally clogging the C Lift. Meanwhile it would deprive us of some great bump lines. Don't get me wrong, I love carving up a nice groomer, but not at Mary Jane.

They already groom too much at MJ in my opinion. I get grooming half of the MJ trail to let the less confident skiers get back to their car, and of course the cat track, but Sleeper used to be such a great trail to learn bumps on, and now they mow that. I grudgingly admit that the Sober Englishman makes it a lot easier for much of their clientele to get from the WP village to the Jane side, but what it did to the once-iconic Frunken Drenchman is an abomination.

No Pain No Jane.
 

Chris Walker

Ullr Is Lord
Skier
Joined
Dec 8, 2015
Posts
739
Location
Denver
.. An instructor once told me they had planned to put the base area at the base of Vasquez ridge, and that’s why it’s so long and flat. No idea whether that’s true or not, but I’ve always wondered about it too.

I heard that as well, and once saw a glimpse of the original strategic master plan which did confirm plans at one time to have another base village in that area. But I also heard that the area where you would expect the bottom of the lift to be was like a sensitive environmental area or something, so they had to move it back to its present location to get it built. I don't know which, if either, of these stories is true, but I imagine that runout would be a total drag on a snowboard.
 

doc

Out on the slopes
Skier
Joined
Nov 25, 2015
Posts
744
Had to invoke my 24-hour cooling off rule before responding to @joeShmoe's suggestion that the MJ bumps be groomed more frequently to better disperse the crowds.
Um, how about "no"? That clear, and polite, enough? Nothing like heading up the C-lift to ski the Hauls with no one on them, overlooking the hordes on Scrapper.
 
Last edited:

TonyPlush

Getting off the lift
Skier
Joined
Jan 4, 2018
Posts
492
Location
Minnesota
I am going to Steamboat in a couple weeks, so @JoeSchmoe I appreciate the report. It's too bad that they don't have more snow, but this is really good info to know. It looks like almost all of their terrain was open. Were there any tree runs that you did not feel comfortable on because of the low snow conditions?

My impression, and this could be totally off, is that Steamboat is doing better than most of CO in terms of snow coverage. Part of that might be that Steamboat's terrain requires less coverage to open than other mountains.

@JoeSchmoe what specifically did you like better about Steamboat than Winter Park? I was deciding between the two (and Fernie, but am deciding to put that off).
JoeSchmoe must have just missed it. I skied Steamboat Wednesday/Thursday/Friday last week, and the conditions were pretty stellar. Friday (1/26) saw 15 inches of extra dry powder.

Sure, there were some "early season conditions" signs posted, and I did find a few rocks on Thursday and had one dangerous encounter with a buried tree stump on Friday, but overall it was one of the best trips I've taken in years.
 
Thread Starter
TS
J

JoeSchmoe

Snowboarder
Skier
Joined
May 4, 2017
Posts
450
I get what you're all saying... the true die hards here all love MJ for it's bumps... and I don't disagree with that. If I were in your shoes I wouldn't want them to groom either.

But, if I was the WP business manager in charge of making money for the resort... I'd say the entire MJ area is very underutilized as a whole, and more grooming could result in more $$$.
 

cosmoliu

Making fresh tracks
Skier
Joined
Dec 6, 2015
Posts
1,314
Location
Central CA Coast
I respectfully disagree. And would likely send my season pass card to the business manager cut into many small pieces. As I said above, that would greatly decrease the allure of the mountain. I have other great alternatives that are easier to get to than a dumbed down WP.

Maybe I should have invoked that 24 hour rule myself.
 
Last edited:
Thread Starter
TS
J

JoeSchmoe

Snowboarder
Skier
Joined
May 4, 2017
Posts
450
I respectfully disagree. And would likely send my season pass card to the business manager cut into many small pieces. As I said above, that would greatly decrease the allure of the mountain. I have other great alternatives that are easier to get to than a dumbed down WP.

Maybe I should have invoked that 24 hour rule myself.


