I was a snow maker at copper. You both aren’t wrong at least in terms of early season snow. We were making snow for the U.S. ski team… they wanted ice. Don’t get me wrong, not all slopes were meant to be ice. But let’s just say it seemed like Copper had older snow guns. Now it was a while ago so they may have updated their snow making and I’m definitely not an expert snowmaker. I’ve had good snow on Copper’s natural snow slopes tho, but I’ve only gone to copper on good snow days.
IIRC, we might have actually cut that from the script for brevity. But that was a critical omission, and we apologize. And yes, we are just two jerries livin' life, but neither of us engage in the park scene.
I did my 1st trip out west last weekend. It is crazy with the 2 passes and many options that Winter Park causes I70 traffic and the traffic after the exit is much better .
I lived next to granby ranch this winter and would take my split board up in the morning to get powdery first tracks. Honestly, a sleeper hill! Would go there on the weekends too instead of winter park to avoid lines
Great video. As a family vacationer with skiers in a few different skill categories but mostly green\blue we've found copper and winter park to be great but admittedly are able to ski at non peak times to avoid most of the lines you discuss. B.C. is awesome for families I'm glad most people seem to not go there because the lack of lines is great. Best greens ever
Your videos have been very helpful for me to better understand the terrain offerings and evolution of our resorts here in CO. I used to frequent Copper in my early years; great place for groomers (and the park is dope). Now that I’m more experienced (looking for trees and steeps), I try to avoid it all together - primarily due to the crowds and limited tree runs. Your vid on Wolf Creek was my guide for visiting this season. I totally understand the lamentation regarding Charity Jane and ‘the expanse’. Could they not have used those resources to get us better access to Horseshoe Bowl area? Thanks for the great content all around. Concise and well edited!
When I ski’d 20-30 times a season, general rule was this. Go just after it had snowed and get there for first chair. Ski your way away from the main areas and go hard for 3-4 hours before the crowds make there way back there and then enjoy a beer or two and a well earned meal. Vail was great for that because you could get to the back bowls or blue sky basin and there was almost nobody there and those were epic powder days after a good dumping. EDIT: Silverton was my favorite experience. We had 9 guys and a snow cat and ski’d (some boarded) the backcountry areas with no others in sight. Partial correction is there was another cat of inexperienced skiers that were skiing the cat tracks while we all skied the knee deep powder. Two days and about 24 of the best runs of my life.
Until Berthoud Pass gets an avy or a wreck and it shuts down, which happens at least once or twice a season. In that case, I'd take a 6 hour drive home from Eisenhower Tunnel versus being stuck in Winter Park.
Love your channel! Copper has been my favorite mountain this year but it doesn’t seem like you’ve had the best experiences there. To me it seems less crowded that Winter Park usually but maybe I just know the mountain better and can better avoid the crowds
I've had great experiences at Copper but the past few seasons, at least to me, it truly has seemed to be going downhill. And also, I am partially trying to keep it where it's at, and not let it go any further 😉
What would your recommendation be for novice skiers - bunny slope to easy greens. My wife is still doing the bunny slope, my daughter and I can do several greens off Base 9 (Frontier and Silverthorne/Kings Way) or the two main runs off Rips Ride at Base 8. However, I had to walk down sections of Zig Zag at Loveland. Springmiere (green part) was too challenging. Schoolmarm at Keystone is on the edge of my ability but I can get down in survival mode but I'm dead tired by the end. Endeavor is pretty easy and fun but very short. Scout is slightly harder but not too bad, but also short. Basically, I can do easy greens.
Beaver Creek's Red Buffalo and McCoy Park zones. I made a video about it a while back, so if you want a full breakdown of the best green zones in Colorado, you can find that video here: ua-cam.com/video/WumtjMywM9o/v-deo.html
@@SRGSkiing Red Buffalo is a really nice area for moderately skilled beginners. Snow is always better than the rest of the mountain and the lift lines tend to be very light. McCoy can be boring for a true beginner as BC doesn't do a ton of grooming there and a lower level beginner is usually relegated to one,,, maybe two trails. However, McCoy is a fabulous place for the lower intermediate to begin learning how to POWder ski.
How can you show videos of other Mountains when talking about a different one? Love the vid overall and appreciate the insight. But also would like some vid of each place you're talking about so I could get a glimpse of what it looks like
There were a couple that I haven't visited in a couple years. I didn't have a GoPro until a few years ago, and couldn't find (good) footage of them on the internet, or couldn't get rights to. I only did that for the smallest resorts, however, so you're not missing a ton.
I will say, having just been to copper, not mentioning the terrain park and Woodward options does it a bit of a disservice. The terrain parks are excellent for beginners looking to work their way up. The fact that they also have a fantastic resource in Woodward for instruction and progression on site is fairly relevant. Also, from what I experienced, even when lift lines were long elsewhere, the Woodward lift was always a short line, though you're right that it isn't very fast.
