For anyone watching this from out of CO and planning on booking a trip, it's worth noting that pretty much any resort in CO is going to give you a great experience. I've had absolutely amazing days at Eldora, Loveland, and Powderhorn. Variety is the spice of life
Hell yes! I It's a hidden gem that most on the Western Slope won't target. Great place for a family. Glenwood Springs - I'd love to live there one day. @@tomanderson1942
I'd strongly recommend against skiing east of the continental divide if you are not living in Colorado, as it is lower precipitation and has some serious problems with downslope winds. If you have to pay for lodging, you might as well do it in the higher snowfall regions and go to an actual destination resort... Also, there are way too many engineers on the chairlifts at Eldora. If you live in Denver, it is different. When the wind at night smells like manure, you'll be like "Powder day tomorrow" and you'll have a good time.
I understand why Monarch is last, but something to note is it has incredibly short lift lines because it's small and less popular than other mountains. You get more ride time and less wait time. It's also one of the only, if no the last, independently-owned mountains. If you want to support a local business, go with Monarch. That's my two cents, thanks haha.
Seeing some of the insane crowds on other videos, you can't argue with short wait times for a lift. I just don't understand why some towns can't cut the lift prices by a measly $10 to at least slap the competition around a bit...
I love Monarch Mountain. On nice weekends it could get crowded, but typically it's not bad at all. There is plenty of terrain, lots of trees to find fresh runs. They have backcountry skiing. My favorite thing about Monarch is that it's not a tourist draw. There's not an overwhelming amount of vacationers there. Not a lot of families there either. They have kid runs but there's not many facilities. Like 10 years ago we would fill up the fuel at Citgo and get a buy 1 get one free coupon to Monarch Mountain. It was only 56 dollars a day back then. minus the coupon and we only paid 28 dollars a day. I never did the Cat skiing they offer but it looks great.
I've never been to Monarch but it is on my list of mountains to consider for my next trip. I have two young kids learning and because of school the only time we can go is during spring break so the fact that it is less crowded is very appealing to me. I doubt we will ever make it off a green slope with the beginners so I see no reason to spend a small fortune on a huge mountain just so we can use the same 3 runs over and over again.
Former 40-year Denver resident that grew up skiing almost all these mountains. Your evaluation and presentation was well done. Loveland is the cheapest, closest day trip mountain but on a windy day it can be miserable. A-Basin is no-frills, smaller resort style. There's lodging in Key Stone a few miles down the road. And it's only a slightly longer drive over Loveland pass. Honestly, I70 traffic, crowds and high lift tickets prices ruined the sport for me. I was spoiled in the glory days of decades past.
I grew up going to Summit County for my spring breaks in the late 80s + 90s. I remember lift tickets under $25 / day with 1/2 as much crowds and traffic. We knew a local doctor who had a condo in Dillon that we could rent for under $100 / night. Now, I look to ski in places like Serbia. I can pay for a flight to the EU, ski, and still spend less than Colorado.
Have you guys forgot the price of everything since the 80's has gone up, its this fun thing called inflation and corporate greed. But the epic pass is $850 I went 22 days last year which means I paid $38 per day. That's not expensive to ski some of the best resorts in the county.
@@skinnyllama420 Yea, but lift ticket prices are insane. A person who normally only puts ~5 days on the mountain per season is better off buying a season pass than a lift ticket; kinda defeats the whole purpose of a "season" pass.
@@Ryan_hey I really don't think they are insane, I grew up in south Florida and a season pass to Universals studios/Island of adventure is $1000. It just depends on what you like to do. As far as season passes go Epic pass is a steal if you can use it, same with theme parks and countless other activities.
@@pcproffy Rich people with their money ruined it for everyone else. I lived and worked near Winter Park and watched as they turned this former working persons' paradise to just another artificial real-estate investment opportunity for too many people with too much money.
I don't know what to say. Monarch and Wolf Creek are legendary, usually leading the state in snowfall, and skiing at Vail is like being stuck in a traffic jam with your skis on.
You referred to Copper as having trail difficulty increasing as you move from east to west, but I believe it’s actually the other way around. West Village is the beginner area and East Village is where most of the advanced and expert terrain/ bowl access is.
Thank goodness you left Ski Cooper, Powderhorn and Sunlight off your list. And all the disadvantages you list for Monarch are actually advantages. I remember paying $5.00 for a ticket at Ski Cooper and it was only open Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Any place where there are pickups in the parking lot is a great place to ski.
You picked an unlikely time as most of the time it is open. Also has a very good tubing hill. I have grown up on ski cooper and have loved it all along. Not much challenge until the bake of the mountain is open. Very good option for kids and budget skiers.
Originally just wanted to add in the name/mountain but hell just ended up adding more info and said why jsut not complete them So her it is: 0:00 Intro 0:52 19th Monarch in Colorado 2:08 18th Eldora in Colorado 3:14 17th Butter Milk (Aspen*) in Colorado (Ikon*) 4:22 16th Purgatory in Colorado 5:26 15th Loveland in Colorado (I 70) 6:54 14th Aspen Mountian (Aspen*town itself) in Colorado (Ikon) (Nickname somehow called Ajax) 8:07 13th Wolf Creek in Colorado 9:23 12th SteamBoat (Alterra*) in Colorado (Ikon*) 11:14 11th Crested Butte (Vail*) in Colorado (Epic*) 12:39 10th Keystone (Vail*) in Colorado (Epic*) 14:24 9th Breckenridge (Vail*) in Colorado (Epic*) 15:59 8th Winter Park (Alterra*)in Colorado (Ikon*) 17:09 7th Aspen highlands (Aspen*) in Colorado (Ikon*) 18:33 6th Copper in Colorado 19:41 5th Arapahoe Basin (Vail*) in Colorado (Ikon*) 21:13 4th Telluride (Vail**Partner) in Colorado (Epic**Limited access) 22:35 3rd Beaver Creek (Vail*) in Colorado (Epic*) 24:02 2nd SnowMass (Aspen*) in Colorado (Ikon*) 25:14 1st Vail (namestake) in Colorado (Epic*) 26:09 Conclusion
Vail and Beaver Creek are limited access if you get the more reasonably priced Epic Local Pass, which many locals get. There are different levels of the Epic pass, so shop for the right one for you.
I enjoyed skiing in Colorado so much that simply moved here so I could be closer to the action. Purchased skis and equipment and ready for my first season in Colorado as a resident.
@@rudimatt3432 Have you been to east Colorado? Looks empty to me. Besides, it’s too late, I’m already here. Already sold my house in Florida. Also, come visit and leave concept doesn't solve your I-70 parking lot. Thankfully, I'm in Colorado Springs so I'll be taking US 24 most of the time.
Hey I just moved here to for the same reason. -From Sarasota, FL -To Colorado Springs East Colorado is relatively flat terrain. I understand it's sparse population. Front Range is paradise to me.
@@Kevin-bg3wu Yeap. In addition to skiing, we discovered the outside world exists! It's funny what you discover when you live in a place in which you don't burst into flames the moment you step outside. Last weekend, we visited Summit County to look at the fall colors. We're loving it in COS so far.
Steamboat is great. Esp to me as an intermediate skier who only gets to go one week a year. I think I like Beaver the best. The Steamboat, Copper, Breck and keystone. Hope to visit Vail or Snowmass next year.
Steamboat is tops for me but I understand why it received a middling ranking. I go for trees but the lift set up is a pain. Haven’t been since the recent updates so maybe it’s better now.
1. Telluride 2. Crested Butte 3. Vail 4. Steamboat 5. Aspen Highlands 6. Wolf Creek 7. Ajax 8. Mary Jane 9. Beaver Creek 10. Keystone 11. Copper 12. Breck 13. Loveland 14. Eldora 15. A-Basin This is my top 15 list. Actually, each is awesome in some way and holds a special memory in one way or another. Several on the list could move up the ranks on any given day.
@@skiinggator fair point. A Basin for late-season fun, Eldora for versatility and proximity to Boulder. You could easily flip them on the list. Cheers!
Always had a soft spot for Buttermilk. I went to Aspen High School which is a 10 min walk away across a pedestrian bridge. School ended an hour early on Wednesdays (or you could sneak in a run or two right after full school days in the Spring when the lifts closed at 4pm instead of 3:30) and you could hop right over to Tiehack, the side of the mountain with fewer beginners. Parking on the Tiehack side is always free, too. It got the job done, but yeah, not a ton going on unless you're X Games mode. Of course Highlands is what the locals love. Very few crowds, great expert terrain on Steeplechase, Olympic Bowl and sprinkled throughout. The Bowl hike up and Ski down with knee deep powder is the single best experience you can get anywhere on the four mountains. It helps to have a direct chairlift behind the High School's parking lot for the ski team. Parking is very limited and sucks unless you live there (which helps keep away the crowds). Easily my favorite. Snowmass has the best terrain if you're sticking with one mountain. If you're gonna pay Aspen prices, might as well do it on the biggest mountain with the most terrain variety. Just goes on for days and days. Cirque is beautiful but windy as hell. Also objectively the best for visitors looking for that traditional resort experience because Snowmass Village is so built up expressly for that purpose, condos and all. But it's also for that reason why I never really skied it that much on my own accord. That surrounding community feels the most fake as a result, but gotta give credit where it's due. Aspen is a classic but for some reason it feels dusty in my mind. Not sure why, probably because it's the oldest and the way Copper always gets super icy just irks me. The skiing overall is still great though, but you'll definitely get more of those high-end clients like with Snowmass, for better or worse. The new Hero's terrain expansion gives it some much needed excitement. And you can't beat it being the beating heart of downtown. My personal ranking for the four is Highlands > Snowmass > Aspen > Buttermilk
i completely agree. I was in aspen yesterday and 6 days before and have been skiing there since a kid. I always will have a soft spot for buttermilk and west buttermilk, the place i learned to ski. As we got better, we started going to highlands, and ajax. I love highlands so much with everything it has. I skied the highlands bowl this trip and have done so much on that mountain that i love. Only been to snowmass once, i am dying to go back. Ajax is an iconic and incredible mountain imo. Spar gulch and copper are kinda shitty ways to feed down the mountain i agree, but the upper part of it is incredibly fun and cool. All 4 together makes up the absolute best skiing of anywhere. Has everything. Literally.🎉
It's Steamboat for me. This is the one most likely to have the best snow with shorter lift lines. The recent addition of the new gondola and Mahogany Ridge ski area is great. The town is fun and the altitude is better for me, I don't sleep well at higher altitudes.
out of the bigger resorts, Steamboat is my least favorite. Both for the mountain itself and the town. For towns, Breckenridge, Crested Butte, Telluride, and Vail are far superior and I'd tie with Aspen because it is the priciest. For Just skiing, A-Basin is GOATED
6 years ago I would agree with this. Now its always super crowded, and the runs are a lot more narrow than most CO mountains. It's a traffic jam all over the mountain, even on a mid season Wednesday. The moguls have gotten very weird too. Very hard to link turns with any sort of rhythm. Not a lot of great lines unless you're dropping Christmas Tree.