I'm sure you wouldn't be the only one... I'm just saying for all the hype, there was hardly anyone skiing in MJ from what I saw in the two days there. Riding the Super Gauge, you maybe saw one or two people the whole lift ride up until you got to the cat tracks at the top. When I took my solo runs, I had the trails to myself. I was looker's right to the Super Gauge though... I didn't do the Challenger chair so maybe things were busier over there.
 
Thread Starter
TS
J

JoeSchmoe

Snowboarder
Skier
Joined
May 4, 2017
Posts
450
I am going to Steamboat in a couple weeks, so @JoeSchmoe I appreciate the report. It's too bad that they don't have more snow, but this is really good info to know. It looks like almost all of their terrain was open. Were there any tree runs that you did not feel comfortable on because of the low snow conditions?

My impression, and this could be totally off, is that Steamboat is doing better than most of CO in terms of snow coverage. Part of that might be that Steamboat's terrain requires less coverage to open than other mountains.

@JoeSchmoe what specifically did you like better about Steamboat than Winter Park? I was deciding between the two (and Fernie, but am deciding to put that off).

As I said, I found that the coverage below the top 1000ft to be limited. Depending on the orientation and sun exposure, some lines weren't skiable at all, others were a crusty. I can't recall the lift (maybe the Elkhead), looking below me thinking how fun the terrain would be if it only had snow. Unfortunately my crew wasn't into some of the steeper lines you could see off the Storm Peak and Sundown lifts, because they looked to be in good shape and not too tracked out. I don't recall any off-piste opportunities off the Thunderhead lift or the lower mountain area due to coverage.

I'm not sure how much the recent storm helped, but if you stick to the upper mountain, you should be fine.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RJS

Lofcaudio

Getting off the lift
Skier
Joined
Apr 27, 2017
Posts
344
Location
Columbia, Missouri
Hi everyone... Just thought I'd provide a mini TR after the thoughtful advice from everyone.

Thanks for the trip report. How busy was Winter Park? Any lift lines or crowded runs?

It's a shame that Pony Express wasn't open at Steamboat. You would have loved the runs over there.

(Looks like we are starting to agree about a few things...like you, I would rank Steamboat way ahead of Winter Park as a ski destination.)
 

RJS

Out on the slopes
Skier
Joined
Feb 28, 2017
Posts
627
Location
Seattle area
Thanks for the trip report. How busy was Winter Park? Any lift lines or crowded runs?

It's a shame that Pony Express wasn't open at Steamboat. You would have loved the runs over there.

(Looks like we are starting to agree about a few things...like you, I would rank Steamboat way ahead of Winter Park as a ski destination.)

@Lofcaudio I am going to ask you at the same question I asked @JoeSchmoe, how come you liked Steamboat better than Winter Park? I am going to Steamboat in a couple of weeks and was deciding between the two, so I am curious why you liked one much better than the other. It sounds like I may have made the right choice?
 
Thread Starter
TS
J

JoeSchmoe

Snowboarder
Skier
Joined
May 4, 2017
Posts
450
Thanks for the trip report. How busy was Winter Park? Any lift lines or crowded runs?

It's a shame that Pony Express wasn't open at Steamboat. You would have loved the runs over there.

(Looks like we are starting to agree about a few things...like you, I would rank Steamboat way ahead of Winter Park as a ski destination.)


We were there on a Monday and Tuesday so crowds were a non-issue. Longest wait was easily less than 5 minutes and that would have been in the Panoramic lift lines after they opened in with about a foot of fresh snow. It was closed during the previous day's powder day.

I found Steamboat to be somewhat similar to Snowmass in that there were no crowds, and good cruising across a largely intermediate mountain. At Snowmass you can probably get a longer continuous run, but the traversing between pods is trickier. Steamboat's top cruisers were less than 2000ft vert, but I liked that I didn't have to once unstrap to traverse a flat, even between pods. Also, i don't recall as many opportunities at Snowmass to jump in the trees.

I couldn't even count how many times I had to unstrap at Winter Park to get across a flat.

Also, I forgot to mention, we tried the previously suggested "Dilly Dally Alley" run. Unfortunately, it was in rough shape... the bumps and undulations were too sharp/steep to get though... it was like skiing into Jersey Barriers on the highway.
 

Sponsor

Top