# Help with family trip, beaver vs steamboat



## augie (Mar 14, 2012)

Hi, yes another 'help me pick my resort' thread. :dunno:

Typical trip for me is with fellow riders, we pick the resort the day before based on snowfall/forecast, but this winter we are planing one trip to bring our families. So the considerations for the trip have gotten much more complicated.

I am trying to pick between 2 resorts I've never been to, Beaver Creek and Steamboat Springs. Family is driving in from Kansas and Wyoming, so these seem like best middle ground. We've done Breck/Vail/Copper to death, but if I had to pick from those, I'd take my family to Copper. 

Anyway, to the questions

1) Does the route from i70 to steamboat springs close often? we are going for a week in late february. 

2) We've got cross country skiers, lots of snowboarders, kids that want to tube, wives that want to go to spa's, people that want to ride snowmobiles, food critics, 6 kids under 7 years old. Does Beaver or Steamboat jump out as an obvious choice?

3) lastly, we prefer to rent houses/condo's that are slope side or walking distance to everything. Does Beaver or Steamboat jump out as an obvious choice? I prefer not to see a car until it's time to leave.

My gut is saying 'steamboat', but figured i'd ask the interwebz.


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## BurtonAvenger (Aug 14, 2007)

Steamboat to Silverthorne can be a bear to drive if there's a storm. The real issue is Rabbit Ears pass otherwise it's pretty much smooth sailing from the base of that to I-70. Just note that if it's clear at the base of the base that doesn't mean that the top is, it's like 14 miles of continuous up and down changing elevation. 

Steamboat is a town and Beaver Creek is an all inclusive resort that has a town just outside its gated community. You get pros and cons with both. They pretty much both offer up what you're looking at but I will say Steamboat has more economical options compared to Beaver Creek. That said the terrain at Beaver Creek shits on Steamboat in my opinion, especially when it comes to lugging wives and children around. After all BC was designed by a computer to take advantage of the natural fall lines so as to not get trapped on cat tracks. 

Steamboat likes to lie about being ski in/ski out. Oh it's slopeside and a short walk to restaurants, that means it's like 6 blocks in the middle of a condo neighborhood that all looks the same and maybe if you're lucky you can make it to the base area within 30 minutes of walking if you don't get lost. I used to find random people walking around my backyard in the winter up there who were lost and looking for the ski in/ski out option. 

One thing to consider is that both towns do have free public transit. So you can get by with that. With Steamboat there's two sections of town there's the resort area and then there's down town which are about 2 miles a part. Where as Beaver Creek it's the resort then it's Avon literally across the bridge and through the roundabout. What should be your deciding factor is proximity to the mountain and amenities if you're concerned with driving.


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## f00bar (Mar 6, 2014)

BA musta got laid today. Not a single curse word in there! Just goes to show, legit well thought out questions get well thought out responses


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## augie (Mar 14, 2012)

Thanks for the great response BA!

I definitely don't want to get stuck on a cat track with my little ones. Hadn't thought of that, but that sounds way worse than trying to teach my 'then' girlfriend to board. Also, seem to remember year ago seeing a youtube of a dad getting in fight or making an ass of himself with snowboarders on a cat track for getting close to his kids. don't remember who was actually to blame.

To make the extra drive to steamboat worth it, I was hoping to hear some glowing reviews of it, like zero crowds, great snow, cool town short of jackson hole. But in my head now you've painted a place like a condo on 4 o'clock run in breck, with catwalks like winterpark/mary jane, and a so-so town. 

Time for me to go price compare and amenities check. 

thanks for the input, keep it coming


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## Brewtown (Feb 16, 2014)

I haven't been to Steamboat but I checked out BC last year after several years of the same resorts you have. It was only for a day so I can't really comment on the amenities and whatnot, but I will say I was impressed with the mountain. Very easy to get around, uncrowded, and immaculate groomers, you can have a good time even without fresh snow. Also if you like lapping medium sized jumps the park is pretty solid.


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## BurtonAvenger (Aug 14, 2007)

augie said:


> Thanks for the great response BA!
> 
> I definitely don't want to get stuck on a cat track with my little ones. Hadn't thought of that, but that sounds way worse than trying to teach my 'then' girlfriend to board. Also, seem to remember year ago seeing a youtube of a dad getting in fight or making an ass of himself with snowboarders on a cat track for getting close to his kids. don't remember who was actually to blame.
> 
> ...


The crowds are pretty much exactly the same. The thing with Steamboat is if you go higher the crowds do disperse more, so that early morning Gondy line that is long and scary, is about all you see. BC the only time I've ever encountered a serious line was a 2 foot powder day with high winds that closed like 90 percent of the mountain. 

The catwalks in areas of Steamboat are a lot like WP/MJ. Where as BC you're going down hill at all times. If you get stuck at BC you are either out one of the gates or you're really trying. 

The video in question you mention was at Whistler and if you watch it closely you can see the snowboarder was just passing the guys kid on a cat track with more than enough space to not hinder the child. Guy just reached over and stiff armed the snowboarder for no reason. 

As far as town vibe Steamboat is similar to Jackson for sure. Just have to realize that there's two sections of town there's the mountain and all the condos, shopping plaza, and what not then there's down town or old town which is about 2 miles away. That's a rustic ski town. BC it's just a destination resort that keeps you locked in and Avon isn't anything special to write about, just another town on the side of I 70. 

Either way both places are great in their own right, just certain factors to decide on.


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

Avon may not be special but its far enough away and not Vail, I like it.

The bakery and Beaver Liquors are worth teh visit. The restaurant food in town is superbad.

I always thought I was really missing out on Steamboat but now maybe not........?


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## BurtonAvenger (Aug 14, 2007)

The best way to summarize Steamboat riding. It's the powder junkies dream when their knees have finally given out and they just want to not have to work so hard to get a face shot.


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

BurtonAvenger said:


> The best way to summarize Steamboat riding. It's the powder junkies dream when their knees have finally given out and they just want to not have to work so hard to get a face shot.


so that explains why front range expert skiers like it so much.

I bet if I took all my friends they would love it haha.


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## BurtonAvenger (Aug 14, 2007)

Pretty much. Tree riding is pretty sick there but it's not overly steep, hell I'm pretty sure Breck is actually steeper.


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