Thanks for a great video. As a visitor to Nth America I've skied Whistler/BC, JH and Telluride. Telluride is the most beautiful place of the three. I drove north from Albuquerque which is a scenic and cultural experience in itself so from a tourist perspective it has more to offer than just skis on snow.
You're serious? You think Telluride has better scenery than Whistler? Telluride is about as good as Colorado gets, but IMHO Whistler is on another level, maybe Whistler isn't as pretty in winter as it is in summer, but Whistler in summer blows away anything in Colorado.
For me living in the Front Range it's Loveland all the way. Fastest to get to, free parking close to the lifts, still affordable food and fuel for the day and also has a really nice affordable ski school. You just have to wait until Lift 9 opens if you want to enjoy the higher steeper terrain and you get the benefit of a free snowcat ride to reach even higher gates. I used to frequent Winter Park, love the terrain variety, but it has become too expensive and too crowded on weekends. A-Basin has great skiing, but parking can be a headache, and it is really congested at the base. Also, braving Loveland Pass after a snow storm is not for everyone (and sometimes it's closed). I loved Copper a lot in terms of skiing, but it has the same drawbacks as Winter Park (plus VIP lift lines, ugh) and sits on the other side of the tunnel in Summit County. If I had the money I'd book myself a hotel in Vail, beat the crowds in the morning and just ski there. Not going to happen, way too spendy. Sadly, prices keep going up and even skiing at Loveland is no longer a bargain, especially if you want to bring family. Even with the best deal 4-paks only available before November it is now $67.5/day just to access the mountain. If you go at least 10 times a season pass is the way to go and you don't have to stress out running out of tickets in the spring if a nice system dumps a bunch of white stuff in the high country at the end of April.
A-Basin seems to attract people who love skiing/snowboarding/winter sports and not all the other stuff. There's a friendly "purist" vibe there. Pair that with the difficult terrain that makes natural use of the mountain, and you have a good group of people who want "one more run". It's hard to explain, but everyone there wants a stoke and you can feel a sense of comradery like you're in a surf line up - talking to strangers about a line they just took, recommending another run that "you got to try". Lots of good mountain etiquette, waiting your turn on steep runs, while also hyping people if they crush the drop-in. And almost every person I met on the lifts we're lifetime A-Basin visitors who swear by the place and were usually intermediate skill-level. Which made the lift lines run fast. The Blue runs were definitely Blacks or even Doubles at a Breck or Copper resort, some of the Blues were laughably gnarly. Narrator is also right about the thin air at A-Basin. You find yourself breathing heavy when you end your runs and by the end of day you are physically exhausted. But if you like a good workout and love winter sports, A-Basin is a great place to spend a day and come back every year.
I haven’t skied A-Basin in many years but it was always my favorite. At the end of the day, after skiing twice as many runs as what was possible at other resorts, we could ski right up to our car in the parking lot. Nice!
I live in Durango where Purg is, and I gotta say, it's such a great local mountain for the small town, but I highly agree it is such a pain getting over to the backside sometimes if you don't know how, especially in powder.
Just got back from a week long trip to Colorado and I have to say Keystone should definitely be higher on the list now after the opening of their new Bergman Express lift that brings you to the top of Keystone peak! Amazing bowl access above the tree line that gives you an amazing and fun green trail called Ten Mile, challenging blues with moguls and even a black if youre willing to traverse through the trees down!
Wolf Creek is awesome! Great beginner groomers and a good chunk of more technical terrain for people more advanced. Powder through the trees is always a treat and you can beat any line by taking the intermediate/advanced only lift. Only skied taos new mexico, wolf creek and sunvalley bald mountain but wolf creek is by far my favorite out of them. The drive to the mountain is a pain in the ass though for sure. The powder makes up for any flaws. I didnt realize how rare a good powder day was because every day of every trip was a powder day I honestly just thought that was skiing.
Literally had the best snow day ever at wolf. It was dumping fresh snow and I was practically the only person on the mountain. Surfin pow by my self all day. It was well worth the drive
Sunlight definitely deserves a nod. As someone who has skied all these resorts is a great comprehensive list that’s only offense is snubbing Snowmass for Vail. Love what you guys do!
I’m an upcoming sophomore at CU and cannot talk enough good things about eldora. It’s has everything, 25 minute drive from boulder, trees, expert terrain, a good park and even a bunny hill for beginners. It’s small but it’s everything you need. I love it. Haven’t been to telluride I have a feeling I will love it but after that copper is definetly best mountain I’ve skied on in colorado. Snow is great
I think it would be great to have a video for beginner targeted skiers - or those wanting to learn to ski and natural progression. Keystone probably has one of the better bunny/learning hills - but the jump from that to any legit green runs at Keystone is huge, not just because of length (although that is part of it) but also difficulty. Schoolmarm would be a blue run at many other resorts, like many on the east coast. However, once you have mastered parallel skiing, Keystone is a great resort. You can't wedge your way down Keystone unless you're 10 years old. However, for learning, I think Loveland Valley is probably the best place to go - Valley is a dedicated beginners area and it is significantly less expensive than the rest of the resort and a fraction of other resorts in the area. It even has a few blue runs for those ready for it. I will say that any of the Vail resorts are probably good for learning if you get group lessons since you can get a cheap lift ticket for the same day as your lesson. The other trick that I have noticed is that Keystone and Breck don't scan on the magic carpet or platter lifts - so if you never advance beyond the learning hill, you can effectively "ski" for free. So far, on the Epic/Vail resorts, Breck peak 9 base is probably the best overall learning and progression area - but I haven't been to all the resorts yet. My only issue with Breck is the bunny hill really isn't - it's actually too flat and short - but they have a learning hill that is actually really nice (platter lift).
Loveland Valley is, by far, the best beginner area in CO. Ski Granby is second. Keystone is good, but not on a weekend, especially not a mid-season weekend. Beginner trips are best planned for early season or midweek.
@@asajayunknown6290 Interesting - I haven't been to Granby. Keystone is fine for just the bunny/learning hill - and I actually prefer it over Breck's learning hill because I hate platter lifts. But, I still think Breck is better for beginners overall since it is a natural progression from bunny to learning hill to first green slopes on peak 9 base (QuickSilver lift). But, I love the concept of isolated beginner/green slopes like at Loveland and Copper.
Breckenridge has also been doing some major improvements to their beginner areas on Peak 8, replacing Lift 7 with a high speed quad last year and Lift 5 with one this year.
@@TheLewistownTrainspotter8102 I'll check it out this season since my family got the Summit Value Pass. But, I still like the runs at base of peak 9 better - long, wide, gentle runs. Greens off 8 are a step up.
I will say steamboats upgrades definitely have improved on the shortcomings. The new expert terrain is amazing and the new gondola helps out with lift lines.
Grew up in CO and just have to add that a lot depends on your skiing ability. A-Basin for expert, Keystone for beginner-intermediate for example. Enjoy!
I absolutely love monarch, I like your list but I think monarch should’ve gotten more recognition for snowfall and snow quality. Gets close to the most snow in Colorado every year!
For those if us who love moguls, Winter Park/ Mary Jane is the mecca for bumps. The North face of Crested Butte is the most extreme. Copper is great because its segregated with the western side being the green runs and eastern side being black runs. That being said, Snowmass and Ajax are my favorites.
@@The.Harsh.Truths It depends on whether you want to emphasize the Ski or the Vacation part of "Ski Vacation". Epic pass is for if you are okay with a very premium experience. It has places like Vail, Telluride, Beaver Creek, and Crested Butte, all very nice resort towns (with high prices to match). Ikon is for people who are more interested in the Ski part of Ski vacation, with less nice, but still great places like Copper Mountain, Winter Park, Steamboat, and _all four Aspen areas_ . Ikon generally have less premium resorts, but better mountains.
@@The.Harsh.Truths Either are good. Vail has a lot of open bowl skiing but has a lot of catwalks and flat areas that you have to travers, its huge and that's pretty much why it is rated so high all the time. I got the Epic pass over the last 3 years because it is so cheap for military. But have had the Ikon in prior years and love the areas it serves. I would rate the passes similar with the edge towards the Ikon pass, but it really depends on where you live and how much off time you have to drive to the areas that they cover.
Great list, though I rank Aspen/Ajax and Aspen/Highlands higher personally. Though they are smaller, they have what I'm looking for and more importantly, lack what I'm not looking for. Having zero beginner (green circle) terrain means that lift lines flow smoothly, and people don't just flop off the end of the lift in the snow causing repeated safety shutdowns by the lifties. It's worth the cost of admission.
This is so bad as it relates to Steamboat. Snow is the same as virtually every resort and below A-Basin?? Steamboat and Wolf Creek are the top and it's a big step down from there. Steamboat gets a 5 on navagation?? There are 5 lifts that go to essentially the top of the mountain and you can pretty much go anywhere you want from there. Now there is a 10 person gondola that takes you from the base to the top. Same with crowd flow. One lift to the top can take you anywhere you want to go. At Vail, you can get stuck at a lift with an enormous line. Steamboat almost always gives you alternatives. Look at your own freaking video of Steamboat's snow conditions and compare that to everyone else.
Except in the spring it can be hit or miss, because of the low altitude a sunny day can cause a lot of melt which then freezes overnight and the next day is icy. However, January and February, you can't go wrong.
Been to 9 of the 20. Not bad for an easterner. ;-) I like the Summit County area. You can easily get to Keystone, A-Basin, Breckinridge, and Copper. Plus you're not too far from Vail.
I'd have to disagree with Vail being at #1. Although I've had days there that were great, I've also had days where I literally spent more time in lift lines than I did skiing, mainly because it's close enough for Denver residents to spend a day and jam everything up. I agree that the terrain is expansive and offers a lot, but if you're not with someone that knows the mountain well then you'll likely end up in those more crowded areas. I probably would have put Snowmass at #1 instead as it offers terrain for all levels, marginally cheaper day passes, and crowds are generally much less.
All I can say is HOLY MACKEREL; lift tickets are beyond ridiculous. I glad my skiing days were back in the 70’s and 80’s. If memories serves me, I could buy a lift ticket in advance back in Denver for $18 at Breckinridge. I believe Vail was $25. I don’t know exactly why but my favorite destinations were Copper and Breck.
and do the math .... just how much money did you earn per hour in the 1970's - i was working full time 40 hours per week - my take home pay was $49:02 per week after taxes ! in the late 1980's in the carpenters union I was paid $20 dollars per hour . when I retired in 2018 - I was paid $45 dollars per hour ....
