Summit Co. Where to go?

[NewHampie]

We got free airline RT vouchers to Denver Jan. 9-17 and have to choose where to ski. Sounds good but gets more complicated. Wife (non-skier) and daughter (19 yo, ripper, grew up on Cannon, but moody- has issues). I need to find the place where everyone'll be happy. Last year we went to JH, the mountain was awesome snow a little thin but as easterners we're used to that, my wife loved Jackson, hung out in town and got to know local folks. Albertson's rules- there's a whole aisle of beef jerky. Anyway we like towns that were towns before they were resorts and have some character. Rather have good food shops than restaurants so we can make our own. (of course great bars and restaurants are good too) Here are some suggestions we've had: Steamboat, Breckenridge, Aspen, and Winter Park. The two most interesting seemed like Winter Park because they seem to get more snow (true?), the ticket is good at Copper (true?) and there is the possibility of staying in Fraser which might be an interesting town (anybody know anything about Fraser?) Copper and Winter Park both look like fun places to ski, and secondly Breckenridge because the ticket is also good at A-Basin, Keystone, and limited days at Vail and Beaver Creek, and there's the possibility of staying in Frisco (anybody tell me anything about there?) So where should we go? The thread about Breck was helpful and despite all the trashing made me a little more inclined to go there. would welcome any feedback. Oh yeah, we have zero $ and have to live cheaply.

[MOHSHSIHd]

i think you answered your own question...

for your situation i say Breck...the 19yo girl will like it way more than anywhere else....real town...can ski at the basin and drive there easily from breck (20 mins+-)....good food in all priceranges....the gold pan for a real bar

[robokill1981]

....the gold pan for a real crappy bar

Summit county is the easiest ski destination possible. It has everything you need and won't break the bank. You might also be into Steamboat but you're kind of limited when you're there. Wherever you go should be empty at that time of year which will be nice.

[MOHSHSIHd]

i didnt say it was nice....just thinking of my time going out in breck last season that the gold pan had the most normalish people...

what the fuck is the name of that stupid club shit half a block south and east?

[freshie247]

No Your WP ticket is not good at Copper or vice versa.

No WP doesn't get more snow.Berthoud Pass down the road gets the snow.

WP is about as honest about their snow totals as the Bush Admin is about anything.

Your Breck Ticket is not good at Vail Or BC either.Only the CO Pass works for that.

Summit offers the most skiing best value.Don't forget Loveland is there as well.

The Boat is a cool town as well.

[pde20]

Someone correct me if i am wrong, but I don't think that lift tickets between copper and winter park are tranferable...that is a season pass that many people on here get. Plus, there is about a 1 to 1.5 hour drive between the two. Fraser is nothing to write home about...though you could likely stay on the cheap there.

Same thing with Breck and A-Basin tickets? For a fact i can tell you that a lift ticket at any of the summit county resorts does NOT get you on the mountain at Vail or Beaver Creek...again that is a season pass you are hearing about. I know you used to be able to ski Keystone and A-Basin on one lift ticket ( or buy a 4/5 day and use it either) but I would double check on whether you can buy a three mountain (Breck, Keystone, A-Basin) ticket if i were you.

Summit county is indeed easy and realtively cheap, but it lacks the character that you might have liked in jackson. Frisco is a nice little town. and central to the three areas..but summit county is fairly spread out...you donm't have to have a car as you can get around on the free stage shuttle, but would be nice. Steamboat is a cool, isolated little town, more like jackson in that regard than summit county which is a mountain suburb of the front range.

edit: or, what he said ^^^^^

[cmsummit]

i didnt say it was nice....just thinking of my time going out in breck last season that the gold pan had the most normalish people...

what the fuck is the name of that stupid club shit half a block south and east?

Gold Pan = a real saloon.

Club? Cecilia's is south five blocks and on the opposite side of the street. Place sucks, but the spring breakers love it.


If you're looking for a great ski town vibe look to Crested Butte, Telluride, or Steamboat, they are all off the beaten path. Although a lot of gapers DO actually like Breck and you can ski many of the mountains within an hour of it.

[homerjay]

Fraser is the coldest place on earth.