Ive been to wolf creek 3 times, once after a storm, and FOR ME, I would call the snow and the terrain mid, at best. I've had more genuine great times and runs that set my soul on fire at Loveland and Keystone than any other ski areas. It is possible to do 100k vertical feet in one day at Keystone, which I believe is the only place in the world where that is possible. Fuck Breckenridge. With my whole heart. That place is trash.
Coincidentally enough, I'm going to be at JHMR the last week of March to research that very Insider's Guide you're requesting. So unfortunately, I won't be able to help you
I ommitted the smallest ski areas, Hesperus, Howelsen, Chapman, Cranor, Lake City, Kendall, and Lee's, because there wouldn't have been much for me to say
John, you're at 4:14. Thank you to Kun_Skis and Colorado Plankers for providing footage!
I grew up skiing Alta but loved A-basin and Steamboat. Those are my go 2 in colorado.
Somewhere between Aspen Mountain and Beaver Creek they skipped backcountry, the place I enjoy skiing the most
I have always thought Copper's snow quality was poorer too but you're the first person who agrees! validating lol
I was a snow maker at copper. You both aren’t wrong at least in terms of early season snow. We were making snow for the U.S. ski team… they wanted ice. Don’t get me wrong, not all slopes were meant to be ice. But let’s just say it seemed like Copper had older snow guns. Now it was a while ago so they may have updated their snow making and I’m definitely not an expert snowmaker. I’ve had good snow on Copper’s natural snow slopes tho, but I’ve only gone to copper on good snow days.
Your Silverton blurb sent me 😂. 100% correct, ‘nuff said.
You forgot to mention literal world class parks and training facilities at copper. Jerry detected
IIRC, we might have actually cut that from the script for brevity. But that was a critical omission, and we apologize. And yes, we are just two jerries livin' life, but neither of us engage in the park scene.
I've never had a 30min lift line at Copper, must be lucky, Steamboat on the other hand is a different story.
You should consider doing Utah resorts!
I think these videos are going to hold up for kind of a long time. Also, I can’t wait for him to get to the north half of the US Rockies!
Excellent video man! Great takes and awesome job at putting it all together!
I did my 1st trip out west last weekend. It is crazy with the 2 passes and many options that Winter Park causes I70 traffic and the traffic after the exit is much better .
Sunday traffic going down the pass is the bane of my existence. Why I take the train.
I lived next to granby ranch this winter and would take my split board up in the morning to get powdery first tracks. Honestly, a sleeper hill! Would go there on the weekends too instead of winter park to avoid lines
We're going to try and hit it at some point this season, but nothing's quite set in stone... yet.
Great video. As a family vacationer with skiers in a few different skill categories but mostly green\blue we've found copper and winter park to be great but admittedly are able to ski at non peak times to avoid most of the lines you discuss. B.C. is awesome for families I'm glad most people seem to not go there because the lack of lines is great. Best greens ever
A rather strange overview of Copper. Are you aware of its bowls?
Yeah, I'm aware of Copper's bowls. But I don't want just everybody to be 😉
Great overall takes on the resorts. I'm glad you included the smaller resorts too.
Love to see you do this for Utah :-)
Utah's a long way off, but it'll for sure be made someday
Your videos have been very helpful for me to better understand the terrain offerings and evolution of our resorts here in CO. I used to frequent Copper in my early years; great place for groomers (and the park is dope). Now that I’m more experienced (looking for trees and steeps), I try to avoid it all together - primarily due to the crowds and limited tree runs. Your vid on Wolf Creek was my guide for visiting this season. I totally understand the lamentation regarding Charity Jane and ‘the expanse’. Could they not have used those resources to get us better access to Horseshoe Bowl area? Thanks for the great content all around. Concise and well edited!
When I ski’d 20-30 times a season, general rule was this. Go just after it had snowed and get there for first chair. Ski your way away from the main areas and go hard for 3-4 hours before the crowds make there way back there and then enjoy a beer or two and a well earned meal. Vail was great for that because you could get to the back bowls or blue sky basin and there was almost nobody there and those were epic powder days after a good dumping.
EDIT: Silverton was my favorite experience. We had 9 guys and a snow cat and ski’d (some boarded) the backcountry areas with no others in sight. Partial correction is there was another cat of inexperienced skiers that were skiing the cat tracks while we all skied the knee deep powder. Two days and about 24 of the best runs of my life.
22:33 - The only reason why I go to Winter Park
Until Berthoud Pass gets an avy or a wreck and it shuts down, which happens at least once or twice a season. In that case, I'd take a 6 hour drive home from Eisenhower Tunnel versus being stuck in Winter Park.