I have watched many of your resort videos and I feel that you do a really good job describing all of the strengths and weaknesses of the resorts you evaluate. Having lived in Colorado for many years, while growing up on the East coast, where I now live, I have had tons of days at pretty much all of these resorts. Some as a day skier and some as a vacation visitor. With your video targeted at vacation skiers and not the local skier driving to the mountain for a day or weekend, I feel that some of your order should be adjusted. First, comparing resorts like Eldora, Monarch, Wolf Creek, Loveland, A-Basin and Buttermilk to the rest doesn't make sense. These are day resorts, with no lodging. I have had epic ski days at each of these places, and A-Basin is one of the most iconic ski areas (not resort) in the country and one of my favorite places to ski. However, no one is taking a week-long trip to Colorado to just ski A-Basin. The same goes for Buttermilk or the other resorts I mentioned above. Pre-Epic and Ikon, I would have combined A-Basin with Keystone, but now A-Basin is Ikon so I guess it sits on its own. If I had an Ikon Pass (which I do), I would stay in Frisco/Silverthorne and ski Copper and A-Basin. That would be an awesome trip. As for the Aspen resorts, Snowmass can stand on its own, and I would say that there are many visitors to Snowmass that never go into Aspen for Skiing or nightlife, but the Aspen bus system (RFTA) is awesome, so staying anywhere in the Aspen area gives you relatively easy access to the town and all 4 resorts. They really should be combined. Vail and Beaver Creek are kind of similar in that way, but in my experience, there are lots of people who travel to each of these resorts and never ski the other. They have different vibes so separating them makes sense. You could combine Keystone and Breck as well, but like Vail/Beaver Creek, Keystone and Breck have different vibes and make sense to be viewed as separate resorts. It is the Aspen resorts, at least Ajax, Buttermilk and Highlands that exist together and should not be rated separately when evaluating destination resorts. Next, although Breck and Copper are at incredibly high base elevations, most of the resorts in the state suffer from those issues, and I wouldn't ding them for that, although it is good to note. I would note Steamboat as the one resort that sits at a slightly lower elevation, which could be beneficial to out of staters. And to place Steamboat behind Keystone, Crested Butte, A-Basin and Aspen Highlands doesn't make any sense. It is much bigger than any of them and has incredible variety. A-Basin and CB have great expert terrain, but they are not well-rounded resorts like Steamboat. The town of Steamboat and snow quality are superb and once out of the base, there are so many different areas of the mountain to ski, you can pretty much always find lifts that are not busy. Lots of people love Winter Park, but I feel it is mediocre. I would never take a weeklong trip there. As a day resort it is pretty good, but it can be difficult to get around and it's village is lame. Town (Winter Park and Fraser) are decent but don't compare to Steamboat, Breck, Telluride or Aspen. Lift ticket prices are ridiculous. Period. If you are skiing any of the major resorts in this country without one of the pass options, you are a fool. The way the lift tickets and passes are priced, the resorts are driving customers to the passes (on purpose). The passes have become a must for those resorts and so I don't think price of lift tickets should be considered, just maybe noted. More focus should be on which pass products these resorts are included on and at what level. These passes are so necessary now and reward more usage they have created much busier resorts. I have found that the resorts (East and West) that have unlimited access on these Epic and Ikon passes are generally (but not always) more crowded than the resorts with limited access. Thank you again for your time and effort putting together these videos. It is something I thought about doing myself years ago, but didn't have the energy or follow through to make it happen. I have skied at over 70 ski areas/resorts across North America and in Europe and I love to talk about skiing. I hope you continue to travel and share your opinions. Graham
Abasin is a top tier resort. It’s worth a trip for any advanced or expert skier. It’s a true skiers mountain. Pali lift line to start the day is a classic.
Winter Park does have an unusual layout, but it’s the most compact and that makes it quite easy to get around. Skiing there I feel like there are few flat areas, unlike some places (looking at you Vail), making even most of the runs just getting from one place to another great too.
A massive benefit of Beaver Creek is it’s too far for the Denverites to drive up. If anyone decides to drive all the way here, they just go to Vail. Haven’t waited in a 2 min+ lift line here in two years. Literally unbeatable. Most of the skiers are beginner tourists as well, so all of the side country gates go completely untouched. Park is smaller, but has a great crew and a SOLID medium jump line. Used to love Winter Park, but it’s absolutely slammed every weekend since all the Denver folks go Ikon now. Not worried this is gonna drive more people to the Beav, it’s simply too far.
Beaver Creek is my favorite. I'd pick it over Breck, Keystone Copper and Vail. Less crows, smaller low-key feel and awesome terrain for me. Who's an intermediate skier
Knowing resorts over and around of three continents, The best I ever skied is Aspen Snowmass set. Elevation, aspects of slopes, terrain for every one, infrastructure on mountains, free bus service around Pitkin county, ASE airport, highway 82, what else…? All in one great package.
As a local, even though vail has the biggest "footprint" it is by far my favorite ski mtn. Overall, I think you do a good job describing the advantages/disadvantages of ski resorts, yet you do miss an important aspect, especially for locals; parking cost and parking distance to base of mtn. Beaver Creek terrain is fantastic and parking is free yet shuttled to the base. I hate the parking costs of vail and so it is rare I ski this resort, yet if the parking garage fills up and you come later you can park for free on the road but its a gamble. Mary Jane at Winter Park is great for parking since you can pull you vehicle up to the "catwalk" if early enough. Also A-basin, with all its great terrain, has free parking at the base of the mtn as does Loveland. Most resorts have free parking but most require shuttles or a good walk to access the bases. To make for a complete evaluation of resorts please include parking cost and accessibility as most locals and probably most visitor take this into account in finding a resort that accommodates their needs.
So true! Despite the terrain, I refuse to go to Vail because it costs at least $20 for the bad parking (Upwsrds of $60 to be right at the base) That’s why Mary Jane, Keystone, and A-bay are my favorites
Vail rated higher than Snowmass?! Y’all are crazy. It’s so RIDICULOUSLY busy it’s hardly worth the lift ticket price. My sister and I call Vail the world’s most expensive truck-stop. 😂😂
So true. Even in summer. It's not worth stopping at unless you're staying a week and someone else is fronting the bill. It's so fake too. Feels like Disneyland.
I think that it would be great if you made a video about the top 20 best east coast ressorts. I think that a lot of people would like to hear your opinion on it.
Love your videos including this one but would seriously LOVE if you replaced the basketball bounce between resorts in the future. It really sucks with headphones on.
Every time Ive visited Steamboat, its either an icy crowded mess or some of the best trees of my life. Its expensive, its always crowded, and its complicated to get around, but if you luck out with storms and crowds, it can be some of the best glades youll ever get.
In 1998 my 11 year old son's school class went to Paoli Peaks Indiana to ski a day. A few days later he asked me if we could drive to Colorado to go skiing over spring break. I told him that was an absolutely crazy idea, so crazy in fact, that we were gonna do it. We drove to A-Basin in my pathetic old Toyota pickup truck and camped out in the upper parking lot - it's National Forest land so technically legal, and no-one bothered us. Kid slept in the covered bed of the truck, I carved out a shelf in the snow at the edge of the parking lot (I have a -30F down sleeping bag). I remember telling time that night by the position of the Big Dipper, incredibly clear at 12,000 feet altitude. We were awakened by the sound of the Basin's 105mm artillery doing avalanche control around 7am. I took my 1970s era skis, and asked if the ski shop there could give them a tune up - they declined due to "liability reasons" and sold me some ski wax instead. We had a GREAT time, what my son lacked in experience he made up for in sheer youthful strength and endurance, blowing down A-Basin's blue runs all day long and having a great time. What a bonding experience for us!
well done, However I would take Snowmass over Vail. While not as large acreage, Snowmass offers equal terrain offerings without as many long catwalks. In addition crowds are virtually non existant in comparison. 24-25 season will offer a new base area lift which will eliminate the "base looping" issue
Loveland has always been my favorite small family owned (maybe not family owned anymore, dunno) resort. The above timber terain is the best especially on Lift 8. You have to have some skill to get over to 8 and to get back to the base is a black run so you need skills to get back. What a wonderful lift area, one big groomer and lots of in the trees fun to be had, little super steep drops everywhere. Naturally blown kickers. WINDY and cold so wear your best warmest gear. I love A-Basin (Arapaho Basin) for the mountain and the really super steep terain, it has the steepest terain in CO. Also it's not ajdacent to any national parks so they can remail opened until the snow melts due to the high altitude it used melt in July. But once you pull in to the parking lot you will hear nothing but Phish and The Grateful Dead for rest of the day. Hippy Hill. Also it's just around the corner from Loveland and at the same altitude so warmest gear is advised. Full moon back country fun can be had later in the season like feb or mar on full moon nights you can back counrty from the top of Loveland Pass wich connect the two resorts over a road that croses the Continental Divide around 12,000ft. Race from the top of the pass towards A-Basin in the dark with only the moon to light your way then hich a ride back up over and over all night.
When I went skiing with my granddad, we went to Vail, Keystone, Loveland, and Breckenridge, and enjoyed every bit of it! Recently with my friends, we went over the summer to Breckenridge, and I found many parts that we visited to be identical, minus some snow (cuz it was summer), but it was awesome :3
I would rank Winter Park much higher for its well balanced terrain that truly fits every level. Particular its abundant and long green runs that are hardly matched by other CO resorts. I know when coming to ski resort ranking, opinions are dominated by expert skiers who look down beginners and blue runners. However, in most ski resorts, you find people are crowded on green and blue runs. Expert terrain are usually deserted. An obvious place is Vail back bowls. Three blue runs are always dangerously crowded. You see much less people skiing ungroomed area. I once ventured into Outer Mongolia bowl, the most remote area of back bowls. I only met total of 5 other skiers in this vast bowl. Most of powder from the storm 2 days ago remains untouched. So quality and quantity of blue and green runs are as important as expert runs if not more important, for a ski resort.
So far Copper and A-Bay are my go to's with the ikon pass with Winter park being my backup. I've never ridden Telluride, but it's an amazing place to visit in the summer.
I really feel Steamboat should be higher. One of the best towns, amazing powder, and fantastic terrain. The only thing it really lacks is extreme steeps. The bus shuttles all over town are great too.
I have been to about 10 of these resorts but keep coming back to only Winter Park. Has gotten more crowded over past few years but mainly on weekends. Tons of Black, Blue, and Green runs but slight less Double Black runs. Copper would be my 2nd choice.
I was about to say Monarch being on the bottom is wild, but I live in central Colorado and didn't think about this from the perspective of coming out of state to ski. Still makes me sad to see it low but by that criteria makes sense lol
A good note, epic offers a "Keystone plus" pass which is the cheapest (that I could find) ski pass in CO. Unlimited keystone access, 5 days at crested butte, and spring access to Breck. ($369 when I bought it)
Was privileged to live in Summit County a dozen years and was rather nostalgic to see this video. Copper Mountain was my favorite due to the terrain roughly divided up by skill level. When it was mentioned about the altitude of Breckenridge had to laugh. While skiing above the treeline my California friend he asked me "why are pigeons up here so high?". Took me a second to figure it out, they were Ptarmigans in the low bushes. The nearest snow to me now is Volcan de Colima in Mexico in the winter which can be a bit rocky 😅
@@bigtimeadventures3115 It’s very dependent on time of day and year as well, there’s a few that are always easy to access but sometimes having to take 3 crowded lifts only to walk for 20 minutes to get the only powder on the mountain is a bit annoying
@@notagod7804 Yea both times I was there recently were 12+ inch powder days, so that’s probably why we have different experiences. I also probably went to the ones that aren’t hard to get to bc I board, so it makes sense
I skied Breck and Vail last February and I'd probably reverse their positions. We didn't get a powder day for either, but Vail was much more badly skied out of-piste from the weekend crowds and the handful of groomed trails at Vail were far more packed despite skiing on a Monday than any of the groomers we skiied the previouis day at Breck.
