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Headline RSS FeedBackcountry 'light' opportunities abound
March 24, 2008 — If you’re looking for a backcountry experience, but don’t want to deal with the equipment and risk requirements, inbounds hike-to terrain may be the answer. Nearly all of Colorado’s 26 ski areas have at least a handful of trails that are only accessible by foot, and that includes most of the resorts near the Front Range.
At Breckenridge it’s a brisk 10-minute hike from the top of the Imperial Express chairlift to the Peak 8 Summit, with the final dozen steps up a precipitous 50-degree pitch. The payoff is a spectacular 360-degree view from the top of the 12,998-foot mountain. The Peak 8 summit also affords access to a plethora of otherwise-unreachable expert terrain, including the ultra-steep Lake Chutes and the recently added Snow White bowl. You can also traverse north across the saddle between Peaks 8 and 7, either dropping into Whale’s Tail or continuing to the 7 summit where a half dozen wide-open expert trails await.
Breckenridge’s Peak 9 also has hike-to terrain. After 15 minutes on a mild catwalk through the woods, skiers and riders can choose from the Windows, Broadway or far-off Twin Chutes.
Over at Loveland, the “backcountry-light” experience is better known as The Ridge, which runs along the Continental Divide, yielding its own 360-degree views. Loveland regulars like to traverse south, and then make the short hike up and over the 13,010-foot Summit Ridge before dropping into expert-rated Wild Child. There’s almost always a launch-able cornice there, and its distant location means untracked snow can last for days after a storm.
It’s a similar story at Arapahoe Basin, which recently opened the four expert hike-to runs that jut upwards from the East Wall traverse. Willie’s Wide is a local favorite, serving up steep but open terrain that stays soft long after the rest of the mountain has been skied off.
Access to the Basin’s sketchy North Pole runs is either though a gate at the top of Lenawee Mountain Lift, or via a straight-up hike from the East Wall traverse. As the crow flies, the hike through the gate is slightly longer, but it’s less steep and offers great views all the way up.
A-Basin also has hike-back terrain at the bottom of the new Montezuma Bowl. Just make sure you don’t miss the trail, as I did my first time there (read more about that lovely experience by clicking here.
If you’re not interested in earning turns, but still want to go beyond lift-accessed areas, Keystone and Copper Mountain offer affordable options. At Keystone, $5 buys a one-mile sno-cat ride from the top of the Outback Express lift up toward the summit of Wapiti Peak. From there you can drop into the gentle slopes of either North or South bowl. If you’d rather save your five bucks for après-ski, you can cover the same distance by foot in about 15 minutes.
Keystone also runs a $199-a-day sno-cat operation, which hauls skiers and snowboarders to top of the more-difficult Independence Bowl. Again, those on a budget can forsake tank-tracked transportation, but getting to the top by foot will take at least a half hour.
At Copper Mountain a pair of sno-cats offer free rides to the ridge between Copper Bowl and Tucker Mountain. From there you can either strap on the boards and head back down, or continue hiking up Tucker Mountain, gaining access to runs such as Taco and Nacho. Copper Mountain ski patrollers joke that if you do that twice, you get an Enchilada Plate. An even better option is hiking to the end of the ridgeline, and then dropping into Freemont Glade. It’s one of the mountain’s best-kept secrets and is often loaded with soft snow.
Access to Winter Park’s expert-only Vasquez Cirque is more skate than hike. Once there, the precipitous South Headwall and Alphabet Chutes are your best bets. No matter which you choose, you’ll end up in steep, gladed trees before arriving at the base of the Eagle Wind Lift.
As for Vail, there’s not much in the way of inbounds hiking, but that’s okay when you have 5,289 skiable acres to choose from.
(Editor’s note: A modified version of this story originally appeared in the Boulder Daily Camera newspaper.)
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Breckenridge film fest back for another year
February 28, 2008 — Unless you’re a Breckenridge local or serious movie buff, it’s likely you’ve never heard of the Breckenridge Festival or Film. But don’t let the lack of mainstream publicity fool you. This four-day event has pulled in plenty of top-notch premiers during its 27-year run, and organizers are promising more of the same when the 28th edition gets underway on June 5.
Right now the call for entries is ongoing. The deadline is March 30.
Past notable film showings include La Vie en Rose (featuring 2008 Best Actress Academy Award winner Marion Cotillard), Babel (2006 Best Picture Golden Globe winner), plus a host of other Hollywood hits such as Shawshank Redemption, L.A. Confidential, American Beauty and Lost in Translation.
Festival attendees can also expect to spot at least a few stars milling about this old mining town turned vacation destination that sits beneath the majestic Ten Mile Range. In past years Donald Sutherland, Jon Voight and Michael York have been seen on the streets of Breck.
“The appearances -- and the premieres -- are always a surprise as these films are announced at the very last minute,” explained Dawna Foxx, the festival’s executive director. “Anticipation becomes a huge part of the excitement.”