[MOHSHSIHd]

im thinking of Shit Creek (aka salt creek)...i fucking hate that place with a passion

[cmsummit]

Fraser is the coldest place on earth.

don't forget about Gunnison.

[cmsummit]

im thinking of Shit Creek (aka salt creek)...i fucking hate that place with a passion

Oh yeah, the Salt Lick. Funny how I don't think of that place as a club, as it used to be a country/western bar and was converted to a club in the last couple of years. Good happy hour on Thurs. though. $0.25 wings and potato skins and $3 pitchers of High Life.

[robokill1981]

Your Breck Ticket is not good at Vail Or BC either.Only the CO Pass works for that.

Not true. Multi-day passes are good for one or more days to Vail or Beaver Creek. Single day passes to Breck are good at Keystone and A Basin as well.

Phish Salt Creek is a shitfest, but $3 pitchers do have their place once a season. I personally like the Bistro, Southridge, and Rado to avoid spring breakers and lifties.

[The AD]

I think I would choose to stay in Vail. Yes, it's expensive and yes, the town is somewhat ersatz, but your wife will find lots of non-skiing stuff to keep her busy. If the snow is good you and your daughter will be happy at Vail for a few days. Plus you're close to Beaver Creek, Copper and not too far from the other Summit County areas. That said I've never actually stayed in Breck, so it would be pretty tough for me to recommend it.

[NewHampie]

This is all helpful, it sounds like the WP idea doesn't have as much appeal as Breck/Frisco. Website info I've been looking at indicates the multi-day Breck pass is good for 2 days at Vail/Beav as well as A-Basin and Keystone but it is all leftover info from last year. The Summit Stage and other buses seem to make it easy to get out without waking up my wife "Honey can you get up and drive me to A-Basin I gotta get the first chair" . I've located a few interesting places to stay in Frisco and Breck, anyone know the place well enough to give me some feedback?

[RBG]

frisco is a nice little town. i prefer it to breck. if you have a car you can get to copper in ten minutes, vail in thirty, breck, loveland, the basin and keystone in thirty. once you've been jammed in one breck t-shirt shop between 50 texans you've seen them all.

having said all that i prefer WP and the jane. your wife is going to be bored anyplace and having a 12 year old daughter the "issues aren't going away.

go enjoy yourself.

[MakersTeleMark]

A good resource for lodging:

http://www.vrbo.com/vacation-rentals/usa/colorado

[summit]

Mid Jan the snow will probably be better in Steamboat.

[MOHSHSIHd]

This is all helpful, it sounds like the WP idea doesn't have as much appeal as Breck/Frisco. Website info I've been looking at indicates the multi-day Breck pass is good for 2 days at Vail/Beav as well as A-Basin and Keystone but it is all leftover info from last year. The Summit Stage and other buses seem to make it easy to get out without waking up my wife "Honey can you get up and drive me to A-Basin I gotta get the first chair" . I've located a few interesting places to stay in Frisco and Breck, anyone know the place well enough to give me some feedback?

Summit Stage dosent go to the basin...it does go to skistoned though, and then you can take a shuttle from there to the basin im pretty sure, but hitching a ride would be alot easier...

[NewHampie]

Does anyone know anything about this place? http://www.vrbo.com/11514 or this one http://www.vrbo.com/5864

[Below Zero]

Does anyone know anything about this place? http://www.vrbo.com/11514 or this one http://www.vrbo.com/5864

Honestly, I would ask people over at Epicski. Not too many maggots stay in places like that.

[NewHampie]

c'mon either one would be perfect, just split the rent 12, ways sleep everywhere and then invite everyone you meet. or did you mean maggots like spendier places?

[The AD]

Those places look fairly basic to me. It's not like NewHampie's asking about the St. Regis in Aspen or something.

[Black Market]

I used to live in Fraser, CO.......not much going on there for tourists.....it's really not even much of a town.....just a stop along the highway......plust it's the "icebox" of the lower 48....

[Below Zero]

^^Well, to each their own. I know I usually stay in places that are super cheap, but I guess some maggots pay for the luxury. And honestly how many times do you go on a trip with 12 other maggots, unless it's the summit or something.^^

[NewHampie]

Just wait, I'll be all ready to book the time at that nice gray cabin only to find that Below 0 has reserved it.