Ajax is too low!! Top to bottom tram runs allow you to get so much elevation descent in a day compared to places like Wolf Creek, Steamboat, and Crested Butte. And Beaver Creek is way too high! It does not compare to so many others on this list.
I definitely wouldn't rank Vail as #1, and I'm a Vail local. Telluride is easily my favorite mountain, and I take multiple 4.5 hour trips to ski there each winter, versus a quick 8-10 minute free bus ride when I ski Vail.
Loveland is a local destination. You only really see us locals skiing it because it's so close to Denver. Also many seasoned locals will drive up loveland pass to go into back country skiing and boarding. it's free but it's also extremely dangerous due to avalanche risk. but it is fun if you know the mountain well
I enjoy the peakRanking video very much, but more as observer than a skier these days. I lived in Colorado for a couple of years in the 70s, and then made annual trips for quite a while, but got pretty fed up with the scene when prices skyrocketed, and it became an activity for rich people. Granted, we had rickety lifts, t-bars, j-bars, and what we call poma lifts and not the high speed chairs. It was more of an adventure back then (no Eisenhower tunnel so Loveland pass was always exciting). The huge crowds were also something we didn't contend with. Even at Vail and Aspen I can hardly remember standing in any line. I would have enjoyed seeing your thoughts on a small area I took my family to a number of years ago that was surprisingly good. Sunlight has a 2,000 ft vertical, and some pretty decent intermediate and expert runs. I'm sure the lifts are still old and slow, but my son and I got over 15 top to bottom runs in each day, and were enjoying the long chair rides to catch our breath. There was one lodge at the base, and the whole town of Glenwood Springs close by. Worth a look!
When was the Aspen Highlands footage recorded? Also, is there a good chance of a decent amount of expert terrain being open across all 4 Aspen resorts in Early January?
Highlands footage is from early Feb 2021! It’s likely at least some expert terrain will be open, but depending on the season, the options could be slim.
Id definitely put Keystone below Butte and Steamboat personally. Steamboat gets a ton of snow, 4k vert, some of the best tree skiing in the state and the quality of the snow is amazing; oh, its also MASSIVE. Crowds really dont happen prior to feb. and a lot of Denver people only buy the 5 day pass with holiday blackouts making holidays actually not that crowded. I also really enjoy WP but really, the expert terrain is limited to MJ most of the times as Eagle and Pano are typically closed for days at a time. I also just hate I70 traffic so living in FoCo, Steamboat is VERY easy to reach comparatively. I LOVE Copper mountain. I think pound for pound it has the best terrain for everyone. VAIL I LOVE LOVE LOVE Vail village but feel like the expert terrain is lacking outside of BSB but that has its drawbacks too and feel like it's a bit high on the list. I guess Id say Snowmass is probably #1 from a top to bottom experience.
@samr8827 I've noticed that too. It still feels like a long way for them. But they usually only get the base pass which is why I was surprised the video reviewer said holidays. I should keep my mouth shut though and just say, "steamboat is the worst, don't go ;)" should be an interesting season with all the new stuff opening up.
I will be surprised if the gondola is open by new years, hiked the mountain last week and they still didn't have all the electrical up. Guess they still have 2 months and a half before open though. Also fingers crossed they figured Christie out @@Sean-xc9im
Vail has some absolutely incredible expert terrain but they don’t do a great job of advertising it and a lot of the time it’s part of a blue or black run so you just have to know where to find it
I’m surprised you dinged Breckenridge so much for Navigation. There are a limited number of ways to move between peaks 8 and 9, but everything else is pretty straightforward. By comparison, I think Vail is way more difficult to get around. The Blue Sky Basin area is probably the best thing I’ve ever skied, but it feels like it takes all morning to get there.
Loveland 4 pack of lift tickets purchased in Oct / Nov = approx $67 / lift ticket. Keystone, Vail, Breck, etc purchased in season = $250 + / lift ticket.
Also, Vail #1 it's almsot like your being paid by Epic, jk but I think you need to venture out a little more Here is my list from 5 - 1 5. Wolf Creek 4. Aspen Highlands 3. Arapaho Basin 2. Telluride 1. Crested Butte
Monarch last? It is very chill and has some difficult runs. Great Parks. Fast lines. Deep Snow. Only downside is not many long runs. I choose to go to Monarch over Breckenridge or other busy party location any day.
Looking to book next December after Christmas 2025. I have been to Angelfire and Red River NM. I have a 12-yr old son that is fairly decent at skiing and can do Green and Blues if they are not really steep. I am a blue and some blacks. I am looking for a good Colorado resort but seems like everyone has mixed reviews of this list. I will be coming up from TX and will be there for 6 days ski 3 or 4. Looking for a place with a good town vibe if I want to take a day off and go look around at shops and things. Also looking for a place that has houses to stay around the area. Don't want to drive far after a full day of skiing. I have been looking at Winter Park, Steamboat, Keystone, CB but any local info will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Why omit Sunlight, Ski Cooper, and Howelsen Hill? I know they're all small, but they also still qualify as ski areas in Colorado. If your list can be 19 it can just as easily be 22. Also, there's no chance that Keystoned and Breckenwind belong that high on the list. Perhaps if it was a video on poor layout and endless lift lines I'd get it.
You missed a few, the smaller ones like Sunlight, Powderhorn, Cooper, but overall pretty good. Any ranking is going to have some bias but I give you credit for mentioning the lack of beginner terrain at some of these places. Ultimately, your favorite is going to be determined by the terrain you favor and who you ski with. It was nice to see Copper get some kudos. The skiing there is great but it always, always, gets dinged for the apres, or lack thereof. Partially, that's Copper's management's fault, cuz they refuse to accept that it's primarily a day skiers' mountain. Those parking lots aren't full because of all the destination vacationers, duh.
unlocked some memories with this comment lmao, i went to sunlight a lot as a beginner but stopped going once i began doing blacks in favor of more challenging resorts. it was a great resort to start out on. lots of nice beginner terrain, and close to glenwood springs too!
My freshman year of college was at CMU in Grand Junction. I miss having powderhorn 35min away. Such a good mountain with some insane glades and rock drops.
For anyone watching this from out of CO and planning on booking a trip, it's worth noting that pretty much any resort in CO is going to give you a great experience. I've had absolutely amazing days at Eldora, Loveland, and Powderhorn. Variety is the spice of life
Agree, even with the old lifts, Sunlight is one of my favorite places to ski. Not even on the list!
Hell yes! I It's a hidden gem that most on the Western Slope won't target. Great place for a family. Glenwood Springs - I'd love to live there one day. @@tomanderson1942
Powderhorn sucks
eldora is pretty good if its snowed recently
I'd strongly recommend against skiing east of the continental divide if you are not living in Colorado, as it is lower precipitation and has some serious problems with downslope winds. If you have to pay for lodging, you might as well do it in the higher snowfall regions and go to an actual destination resort... Also, there are way too many engineers on the chairlifts at Eldora.
If you live in Denver, it is different. When the wind at night smells like manure, you'll be like "Powder day tomorrow" and you'll have a good time.
I understand why Monarch is last, but something to note is it has incredibly short lift lines because it's small and less popular than other mountains. You get more ride time and less wait time. It's also one of the only, if no the last, independently-owned mountains. If you want to support a local business, go with Monarch. That's my two cents, thanks haha.
Seeing some of the insane crowds on other videos, you can't argue with short wait times for a lift. I just don't understand why some towns can't cut the lift prices by a measly $10 to at least slap the competition around a bit...
Good choice by family friends from western New York that live in Salida
I love Monarch Mountain. On nice weekends it could get crowded, but typically it's not bad at all. There is plenty of terrain, lots of trees to find fresh runs. They have backcountry skiing. My favorite thing about Monarch is that it's not a tourist draw. There's not an overwhelming amount of vacationers there. Not a lot of families there either. They have kid runs but there's not many facilities. Like 10 years ago we would fill up the fuel at Citgo and get a buy 1 get one free coupon to Monarch Mountain. It was only 56 dollars a day back then. minus the coupon and we only paid 28 dollars a day. I never did the Cat skiing they offer but it looks great.
I learned to ski and board at monarch as a young lad. It’s a good place to start
I've never been to Monarch but it is on my list of mountains to consider for my next trip. I have two young kids learning and because of school the only time we can go is during spring break so the fact that it is less crowded is very appealing to me. I doubt we will ever make it off a green slope with the beginners so I see no reason to spend a small fortune on a huge mountain just so we can use the same 3 runs over and over again.
Former 40-year Denver resident that grew up skiing almost all these mountains. Your evaluation and presentation was well done. Loveland is the cheapest, closest day trip mountain but on a windy day it can be miserable. A-Basin is no-frills, smaller resort style. There's lodging in Key Stone a few miles down the road. And it's only a slightly longer drive over Loveland pass. Honestly, I70 traffic, crowds and high lift tickets prices ruined the sport for me. I was spoiled in the glory days of decades past.
I grew up going to Summit County for my spring breaks in the late 80s + 90s. I remember lift tickets under $25 / day with 1/2 as much crowds and traffic. We knew a local doctor who had a condo in Dillon that we could rent for under $100 / night. Now, I look to ski in places like Serbia. I can pay for a flight to the EU, ski, and still spend less than Colorado.
Have you guys forgot the price of everything since the 80's has gone up, its this fun thing called inflation and corporate greed. But the epic pass is $850 I went 22 days last year which means I paid $38 per day. That's not expensive to ski some of the best resorts in the county.
@@skinnyllama420 Yea, but lift ticket prices are insane. A person who normally only puts ~5 days on the mountain per season is better off buying a season pass than a lift ticket; kinda defeats the whole purpose of a "season" pass.
@@Ryan_hey I really don't think they are insane, I grew up in south Florida and a season pass to Universals studios/Island of adventure is $1000. It just depends on what you like to do. As far as season passes go Epic pass is a steal if you can use it, same with theme parks and countless other activities.
@@pcproffy Rich people with their money ruined it for everyone else. I lived and worked near Winter Park and watched as they turned this former working persons' paradise to just another artificial real-estate investment opportunity for too many people with too much money.