Love your channel! Copper has been my favorite mountain this year but it doesn’t seem like you’ve had the best experiences there. To me it seems less crowded that Winter Park usually but maybe I just know the mountain better and can better avoid the crowds
I've had great experiences at Copper but the past few seasons, at least to me, it truly has seemed to be going downhill. And also, I am partially trying to keep it where it's at, and not let it go any further 😉
What would your recommendation be for novice skiers - bunny slope to easy greens. My wife is still doing the bunny slope, my daughter and I can do several greens off Base 9 (Frontier and Silverthorne/Kings Way) or the two main runs off Rips Ride at Base 8. However, I had to walk down sections of Zig Zag at Loveland. Springmiere (green part) was too challenging. Schoolmarm at Keystone is on the edge of my ability but I can get down in survival mode but I'm dead tired by the end. Endeavor is pretty easy and fun but very short. Scout is slightly harder but not too bad, but also short. Basically, I can do easy greens.
Beaver Creek's Red Buffalo and McCoy Park zones. I made a video about it a while back, so if you want a full breakdown of the best green zones in Colorado, you can find that video here: ua-cam.com/video/WumtjMywM9o/v-deo.html
@@SRGSkiing Thanks, I heard Beaver Creek was good for beginners but after Loveland, I've been hesitant to do anything beyond Breck.
Beaver Creek is miles better than Breck imo. You'll have way more space because BC's greens aren't nearly as crowded
@@SRGSkiing Red Buffalo is a really nice area for moderately skilled beginners. Snow is always better than the rest of the mountain and the lift lines tend to be very light. McCoy can be boring for a true beginner as BC doesn't do a ton of grooming there and a lower level beginner is usually relegated to one,,, maybe two trails. However, McCoy is a fabulous place for the lower intermediate to begin learning how to POWder ski.
How can you show videos of other Mountains when talking about a different one? Love the vid overall and appreciate the insight. But also would like some vid of each place you're talking about so I could get a glimpse of what it looks like
There were a couple that I haven't visited in a couple years. I didn't have a GoPro until a few years ago, and couldn't find (good) footage of them on the internet, or couldn't get rights to. I only did that for the smallest resorts, however, so you're not missing a ton.
Really good information! Interesting to hear that Copper seems to have gone downhill. I've only heard positive reviews.
I will say, having just been to copper, not mentioning the terrain park and Woodward options does it a bit of a disservice. The terrain parks are excellent for beginners looking to work their way up. The fact that they also have a fantastic resource in Woodward for instruction and progression on site is fairly relevant. Also, from what I experienced, even when lift lines were long elsewhere, the Woodward lift was always a short line, though you're right that it isn't very fast.
Yeah, Copper wasn't my best bit. I should really start editing my scripts before I record 😂😂
Ive been to wolf creek 3 times, once after a storm, and FOR ME, I would call the snow and the terrain mid, at best. I've had more genuine great times and runs that set my soul on fire at Loveland and Keystone than any other ski areas. It is possible to do 100k vertical feet in one day at Keystone, which I believe is the only place in the world where that is possible.
Fuck Breckenridge. With my whole heart. That place is trash.
can you do a jackson hole very soon? im going at the end of march and i want to know what to hit
Coincidentally enough, I'm going to be at JHMR the last week of March to research that very Insider's Guide you're requesting. So unfortunately, I won't be able to help you
You forgot to mention the Ski Train to winter park: it's an option that completely avoids parking and I-70
I can't believe I forgot that 🤦. Wrote Panegyric and Nutshell at the same time, wrote about the train in panegyric, but I guess not in this one
What size atris do you ride?
I ride the 178.4s!
If the people who ski at Hesperus are any bit as sketchy as the lone chairlift, beware.
Ahh, the throwback to hater's guide to Colorado
13:00 🤣😂😂🤣😈🤬😡😤😈
Not sure I agree with your copper take. Typically never wait in lines that bad. And you didn’t even mention the bowls
Great video though not hating!
Yeah, I will admit the Copper bit wasn't my greatest. I need to spend more time revising my scripts 😂😂
@@SRGSkiing no worries man! Thanks so much for spending the time to make these videos
Copper sucks don’t come here😅. Also did you forget Colorado’s oldest ski area Howelsen Hill??
I ommitted the smallest ski areas, Hesperus, Howelsen, Chapman, Cranor, Lake City, Kendall, and Lee's, because there wouldn't have been much for me to say
@@SRGSkiing should have excluded echo then. still love the video keep it up!
I love your content but your videos make me dizzy.
We're working on producing better visuals--haven't done much footage work before these past couple months
@@SRGSkiing thanks keep making great content!