Spring Fling - Day Three

Hit some new terrain today -- skiing Arapahoe Basin. Really had a nice experience. I love the smaller local areas. Whiile I certainly have enjoyed places like Vail, Beaver Creek, and Deer Valley, I don't need the ammenities and the fancy treatment. I'm there to ski. But I was reminded of something even more important today - the value of the vibe. 

I've had a season pass at Michigan's Caberfae Peaks for at least a decade, and in addition to great terrain and solid snow fall, I think the thing I like the most is the vibe. People are chill, nice, and just fun to be around. That''s what A-Basin was like today. Super mellow (especially for a place with some of Colorado's most respected terrain) and really fun. 

But on to the skiing...

A-Basin, with a summit elevation of 13,050 feet, is one of the highest resorts in the Continental US. And that altitude makes for great Spring skiing. The snow at A-Basin was the best I've seen on this trip and surprisingly good for this late in what most locals told me was a disappointing year snow-wise. 

I spent a chunk of my morning on the Black Mountain Express lift. The Ramrod run was EXACTLY what I love -- an aggressive blue (that would be a black at most other areas). Steep. Fast. With really good snow cover. I enjoyed just blasting it at Mach One. And, yes, I will offer kudos yet again to the Blizzard Bonafides. These boards smoked.

By late morning, I needed some top-to-bottom laps, so I connected up the Lenawee lift. So, this is pretty cool as now we're above treeline. Ride Black Mountain up, ski over to Lenawee then ski top to bottom. Awesome. 

I had another revelation today - cycling has been really solid for me. My legs are strong all day, and even at the high altitude of A-Basin, my lungs held out. This wasn't the case on my first trip to Colorado two years back. I was SMOKED. Between the altitude and my lack of fitness, I was gassed after two runs. I'd be stopping halfway to catch my breath. Now - straight down runs are no issue. This feels reallly good.

Another day in the books. Tomorrow's challenge is where to ski. I made a visit to Breckenridge last night and it was a ZOO. Heard from a local that it was Spring Break for a lot of colleges. But, I feel like I need to ski several areas, so maybe I'll brave it. Of course, my cheap streak comes out here. One of the things I don't like about Vail ownership is the parking. I remember the first time I encountered paid parking. My first thought was "WTF - seriously? You want to CHARGE me to park?". At Vail, Beaver, and Breck you can park for free, but you have to ride a shuttle. So we'll see. There's also some snow coming in tonight and that could change my thinking totally...

For now, I'm happily enjoying excellent $3 craft brews and half-price appetizers at the brewery next to my hotel. A damn fine day.

-Sean-

Spring Fling - Day One

Told myself I hadn't been blogging enough, so thought I'd commit to something each day during my ski trip to Summit County, Colorado. 

Rough start after my 8:03 United flight doesn't depart until 11:30. Maintenance issues, coupled with their inability to get a repair guy on site for almost two hours didn't help my mood to start off. But they bought me a beer on the flight, so that was a plus.

Landed in Denver, snagged the rental car and headed up to Dillon and the Dillon Inn. On the upside, by the time I got there, I was able to check in. Initially I'd thought today was just a loss. But, as I rolled up into the mountains, the stress of travel melted away and I decided, "Screw it -- Keystone has night skiing, I'll go there!". Checked in - Dillon Inn was a great choice for a home base. Affordable, clean, centrally located. Just what I was looking for! 

Dump my gear in my room, change into ski gear and off I go. Turns out Keystone is 7.2 miles away! NICE! As has become the Vail Way, there's paid parking, or free with a short walk. Being a cheapskate, I opt for the latter. This is my first visit to Keystone and I must say I really enjoyed it. Much of the mountain closes around 4pm, so I don't get to fully explore. But what I skied, I really enjoyed. This is also my first Western Spring skiing trip. Last year we went about three weeks earlier and enjoyed 3' of snow in just 4 days. This is a totally different, but very pleasant experience!

The best part of the day was the perfect bluebird conditions - the alpenglow and subsequent sunset were truly epic. After a few hours, I decided to call it and head down-valley to my hotel. An added bonus? The Dillon Dam Brewery is right next door. Great beers and an equally solid menu. 

A dam good day. Tomorrow, I think I'll head West to an old favorite to Beaver Creek.