# Colorado Trip



## DrGreeNThumB420 (Aug 19, 2007)

closest to Boulder would be Eldora ....I would use your 5 free days at Winter Park before even going to Eldora once.


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## StrattonRider (Sep 16, 2012)

DrGreeNThumB420 said:


> closest to Boulder would be Eldora ....I would use your 5 free days at Winter Park before even going to Eldora once.


ok thanks. When do you think the best time to go would be. A random weekend where there won't be big crowds?


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

Mid January or February


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

I would fly in Thursday and fly out Tuesday. Solid 3 days riding. :thumbsup:


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## StrattonRider (Sep 16, 2012)

Argo said:


> I would fly in Thursday and fly out Tuesday. Solid 3 days riding. :thumbsup:


My dad has to work so idk if that would work but it sounds awesome


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

Go to Winterpark. Little over 90 minutes to drive there from Boulder.


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

If you don't want crowds an April weekend is your best bet.


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

killclimbz said:


> If you don't want crowds an April weekend is your best bet.


I find all but the last weekend of april to suck. Too many mexican nationals and south americans around. They are the worst kinda beginners.....


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## StrattonRider (Sep 16, 2012)

i was looking at january 9-12 but i want to see school while there are classes so i have to push it back to maybe february or march


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

Argo said:


> I find all but the last weekend of april to suck. Too many mexican nationals and south americans around. They are the worst kinda beginners.....


Must be a Vail thing. Winterpark is definitely a ghost town those last couple of weekends in April that they are open. The only uptick I see is if there are some big storms. 

January is not a bad time. That is usually the month where the snow really starts to pile on for the season. Bring your warm layers. High temps that barely get above zero are common then. You don't want much exposed skin in that. You are past New Years and I believe before MLK. There is a little bit of a break. There will still be a lot of people though. Use the singles lane if the lines are long. Even if you are riding with someone. It is much quicker. The line can look much longer than the main lanes and it is still faster.


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

+1 going to Winterpark, its not far and you will get the big mountain experience. As Kill says, it won't be super crowded probably.

Even on the most crowded of days at winterpark you will not find the disheartening shitshow that you would find on the same day at Keystone or any of the other Vailies.

Kill's tips are great as usual, another one I like is get away from the bottom immediately and head to an "expert only" area and avoid returning to the bottom. If your pass counts for Copper I would consider it as well, it is not a super long drive and you can ride the Super Bee and have that whole side of the mountain to yourself as there are signs everywhere that say "NO BEGINNER AREA" etc. SuperBee is like the longest/fastest lift in the country or something like that, its fucking great. Even if you don't end up here this is the kind of strategy to employ on a crowded day anywhere.

Also, arrive EARLY and then leave early or late, just not at 4 unless you like traffic. Plan to spend extra hours returning, Idaho Springs is fucked.


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

The drive is quicker and easier too. As long as driving over Berthoud doesn't scare you. I find that pass to be pretty easy, but I do spend a lot of time there. 

Leave early Saturday morning, by 6am. Get breakfest at the resort. If you have a flight to catch or somewhere to be on Sunday, probably shouldn't leave much after 1. If not, go bell to bell then grab dinner in Winterpark. Try not to hit the road until around six to let the traffic ease off. 

Saturday afternoon traffic can be stop and go but it is rarely like Sunday afternoon traffic. You can risk that one if you are headed back to Boulder. 

Hopefully the expanded tunnel at Idaho Springs will cut down the rush hour by a lot. We won't really know until just before your trip.


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

killclimbz said:


> Hopefully the expanded tunnel at Idaho Springs will cut down the rush hour by a lot. We won't really know until just before your trip.



Wait, what? I thought that shit was gonna take years.


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

CDOT's website says that the expanded tunnel and lanes to Floyd Hill will be complete and open for use by the end of 2013. The news is reporting this too. I didn't believe it either, but it looks like it will be done. I think part of this project is expanding the east boumd lanes to 3 just before Idaho Springs. At least part way into where I70 runs through it. That is probably next Spring's mission.


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

Btw CDOT's plan right now is to expand the eastbound lanes to 3 a few miles at a time because they can get that funding. So expect this to continue up the canyon all the way to the tunnel over the next ten years.


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## NoOtherOptions (Nov 28, 2011)

killclimbz said:


> If you don't want crowds an April weekend is your best bet.


Last year the snow was shit by mid March. No cover over on the far right side (forgetting the runs name, basically opposite side of Mary Jane).


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

Are you sure you don't mean two seasons ago? By mid March we were getting pounded in that zone. Bert finished with a snow pack just a few inches shy of the record 10-11 season.

I assume you are talking Vasquez ridge. That is furthest area lookers right and it is pretty low too.


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## NoOtherOptions (Nov 28, 2011)

killclimbz said:


> Are you sure you don't mean two seasons ago? By mid March we were getting pounded in that zone. Bert finished with a snow pack just a few inches shy of the record 10-11 season.
> 
> I assume you are talking Vasquez ridge. That is furthest area lookers right and it is pretty low too.


I'm talking the 11-12 season, not 12-13. So Yeah I suppose two years. It was assy in mid March over on Vasquez the farthest right in bounds run was half covered with hazard markers, and icy as fuck throughout.


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