0:00 Intro
0:52 Monarch
2:08 Eldora
3:14 Buttermilk
4:22 Purgatory
5:26 Loveland
6:54 Aspen Mountain
8:07 Wolf Creek
9:23 Steamboat
11:14 Crested Butte
12:39 Keystone
14:24 Breckenridge
15:59 Winter Park
17:09 Aspen Highlands
18:33 Copper
19:41 Arapahoe Basin
21:13 Telluride
22:35 Beaver Creek
24:02 Snowmass
25:14 Vail
26:09 Conclusion
[26:16 for breakdown]
I don't know what to say. Monarch and Wolf Creek are legendary, usually leading the state in snowfall, and skiing at Vail is like being stuck in a traffic jam with your skis on.
@@larrym2434 fr. I was so confused why they put monarch at the bottom of the list
Very helpful
youre the best
Thank you❤
You referred to Copper as having trail difficulty increasing as you move from east to west, but I believe it’s actually the other way around.
West Village is the beginner area and East Village is where most of the advanced and expert terrain/ bowl access is.
That is correct
Thank goodness you left Ski Cooper, Powderhorn and Sunlight off your list. And all the disadvantages you list for Monarch are actually advantages. I remember paying $5.00 for a ticket at Ski Cooper and it was only open Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Any place where there are pickups in the parking lot is a great place to ski.
You picked an unlikely time as most of the time it is open. Also has a very good tubing hill. I have grown up on ski cooper and have loved it all along. Not much challenge until the bake of the mountain is open. Very good option for kids and budget skiers.
The first rule about Wolf Creek, you don't talk about Wolf Creek.
It kinda doesn’t really exist lol😂
Wolf Creek is amazing, don’t come
Wolf Creek is spicy, you wouldn't like it.
Wolf creek is often buried under snow so don’t come
Too bad it’s mostly flat
Originally just wanted to add in the name/mountain but hell just ended up adding more info and said why jsut not complete them
So her it is:
0:00 Intro
0:52 19th Monarch in Colorado
2:08 18th Eldora in Colorado
3:14 17th Butter Milk (Aspen*) in Colorado (Ikon*)
4:22 16th Purgatory in Colorado
5:26 15th Loveland in Colorado (I 70)
6:54 14th Aspen Mountian (Aspen*town itself) in Colorado (Ikon) (Nickname somehow called Ajax)
8:07 13th Wolf Creek in Colorado
9:23 12th SteamBoat (Alterra*) in Colorado (Ikon*)
11:14 11th Crested Butte (Vail*) in Colorado (Epic*)
12:39 10th Keystone (Vail*) in Colorado (Epic*)
14:24 9th Breckenridge (Vail*) in Colorado (Epic*)
15:59 8th Winter Park (Alterra*)in Colorado (Ikon*)
17:09 7th Aspen highlands (Aspen*) in Colorado (Ikon*)
18:33 6th Copper in Colorado
19:41 5th Arapahoe Basin (Vail*) in Colorado (Ikon*)
21:13 4th Telluride (Vail**Partner) in Colorado (Epic**Limited access)
22:35 3rd Beaver Creek (Vail*) in Colorado (Epic*)
24:02 2nd SnowMass (Aspen*) in Colorado (Ikon*)
25:14 1st Vail (namestake) in Colorado (Epic*)
26:09 Conclusion
Vail and Beaver Creek are limited access if you get the more reasonably priced Epic Local Pass, which many locals get. There are different levels of the Epic pass, so shop for the right one for you.
the reference is the normal pass. Hate to refer it to the full pass. Only complaint is only 7 days of whistler blackcomb@@deanschulze3129
I enjoyed skiing in Colorado so much that simply moved here so I could be closer to the action. Purchased skis and equipment and ready for my first season in Colorado as a resident.
Love that
@@rudimatt3432 Have you been to east Colorado? Looks empty to me. Besides, it’s too late, I’m already here. Already sold my house in Florida. Also, come visit and leave concept doesn't solve your I-70 parking lot. Thankfully, I'm in Colorado Springs so I'll be taking US 24 most of the time.
That’s what my family did! Some of the best times of my life. I skied pretty much the weekends and in two years I had about 60 days of skiing.
Hey I just moved here to for the same reason.
-From Sarasota, FL
-To Colorado Springs
East Colorado is relatively flat terrain. I understand it's sparse population. Front Range is paradise to me.
@@Kevin-bg3wu Yeap. In addition to skiing, we discovered the outside world exists! It's funny what you discover when you live in a place in which you don't burst into flames the moment you step outside. Last weekend, we visited Summit County to look at the fall colors. We're loving it in COS so far.
Steamboat ranks in top three for me despite village stairs, malls in ski boots. Vail no comparison. Wolf Creek, Highlands, Telluride my favs.
Steamboat is great. Esp to me as an intermediate skier who only gets to go one week a year. I think I like Beaver the best. The Steamboat, Copper, Breck and keystone. Hope to visit Vail or Snowmass next year.
Yeah same me and my family go there almost every year
Steamboat is tops for me but I understand why it received a middling ranking. I go for trees but the lift set up is a pain. Haven’t been since the recent updates so maybe it’s better now.
@@reddottx Much better now. If you get over to pony express/mahogany ridge area early you get untracked runs until like 12
1. Telluride
2. Crested Butte
3. Vail
4. Steamboat
5. Aspen Highlands
6. Wolf Creek
7. Ajax
8. Mary Jane
9. Beaver Creek
10. Keystone
11. Copper
12. Breck
13. Loveland
14. Eldora
15. A-Basin
This is my top 15 list. Actually, each is awesome in some way and holds a special memory in one way or another. Several on the list could move up the ranks on any given day.
Eldora over A-basin?! No way.
@@skiinggator fair point. A Basin for late-season fun, Eldora for versatility and proximity to Boulder. You could easily flip them on the list. Cheers!
We should be friends because your top 2 are perfect. Only change would be move Aspen Highlands higher
A Basin is way up on that list
You've got the Copper difficulty direction backwards: they get harder as you go from West to East.
Always had a soft spot for Buttermilk. I went to Aspen High School which is a 10 min walk away across a pedestrian bridge. School ended an hour early on Wednesdays (or you could sneak in a run or two right after full school days in the Spring when the lifts closed at 4pm instead of 3:30) and you could hop right over to Tiehack, the side of the mountain with fewer beginners. Parking on the Tiehack side is always free, too. It got the job done, but yeah, not a ton going on unless you're X Games mode.
Of course Highlands is what the locals love. Very few crowds, great expert terrain on Steeplechase, Olympic Bowl and sprinkled throughout. The Bowl hike up and Ski down with knee deep powder is the single best experience you can get anywhere on the four mountains. It helps to have a direct chairlift behind the High School's parking lot for the ski team. Parking is very limited and sucks unless you live there (which helps keep away the crowds). Easily my favorite.
Snowmass has the best terrain if you're sticking with one mountain. If you're gonna pay Aspen prices, might as well do it on the biggest mountain with the most terrain variety. Just goes on for days and days. Cirque is beautiful but windy as hell. Also objectively the best for visitors looking for that traditional resort experience because Snowmass Village is so built up expressly for that purpose, condos and all. But it's also for that reason why I never really skied it that much on my own accord. That surrounding community feels the most fake as a result, but gotta give credit where it's due.
Aspen is a classic but for some reason it feels dusty in my mind. Not sure why, probably because it's the oldest and the way Copper always gets super icy just irks me. The skiing overall is still great though, but you'll definitely get more of those high-end clients like with Snowmass, for better or worse. The new Hero's terrain expansion gives it some much needed excitement. And you can't beat it being the beating heart of downtown.
My personal ranking for the four is Highlands > Snowmass > Aspen > Buttermilk
i completely agree. I was in aspen yesterday and 6 days before and have been skiing there since a kid. I always will have a soft spot for buttermilk and west buttermilk, the place i learned to ski. As we got better, we started going to highlands, and ajax. I love highlands so much with everything it has. I skied the highlands bowl this trip and have done so much on that mountain that i love. Only been to snowmass once, i am dying to go back. Ajax is an iconic and incredible mountain imo. Spar gulch and copper are kinda shitty ways to feed down the mountain i agree, but the upper part of it is incredibly fun and cool. All 4 together makes up the absolute best skiing of anywhere. Has everything. Literally.🎉
It's Steamboat for me. This is the one most likely to have the best snow with shorter lift lines. The recent addition of the new gondola and Mahogany Ridge ski area is great. The town is fun and the altitude is better for me, I don't sleep well at higher altitudes.
out of the bigger resorts, Steamboat is my least favorite. Both for the mountain itself and the town. For towns, Breckenridge, Crested Butte, Telluride, and Vail are far superior and I'd tie with Aspen because it is the priciest. For Just skiing, A-Basin is GOATED
6 years ago I would agree with this. Now its always super crowded, and the runs are a lot more narrow than most CO mountains. It's a traffic jam all over the mountain, even on a mid season Wednesday. The moguls have gotten very weird too. Very hard to link turns with any sort of rhythm. Not a lot of great lines unless you're dropping Christmas Tree.
Thanks for a great video. As a visitor to Nth America I've skied Whistler/BC, JH and Telluride. Telluride is the most beautiful place of the three. I drove north from Albuquerque which is a scenic and cultural experience in itself so from a tourist perspective it has more to offer than just skis on snow.
You're serious? You think Telluride has better scenery than Whistler? Telluride is about as good as Colorado gets, but IMHO Whistler is on another level, maybe Whistler isn't as pretty in winter as it is in summer, but Whistler in summer blows away anything in Colorado.
@@mrvwbug4423 i agree telluride is my favorite in all of Colorado but really hard to beat whistler and Jackson hole 😂
For me living in the Front Range it's Loveland all the way. Fastest to get to, free parking close to the lifts, still affordable food and fuel for the day and also has a really nice affordable ski school. You just have to wait until Lift 9 opens if you want to enjoy the higher steeper terrain and you get the benefit of a free snowcat ride to reach even higher gates.
I used to frequent Winter Park, love the terrain variety, but it has become too expensive and too crowded on weekends. A-Basin has great skiing, but parking can be a headache, and it is really congested at the base. Also, braving Loveland Pass after a snow storm is not for everyone (and sometimes it's closed). I loved Copper a lot in terms of skiing, but it has the same drawbacks as Winter Park (plus VIP lift lines, ugh) and sits on the other side of the tunnel in Summit County.
If I had the money I'd book myself a hotel in Vail, beat the crowds in the morning and just ski there. Not going to happen, way too spendy.
Sadly, prices keep going up and even skiing at Loveland is no longer a bargain, especially if you want to bring family. Even with the best deal 4-paks only available before November it is now $67.5/day just to access the mountain. If you go at least 10 times a season pass is the way to go and you don't have to stress out running out of tickets in the spring if a nice system dumps a bunch of white stuff in the high country at the end of April.
I’m genuinely happy powderhorn didn’t even get mentioned
Love that place! Had season passes for 8 years it was all about the skiing.