TV personalities and father-and-son duo Jeffrey Lyons (WNBC) and Ben Lyons (E!) will MC the event. Ticket prices range from $10 for individual shows, to $199 for an all-access pass. For more information check out www.breckfilmfest.com.
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Courtesey Wolf Creek Ski Area
Wolf Creek: is it really the snow king?
February 15, 2008 — For years now, southwestern Colorado’s Wolf Creek ski area has branded itself with the brash slogan, “Most Snow in Colorado.” On the surface this might seem like a bold and unsustainable claim, but this year at least, it’s right on the money.
As of February 13, the 1,600-acre resort that’s sits a mile east of the Wolf Creek Pass summit on Colorado Highway 160, is running away with the most-snow title. Its current mid-mountain depth is 134 inches, 18 more than second-placed Silverton Mountain and 41 more than the closest traditional ski resort, Monarch Mountain, which has 93. By comparison Vail sits at a modest 59.
Even more remarkable is the number claimed by a recent e-mail from the Wolf Creek PR team, which had the jaw-dropping subject line of, “Wolf Creek Ski Area - 36 Feet Year-to-Date.” That’s 432 inches of goodness for those who don’t have a calculator handy. Maybe it’s time to buy property in Del Norte.
Make friends, not traffic?
For those of you lucky enough to work for the federal government or a bank, there’s a three-day weekend on the horizon. The rest of us will probably have to call in sick Monday if we want to spend President’s Day on the slopes.
Either way it’s a safe bet that I-70 between the Front Range and the slopes is going to be crowded this weekend. With that in mind, RealVail offers these travel tips, which can help reduce your drive time.
Look before you drive: You will soon be able to check weather and traffic conditions at realvail.com. Until then, navigate to the Colorado Department of Transportation website, www.COtrip.org or the I-70 Coalition's website, www.i70solutions.org. It might mean the difference between spending an hour crawling up to the tunnel or relaxing at a coffee shop waiting until traffic clears.
Go green: If you’ve got some space in your car or want to ride with someone else, check out skicarpool.org. The easy to navigate website has a ride board where potential carpoolers can post profile detailing everything from when they want to go to the slopes, to what kind of terrain they prefer. More people per car means splitting gas costs, reduced environmental impact, less wear on your vehicle and fewer cars on the road. Plus you might make a new friend.
Telecommute: Convince your boss to create a flexible work schedule for the holiday weekend. Maybe you can put in extra hours before or after the weekend, so you can get out early on Friday and get a jump on other travelers.
Be an overnighter: Spend the night in the mountains and extend your fun into the next day. Share the cost of a condo or rental unit with a group of friends. Many of the resorts are offering great lodging deals this weekend.
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February's high country deals
January 31, 2008 — With powder days on the way, it’s time for another installment of RealDeals. Check it out.
Discounted Loveland tickets: Buy Loveland lift tickets before you get to the mountain and adults pay $46, while children 14 and younger are just $21. That’s $8 off the regular adult price, and a $4 saving for the kiddos. Discounted tickets are available at all Colorado Safeway, King Soopers, Wallgreens and Albertsons, plus several other locations. For the full list check out: skiloveland.com
Sleep and ski for free in Breckenridge: Skiers and snowboarders who ski three days and stay three nights, get the fourth night of lodging and day of skiing free. Packages start at $301 per person based on double occupancy. Valid all ski season with some restrictions. For more information go to breckenridge.com
Wells Fargo 2-for 1: Buy one lift ticket and get one free at Winter Park or Copper Mountain. These tickets are valid Sunday through Friday only, and there are some blackout dates. To get the deal pick up a coupon at any Wells Fargo Bank on the Front Range and present it with your purchase. Of course there is a small catch. You must use your Wells Fargo check card or credit card with this offer to prove that you are Wells Fargo customer.
Fly to Beaver Creek, get a room, and ski for free: Yeah, I know most of you don’t fly to Beaver Creek, but if you do this is a pretty sweet deal as long as you land in the morning. Fly non-stop to Vail/ Eagle County Regional Airport (Airport code: EGE) anytime through April 13, and ski for free on your day of arrival at Beaver Creek with a valid boarding pass and lodging confirmation. Simply show your boarding pass and Beaver Creek lodging confirmation at any ticket window. Beaver Creek also has a kids fly free program. For more details on both programs call 800-503-8748.
Craig’s List/Denver: At the other end of the deals spectrum, a quick search of the ticket section of the popular community website Craig’s List turned up a slew of offers for discounted lift tickets and other deals (Go to denver.craigslist.org/tix and type in the search term, “lift.”) Recent search returns included 2-for-1 coupons at Steamboat for $25, $10 2-for-1 coupons at Copper Mountain and Winter Park, and a Loveland four-pack for $80, which is a pretty smoking deal. Just remember that there are bad people in the world and some of them are lurking on the Internet trying to rip you off. So always heed the timeless adage, “Let the buyer beware.”
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