Beaver Creek
I always thought Beaver Creek would be one of those super expensive places that wasn't worth the hype. I was wrong! That is... yes, it is expensive (/day if I remember right), but the skiing is outstanding. The resort gets decent snow, but has a way of managing it. The grooming is great, this is anotehr place that I only rode my carving board and have not skied.
Among the standout features for riders are the fresh chocolate cookies that chefs in big hats distribute throughout the day -- you have to hurry, they don't last! Riders park at lots at the very bottom of the area and ride up in buses. Then they take two escalators through the shopping/rental area, and they find themselves at the bottom of the Centennial lift.
The area is big -- apart from the various slopes, there is even a nordic ski area at the top! Cross-country skiers have to buy a discounted lift pass to get up there. It looks like a great place -- but you better be aclimatized to the altitude, it's probably close to 11K feet about sea level.
The overall level of skiers at this resort is high -- seems like for the most part everyone takes lessons and starts skiing early. Still, be on the watchout for fast riders, just like anyone else.
During the 2005-6 season our friends Jeff and Kim invited us to participate in the Mountain Dew Vertical Challenge races -- we were riding with them that day. Racing was fun -- two riders went side-by-side, and so of course we raced each other. Quite different from free-carving on snowboards. We did well -- Lisa won her age group, and I got third place, and so we both qualified for the finals in Steamboat!
Stories
Carving at Beaver Creekalpine-snowboarding: My Lisa was a bit freaked with all the people on the slope, and that Scott was ripping it up! We didn't ride a ton with him, but I got a I noticed that I'm still C-shaping a little bit -- especially ... |
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Mountain Dew Vertical Challenge race at Beaver Creekalpine-snowboarding: Copper was a zoo on Saturday -- fortunately we missed it, running In the early afternoon Jeff and Kim headed over to race -- it was the |