A-Basin seems to attract people who love skiing/snowboarding/winter sports and not all the other stuff. There's a friendly "purist" vibe there. Pair that with the difficult terrain that makes natural use of the mountain, and you have a good group of people who want "one more run". It's hard to explain, but everyone there wants a stoke and you can feel a sense of comradery like you're in a surf line up - talking to strangers about a line they just took, recommending another run that "you got to try". Lots of good mountain etiquette, waiting your turn on steep runs, while also hyping people if they crush the drop-in. And almost every person I met on the lifts we're lifetime A-Basin visitors who swear by the place and were usually intermediate skill-level. Which made the lift lines run fast. The Blue runs were definitely Blacks or even Doubles at a Breck or Copper resort, some of the Blues were laughably gnarly. Narrator is also right about the thin air at A-Basin. You find yourself breathing heavy when you end your runs and by the end of day you are physically exhausted. But if you like a good workout and love winter sports, A-Basin is a great place to spend a day and come back every year.
I haven’t skied A-Basin in many years but it was always my favorite. At the end of the day, after skiing twice as many runs as what was possible at other resorts, we could ski right up to our car in the parking lot. Nice!
A Bay lifties are openly hostile and rude to out of towners. Great terrain and special place but some really insufferable attitudes
yeah- don't see why A-basin came out so highly rated.
Monarch is my main hill but I LOVE A-Basin. I feel that same purist vibe at monarch and prefer those places over anyother.
If you like high wind, rocks and poor coverage AB is your place. hehe
You left Cooper in Leadville out. It's the best beginner mountain you can find, and it's got snowcat skiing.
I live in Durango where Purg is, and I gotta say, it's such a great local mountain for the small town, but I highly agree it is such a pain getting over to the backside sometimes if you don't know how, especially in powder.
Just got back from a week long trip to Colorado and I have to say Keystone should definitely be higher on the list now after the opening of their new Bergman Express lift that brings you to the top of Keystone peak! Amazing bowl access above the tree line that gives you an amazing and fun green trail called Ten Mile, challenging blues with moguls and even a black if youre willing to traverse through the trees down!
Wolf Creek is awesome! Great beginner groomers and a good chunk of more technical terrain for people more advanced. Powder through the trees is always a treat and you can beat any line by taking the intermediate/advanced only lift. Only skied taos new mexico, wolf creek and sunvalley bald mountain but wolf creek is by far my favorite out of them. The drive to the mountain is a pain in the ass though for sure. The powder makes up for any flaws. I didnt realize how rare a good powder day was because every day of every trip was a powder day I honestly just thought that was skiing.
No seriously, I've only been to about half of these but wolf creek is #1 or #2 in my eyes (I love a basin)
Literally had the best snow day ever at wolf. It was dumping fresh snow and I was practically the only person on the mountain. Surfin pow by my self all day. It was well worth the drive
Sunlight definitely deserves a nod. As someone who has skied all these resorts is a great comprehensive list that’s only offense is snubbing Snowmass for Vail. Love what you guys do!
Yes, Sunlight. Steepest lift served trail in Colorado. The tree skiing is excellent. And very reasonably priced.
And Silverton
Shhhhhhhhh.......
Ummmm, no. Sunlight Mountain is awful. Don’t go there. It’s the worst. Long lines, terrible weather and views. Just don’t go. Thanks.
I’m an upcoming sophomore at CU and cannot talk enough good things about eldora. It’s has everything, 25 minute drive from boulder, trees, expert terrain, a good park and even a bunny hill for beginners. It’s small but it’s everything you need. I love it. Haven’t been to telluride I have a feeling I will love it but after that copper is definetly best mountain I’ve skied on in colorado. Snow is great
I think it would be great to have a video for beginner targeted skiers - or those wanting to learn to ski and natural progression. Keystone probably has one of the better bunny/learning hills - but the jump from that to any legit green runs at Keystone is huge, not just because of length (although that is part of it) but also difficulty. Schoolmarm would be a blue run at many other resorts, like many on the east coast. However, once you have mastered parallel skiing, Keystone is a great resort. You can't wedge your way down Keystone unless you're 10 years old.
However, for learning, I think Loveland Valley is probably the best place to go - Valley is a dedicated beginners area and it is significantly less expensive than the rest of the resort and a fraction of other resorts in the area. It even has a few blue runs for those ready for it.
I will say that any of the Vail resorts are probably good for learning if you get group lessons since you can get a cheap lift ticket for the same day as your lesson. The other trick that I have noticed is that Keystone and Breck don't scan on the magic carpet or platter lifts - so if you never advance beyond the learning hill, you can effectively "ski" for free.
So far, on the Epic/Vail resorts, Breck peak 9 base is probably the best overall learning and progression area - but I haven't been to all the resorts yet. My only issue with Breck is the bunny hill really isn't - it's actually too flat and short - but they have a learning hill that is actually really nice (platter lift).
Great idea! We’ll start some more specialized “ranked” series after we finish the major regions.
Loveland Valley is, by far, the best beginner area in CO. Ski Granby is second. Keystone is good, but not on a weekend, especially not a mid-season weekend. Beginner trips are best planned for early season or midweek.
@@asajayunknown6290 Interesting - I haven't been to Granby. Keystone is fine for just the bunny/learning hill - and I actually prefer it over Breck's learning hill because I hate platter lifts. But, I still think Breck is better for beginners overall since it is a natural progression from bunny to learning hill to first green slopes on peak 9 base (QuickSilver lift). But, I love the concept of isolated beginner/green slopes like at Loveland and Copper.
Breckenridge has also been doing some major improvements to their beginner areas on Peak 8, replacing Lift 7 with a high speed quad last year and Lift 5 with one this year.
@@TheLewistownTrainspotter8102 I'll check it out this season since my family got the Summit Value Pass. But, I still like the runs at base of peak 9 better - long, wide, gentle runs. Greens off 8 are a step up.
15k subs! Deserved growth for the channel, great videos as usual.
I will say steamboats upgrades definitely have improved on the shortcomings. The new expert terrain is amazing and the new gondola helps out with lift lines.
It was Ikon last year with Snowmass as the high point for sure. This year is going to be Epic. I'm looking forward to Vail!
the pops between chapters is killing me man
shots fired
Grew up in CO and just have to add that a lot depends on your skiing ability. A-Basin for expert, Keystone for beginner-intermediate for example. Enjoy!
I absolutely love monarch, I like your list but I think monarch should’ve gotten more recognition for snowfall and snow quality. Gets close to the most snow in Colorado every year!
Shush!!! NO! Monarch is terrible!! Don't come here. It sucks!
I love Monarch too and I don't live anywhere near Colorado
So informative! Nice editing.
Love the reviews so helpful
For those if us who love moguls, Winter Park/ Mary Jane is the mecca for bumps. The North face of Crested Butte is the most extreme. Copper is great because its segregated with the western side being the green runs and eastern side being black runs. That being said, Snowmass and Ajax are my favorites.
I've always preferred locals' mountains, like Sunlight and Echo. It's true skiing at its finest.
Why don't you just type the names right into the description? :)
#19 Monarch
#18 Eldora
#17 Buttermilk
#16 Purgatory
#15 Loveland
#14 Aspen Mountain
#13 Wolf Creek
#12 Steamboat
#11 Crested Butte
#10 Keystone
#09 Breckenridge
#08 Winter Park
#07 Aspen Highlands
#06 Copper
#05 Aparahoe Basin
#04 Telluride
#03 Beaver Creek
#02 Snowmass
#01 Vail
When you see Vail on top of the list, you know this video wouldn't be too helpful.
What’s wrong with Vail? Who should be at the top of the list?
You must work at snowmass or something
@@LukePaciocco I’m literally asking. Never even been to Vail. Deciding whether to get Ikon or Epic pass next winter.
@@The.Harsh.Truths It depends on whether you want to emphasize the Ski or the Vacation part of "Ski Vacation". Epic pass is for if you are okay with a very premium experience. It has places like Vail, Telluride, Beaver Creek, and Crested Butte, all very nice resort towns (with high prices to match). Ikon is for people who are more interested in the Ski part of Ski vacation, with less nice, but still great places like Copper Mountain, Winter Park, Steamboat, and _all four Aspen areas_ . Ikon generally have less premium resorts, but better mountains.
@@The.Harsh.Truths Either are good. Vail has a lot of open bowl skiing but has a lot of catwalks and flat areas that you have to travers, its huge and that's pretty much why it is rated so high all the time. I got the Epic pass over the last 3 years because it is so cheap for military. But have had the Ikon in prior years and love the areas it serves. I would rate the passes similar with the edge towards the Ikon pass, but it really depends on where you live and how much off time you have to drive to the areas that they cover.
Great list, though I rank Aspen/Ajax and Aspen/Highlands higher personally. Though they are smaller, they have what I'm looking for and more importantly, lack what I'm not looking for. Having zero beginner (green circle) terrain means that lift lines flow smoothly, and people don't just flop off the end of the lift in the snow causing repeated safety shutdowns by the lifties. It's worth the cost of admission.
This is so bad as it relates to Steamboat. Snow is the same as virtually every resort and below A-Basin?? Steamboat and Wolf Creek are the top and it's a big step down from there. Steamboat gets a 5 on navagation?? There are 5 lifts that go to essentially the top of the mountain and you can pretty much go anywhere you want from there. Now there is a 10 person gondola that takes you from the base to the top. Same with crowd flow. One lift to the top can take you anywhere you want to go. At Vail, you can get stuck at a lift with an enormous line. Steamboat almost always gives you alternatives. Look at your own freaking video of Steamboat's snow conditions and compare that to everyone else.
If you want the best snow at a big resort, year after year after year, Steamboat is the best option.
Except in the spring it can be hit or miss, because of the low altitude a sunny day can cause a lot of melt which then freezes overnight and the next day is icy. However, January and February, you can't go wrong.
Been to 9 of the 20. Not bad for an easterner. ;-) I like the Summit County area. You can easily get to Keystone, A-Basin, Breckinridge, and Copper. Plus you're not too far from Vail.
You have to check out Beaver Creek. Just past vail and it's awesome. Less crowds, incredible terrain and great facilities. One of my favorites.
I'd have to disagree with Vail being at #1. Although I've had days there that were great, I've also had days where I literally spent more time in lift lines than I did skiing, mainly because it's close enough for Denver residents to spend a day and jam everything up. I agree that the terrain is expansive and offers a lot, but if you're not with someone that knows the mountain well then you'll likely end up in those more crowded areas. I probably would have put Snowmass at #1 instead as it offers terrain for all levels, marginally cheaper day passes, and crowds are generally much less.
I agree. I used to be the PR Director for Snowmass Tourism and it was my go to mountain.
Awesome! Went to Vail the last 3 years. I had no idea we happened to pick the “#1” spot. It is definitely amazing
All I can say is HOLY MACKEREL; lift tickets are beyond ridiculous. I glad my skiing days were back in the 70’s and 80’s. If memories serves me, I could buy a lift ticket in advance back in Denver for $18 at Breckinridge. I believe Vail was $25. I don’t know exactly why but my favorite destinations were Copper and Breck.
and do the math .... just how much money did you earn per hour in the 1970's - i was working full time 40 hours per week - my take home pay was $49:02 per week after taxes ! in the late 1980's in the carpenters union I was paid $20 dollars per hour . when I retired in 2018 - I was paid $45 dollars per hour ....
I have watched many of your resort videos and I feel that you do a really good job describing all of the strengths and weaknesses of the resorts you evaluate. Having lived in Colorado for many years, while growing up on the East coast, where I now live, I have had tons of days at pretty much all of these resorts. Some as a day skier and some as a vacation visitor. With your video targeted at vacation skiers and not the local skier driving to the mountain for a day or weekend, I feel that some of your order should be adjusted.
First, comparing resorts like Eldora, Monarch, Wolf Creek, Loveland, A-Basin and Buttermilk to the rest doesn't make sense. These are day resorts, with no lodging. I have had epic ski days at each of these places, and A-Basin is one of the most iconic ski areas (not resort) in the country and one of my favorite places to ski. However, no one is taking a week-long trip to Colorado to just ski A-Basin. The same goes for Buttermilk or the other resorts I mentioned above. Pre-Epic and Ikon, I would have combined A-Basin with Keystone, but now A-Basin is Ikon so I guess it sits on its own. If I had an Ikon Pass (which I do), I would stay in Frisco/Silverthorne and ski Copper and A-Basin. That would be an awesome trip.
As for the Aspen resorts, Snowmass can stand on its own, and I would say that there are many visitors to Snowmass that never go into Aspen for Skiing or nightlife, but the Aspen bus system (RFTA) is awesome, so staying anywhere in the Aspen area gives you relatively easy access to the town and all 4 resorts. They really should be combined. Vail and Beaver Creek are kind of similar in that way, but in my experience, there are lots of people who travel to each of these resorts and never ski the other. They have different vibes so separating them makes sense. You could combine Keystone and Breck as well, but like Vail/Beaver Creek, Keystone and Breck have different vibes and make sense to be viewed as separate resorts. It is the Aspen resorts, at least Ajax, Buttermilk and Highlands that exist together and should not be rated separately when evaluating destination resorts.
Next, although Breck and Copper are at incredibly high base elevations, most of the resorts in the state suffer from those issues, and I wouldn't ding them for that, although it is good to note. I would note Steamboat as the one resort that sits at a slightly lower elevation, which could be beneficial to out of staters. And to place Steamboat behind Keystone, Crested Butte, A-Basin and Aspen Highlands doesn't make any sense. It is much bigger than any of them and has incredible variety. A-Basin and CB have great expert terrain, but they are not well-rounded resorts like Steamboat. The town of Steamboat and snow quality are superb and once out of the base, there are so many different areas of the mountain to ski, you can pretty much always find lifts that are not busy.
Lots of people love Winter Park, but I feel it is mediocre. I would never take a weeklong trip there. As a day resort it is pretty good, but it can be difficult to get around and it's village is lame. Town (Winter Park and Fraser) are decent but don't compare to Steamboat, Breck, Telluride or Aspen.
Lift ticket prices are ridiculous. Period. If you are skiing any of the major resorts in this country without one of the pass options, you are a fool. The way the lift tickets and passes are priced, the resorts are driving customers to the passes (on purpose). The passes have become a must for those resorts and so I don't think price of lift tickets should be considered, just maybe noted. More focus should be on which pass products these resorts are included on and at what level. These passes are so necessary now and reward more usage they have created much busier resorts. I have found that the resorts (East and West) that have unlimited access on these Epic and Ikon passes are generally (but not always) more crowded than the resorts with limited access.
Thank you again for your time and effort putting together these videos. It is something I thought about doing myself years ago, but didn't have the energy or follow through to make it happen. I have skied at over 70 ski areas/resorts across North America and in Europe and I love to talk about skiing. I hope you continue to travel and share your opinions.
Graham
Thanks for the detailed feedback Graham!
Abasin is a top tier resort. It’s worth a trip for any advanced or expert skier. It’s a true skiers mountain. Pali lift line to start the day is a classic.
Great comment
Winter Park does have an unusual layout, but it’s the most compact and that makes it quite easy to get around.
Skiing there I feel like there are few flat areas, unlike some places (looking at you Vail), making even most of the runs just getting from one place to another great too.
I took a week long trip just to ski A Basin 😅
A massive benefit of Beaver Creek is it’s too far for the Denverites to drive up. If anyone decides to drive all the way here, they just go to Vail. Haven’t waited in a 2 min+ lift line here in two years. Literally unbeatable. Most of the skiers are beginner tourists as well, so all of the side country gates go completely untouched. Park is smaller, but has a great crew and a SOLID medium jump line. Used to love Winter Park, but it’s absolutely slammed every weekend since all the Denver folks go Ikon now. Not worried this is gonna drive more people to the Beav, it’s simply too far.
Shhh, send the front rangers to vail.....
@@davelavigne2133 - they already go to Vail.
Beaver Creek is my favorite. I'd pick it over Breck, Keystone Copper and Vail. Less crows, smaller low-key feel and awesome terrain for me. Who's an intermediate skier
Knowing resorts over and around of three continents, The best I ever skied is Aspen Snowmass set. Elevation, aspects of slopes, terrain for every one, infrastructure on mountains, free bus service around Pitkin county, ASE airport, highway 82, what else…? All in one great package.
As a local, even though vail has the biggest "footprint" it is by far my favorite ski mtn. Overall, I think you do a good job describing the advantages/disadvantages of ski resorts, yet you do miss an important aspect, especially for locals; parking cost and parking distance to base of mtn. Beaver Creek terrain is fantastic and parking is free yet shuttled to the base. I hate the parking costs of vail and so it is rare I ski this resort, yet if the parking garage fills up and you come later you can park for free on the road but its a gamble. Mary Jane at Winter Park is great for parking since you can pull you vehicle up to the "catwalk" if early enough. Also A-basin, with all its great terrain, has free parking at the base of the mtn as does Loveland. Most resorts have free parking but most require shuttles or a good walk to access the bases. To make for a complete evaluation of resorts please include parking cost and accessibility as most locals and probably most visitor take this into account in finding a resort that accommodates their needs.
Where is free parking at Beaver Creek? Bear/Elk parking lots cost $10.
@@benskistreesthere’s free parking at Arrowhead.
So true! Despite the terrain, I refuse to go to Vail because it costs at least $20 for the bad parking (Upwsrds of $60 to be right at the base) That’s why Mary Jane, Keystone, and A-bay are my favorites
Vail rated higher than Snowmass?! Y’all are crazy. It’s so RIDICULOUSLY busy it’s hardly worth the lift ticket price. My sister and I call Vail the world’s most expensive truck-stop. 😂😂
So true
That’s why you get an epic pass 😂
So true. Even in summer. It's not worth stopping at unless you're staying a week and someone else is fronting the bill. It's so fake too. Feels like Disneyland.
I think that it would be great if you made a video about the top 20 best east coast ressorts. I think that a lot of people would like to hear your opinion on it.
Vermont ranked is coming later this year!
Love your videos including this one but would seriously LOVE if you replaced the basketball bounce between resorts in the future. It really sucks with headphones on.
This definitely helped me pick a resort to go to! 👍
You just NAILED this review IMHO! 👌👍
Every time Ive visited Steamboat, its either an icy crowded mess or some of the best trees of my life. Its expensive, its always crowded, and its complicated to get around, but if you luck out with storms and crowds, it can be some of the best glades youll ever get.
In 1998 my 11 year old son's school class went to Paoli Peaks Indiana to ski a day. A few days later he asked me if we could drive to Colorado to go skiing over spring break. I told him that was an absolutely crazy idea, so crazy in fact, that we were gonna do it. We drove to A-Basin in my pathetic old Toyota pickup truck and camped out in the upper parking lot - it's National Forest land so technically legal, and no-one bothered us. Kid slept in the covered bed of the truck, I carved out a shelf in the snow at the edge of the parking lot (I have a -30F down sleeping bag). I remember telling time that night by the position of the Big Dipper, incredibly clear at 12,000 feet altitude. We were awakened by the sound of the Basin's 105mm artillery doing avalanche control around 7am. I took my 1970s era skis, and asked if the ski shop there could give them a tune up - they declined due to "liability reasons" and sold me some ski wax instead. We had a GREAT time, what my son lacked in experience he made up for in sheer youthful strength and endurance, blowing down A-Basin's blue runs all day long and having a great time. What a bonding experience for us!
Thats a bad ass story
well done, However I would take Snowmass over Vail. While not as large acreage, Snowmass offers equal terrain offerings without as many long catwalks. In addition crowds are virtually non existant in comparison. 24-25 season will offer a new base area lift which will eliminate the "base looping" issue
Plus you can hit all the other Aspen Mountains so the entriee area is quite huge actually
Snowmass is my favorite in the state! So big and so much to do. Ready for this szn!
Loveland has always been my favorite small family owned (maybe not family owned anymore, dunno) resort. The above timber terain is the best especially on Lift 8. You have to have some skill to get over to 8 and to get back to the base is a black run so you need skills to get back. What a wonderful lift area, one big groomer and lots of in the trees fun to be had, little super steep drops everywhere. Naturally blown kickers. WINDY and cold so wear your best warmest gear.
I love A-Basin (Arapaho Basin) for the mountain and the really super steep terain, it has the steepest terain in CO. Also it's not ajdacent to any national parks so they can remail opened until the snow melts due to the high altitude it used melt in July. But once you pull in to the parking lot you will hear nothing but Phish and The Grateful Dead for rest of the day. Hippy Hill. Also it's just around the corner from Loveland and at the same altitude so warmest gear is advised.
Full moon back country fun can be had later in the season like feb or mar on full moon nights you can back counrty from the top of Loveland Pass wich connect the two resorts over a road that croses the Continental Divide around 12,000ft. Race from the top of the pass towards A-Basin in the dark with only the moon to light your way then hich a ride back up over and over all night.
When I went skiing with my granddad, we went to Vail, Keystone, Loveland, and Breckenridge, and enjoyed every bit of it!
Recently with my friends, we went over the summer to Breckenridge, and I found many parts that we visited to be identical, minus some snow (cuz it was summer), but it was awesome :3
Steamboat is 12th, but definitely the most family friendly and has the best town.
Breck is the best town
0:52 19th Monarch
2:08 18th Eldora
3:14 17th Buttermilk
4:22 16th Purgatory
5:26 15th Loveland
6:54 14th Aspen Mountain (Ajax)
8:07 13th Wolf Creek
9:23 12th Steamboat
11:14 11th Crested Bute
12:39 10th Keystone
14:24 9th Breckenridge
15:59 8th Winter Park
17:09 7th Aspen Highlands
18:33 6th Copper Mountain
19:41 5th Arapaho Basin
21:13 4th Telluride
22:35 3rd Beaver Creek
24:02 2nd Snowmass
25:14 1st Vail
26:09 Conclusion
Beaver Creek never disappoints me! Such a great ski resort!
I would rank Winter Park much higher for its well balanced terrain that truly fits every level. Particular its abundant and long green runs that are hardly matched by other CO resorts. I know when coming to ski resort ranking, opinions are dominated by expert skiers who look down beginners and blue runners. However, in most ski resorts, you find people are crowded on green and blue runs. Expert terrain are usually deserted. An obvious place is Vail back bowls. Three blue runs are always dangerously crowded. You see much less people skiing ungroomed area. I once ventured into Outer Mongolia bowl, the most remote area of back bowls. I only met total of 5 other skiers in this vast bowl. Most of powder from the storm 2 days ago remains untouched. So quality and quantity of blue and green runs are as important as expert runs if not more important, for a ski resort.
So far Copper and A-Bay are my go to's with the ikon pass with Winter park being my backup. I've never ridden Telluride, but it's an amazing place to visit in the summer.
Monarch and Eldora are both amazing, you guys are crazy!
Breck, Keystone, Vail, Snowmass and Beaver Creek are definitely the best. You nailed it, well done.
I really feel Steamboat should be higher. One of the best towns, amazing powder, and fantastic terrain. The only thing it really lacks is extreme steeps. The bus shuttles all over town are great too.
I have been to about 10 of these resorts but keep coming back to only Winter Park. Has gotten more crowded over past few years but mainly on weekends. Tons of Black, Blue, and Green runs but slight less Double Black runs.
Copper would be my 2nd choice.
Copper is my favorite in Colorado
Mary Jane next door should take care of that.
Live in CO my whole life, i agree with your facts about monarch but it one of CO local favorite mountains
Oh this is nice! Can't believe I found this so early
Welcome 🤗
Love this page
Great vid once again!
I was about to say Monarch being on the bottom is wild, but I live in central Colorado and didn't think about this from the perspective of coming out of state to ski. Still makes me sad to see it low but by that criteria makes sense lol
So happy to see an un-named resort not on this list. Hopefully it stays chill forever.
A good note, epic offers a "Keystone plus" pass which is the cheapest (that I could find) ski pass in CO. Unlimited keystone access, 5 days at crested butte, and spring access to Breck. ($369 when I bought it)
Was privileged to live in Summit County a dozen years and was rather nostalgic to see this video. Copper Mountain was my favorite due to the terrain roughly divided up by skill level. When it was mentioned about the altitude of Breckenridge had to laugh. While skiing above the treeline my California friend he asked me "why are pigeons up here so high?". Took me a second to figure it out, they were Ptarmigans in the low bushes. The nearest snow to me now is Volcan de Colima in Mexico in the winter which can be a bit rocky 😅
Steamboats expert terrain being hard to reach is a blessing tbh. Those trails hold some of my favorite days ever
I don’t recall them being that hard to get to. I’ve only been to boat a few times, but I got to the Christmas Tree bowl with no issues.
@@bigtimeadventures3115 It’s very dependent on time of day and year as well, there’s a few that are always easy to access but sometimes having to take 3 crowded lifts only to walk for 20 minutes to get the only powder on the mountain is a bit annoying
@@notagod7804 Yea both times I was there recently were 12+ inch powder days, so that’s probably why we have different experiences. I also probably went to the ones that aren’t hard to get to bc I board, so it makes sense
Wow I can't wait to see where my favorite mountain Monarch ranks!!
* Literally the last resort*
of all the slopes, I think beaver creek takes the cake. It's awesome!!!!!
I skied Breck and Vail last February and I'd probably reverse their positions. We didn't get a powder day for either, but Vail was much more badly skied out of-piste from the weekend crowds and the handful of groomed trails at Vail were far more packed despite skiing on a Monday than any of the groomers we skiied the previouis day at Breck.
Ajax is too low!! Top to bottom tram runs allow you to get so much elevation descent in a day compared to places like Wolf Creek, Steamboat, and Crested Butte. And Beaver Creek is way too high! It does not compare to so many others on this list.
Shhh. Beaver Creek/Vail is the best and everyone should go enjoy their powder.
I definitely wouldn't rank Vail as #1, and I'm a Vail local. Telluride is easily my favorite mountain, and I take multiple 4.5 hour trips to ski there each winter, versus a quick 8-10 minute free bus ride when I ski Vail.
Loveland is a local destination. You only really see us locals skiing it because it's so close to Denver. Also many seasoned locals will drive up loveland pass to go into back country skiing and boarding. it's free but it's also extremely dangerous due to avalanche risk. but it is fun if you know the mountain well
My biggest question is which month is best to come to Colorado for the massive snow Fall I wanna see the snow coming down lol
I enjoy the peakRanking video very much, but more as observer than a skier these days. I lived in Colorado for a couple of years in the 70s, and then made annual trips for quite a while, but got pretty fed up with the scene when prices skyrocketed, and it became an activity for rich people. Granted, we had rickety lifts, t-bars, j-bars, and what we call poma lifts and not the high speed chairs. It was more of an adventure back then (no Eisenhower tunnel so Loveland pass was always exciting). The huge crowds were also something we didn't contend with. Even at Vail and Aspen I can hardly remember standing in any line. I would have enjoyed seeing your thoughts on a small area I took my family to a number of years ago that was surprisingly good. Sunlight has a 2,000 ft vertical, and some pretty decent intermediate and expert runs. I'm sure the lifts are still old and slow, but my son and I got over 15 top to bottom runs in each day, and were enjoying the long chair rides to catch our breath. There was one lodge at the base, and the whole town of Glenwood Springs close by. Worth a look!
As someone who lives in the Midwest, is a very average skier, and has in-laws that live in Buena Vista, Monarch is perfect
When was the Aspen Highlands footage recorded? Also, is there a good chance of a decent amount of expert terrain being open across all 4 Aspen resorts in Early January?
Highlands footage is from early Feb 2021! It’s likely at least some expert terrain will be open, but depending on the season, the options could be slim.
Id definitely put Keystone below Butte and Steamboat personally. Steamboat gets a ton of snow, 4k vert, some of the best tree skiing in the state and the quality of the snow is amazing; oh, its also MASSIVE. Crowds really dont happen prior to feb. and a lot of Denver people only buy the 5 day pass with holiday blackouts making holidays actually not that crowded. I also really enjoy WP but really, the expert terrain is limited to MJ most of the times as Eagle and Pano are typically closed for days at a time. I also just hate I70 traffic so living in FoCo, Steamboat is VERY easy to reach comparatively. I LOVE Copper mountain. I think pound for pound it has the best terrain for everyone. VAIL I LOVE LOVE LOVE Vail village but feel like the expert terrain is lacking outside of BSB but that has its drawbacks too and feel like it's a bit high on the list. I guess Id say Snowmass is probably #1 from a top to bottom experience.
SSSH. No people should go to Keystone, it's WAAAAY better ;).
Steamboat is already starting to get day trippers from Denver, not good.
@samr8827 I've noticed that too. It still feels like a long way for them. But they usually only get the base pass which is why I was surprised the video reviewer said holidays. I should keep my mouth shut though and just say, "steamboat is the worst, don't go ;)" should be an interesting season with all the new stuff opening up.
I will be surprised if the gondola is open by new years, hiked the mountain last week and they still didn't have all the electrical up. Guess they still have 2 months and a half before open though.
Also fingers crossed they figured Christie out @@Sean-xc9im
Vail has some absolutely incredible expert terrain but they don’t do a great job of advertising it and a lot of the time it’s part of a blue or black run so you just have to know where to find it
I’m surprised you dinged Breckenridge so much for Navigation. There are a limited number of ways to move between peaks 8 and 9, but everything else is pretty straightforward. By comparison, I think Vail is way more difficult to get around. The Blue Sky Basin area is probably the best thing I’ve ever skied, but it feels like it takes all morning to get there.
Vail only charges $299 for a lift ticket too!
How can you rank Winter Park/Mary Jane with its off-canter fall lines over Crested Butte?
Peak video! I took a trip this year to A Basin, Copper, and Loveland. Great to see them all on this list 👀
Peak comment!
That's the exact combination I did when I flew out four years ago. A Basin was closed the first day I arrived due to avalanche danger.
Starting the video, and bottom of the list, Monarch, my favorite place to go when I was stationed in the Springs. lol
Purgatory has world class blues. I get that it's a smaller mountain but for what you're paying for, I think it's the best vibe in Colorado.
Loveland 4 pack of lift tickets purchased in Oct / Nov = approx $67 / lift ticket. Keystone, Vail, Breck, etc purchased in season = $250 + / lift ticket.
Also, Vail #1 it's almsot like your being paid by Epic, jk but I think you need to venture out a little more Here is my list from 5 - 1 5. Wolf Creek 4. Aspen Highlands 3. Arapaho Basin 2. Telluride 1. Crested Butte
Monarch last? It is very chill and has some difficult runs. Great Parks. Fast lines. Deep Snow. Only downside is not many long runs. I choose to go to Monarch over Breckenridge or other busy party location any day.
I just have to say from experience, even though its low on the list, Eldora is amazing and very fun even much so if you live by it.
Looking to book next December after Christmas 2025. I have been to Angelfire and Red River NM. I have a 12-yr old son that is fairly decent at skiing and can do Green and Blues if they are not really steep. I am a blue and some blacks. I am looking for a good Colorado resort but seems like everyone has mixed reviews of this list. I will be coming up from TX and will be there for 6 days ski 3 or 4. Looking for a place with a good town vibe if I want to take a day off and go look around at shops and things. Also looking for a place that has houses to stay around the area. Don't want to drive far after a full day of skiing. I have been looking at Winter Park, Steamboat, Keystone, CB but any local info will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Why omit Sunlight, Ski Cooper, and Howelsen Hill? I know they're all small, but they also still qualify as ski areas in Colorado. If your list can be 19 it can just as easily be 22. Also, there's no chance that Keystoned and Breckenwind belong that high on the list. Perhaps if it was a video on poor layout and endless lift lines I'd get it.
You missed a few, the smaller ones like Sunlight, Powderhorn, Cooper, but overall pretty good. Any ranking is going to have some bias but I give you credit for mentioning the lack of beginner terrain at some of these places. Ultimately, your favorite is going to be determined by the terrain you favor and who you ski with. It was nice to see Copper get some kudos. The skiing there is great but it always, always, gets dinged for the apres, or lack thereof. Partially, that's Copper's management's fault, cuz they refuse to accept that it's primarily a day skiers' mountain. Those parking lots aren't full because of all the destination vacationers, duh.
Thanks for watching and for the feedback!
I love Ski cooper. Powderhorn is a hidden gem!
unlocked some memories with this comment lmao, i went to sunlight a lot as a beginner but stopped going once i began doing blacks in favor of more challenging resorts. it was a great resort to start out on. lots of nice beginner terrain, and close to glenwood springs too!
My freshman year of college was at CMU in Grand Junction. I miss having powderhorn 35min away. Such a good mountain with some insane glades and rock drops.
Same.