[SoMo O.G.]

I have some time off and want to plan a 2-3 week vacation in CO., by hitting the lifts. I want to ride DH and need some advice on the best resorts to hit up. Trestle in Winter Park and Sol Vista look really good. It would be better to have spots in close proximity to one another.
Thanks for the info.

 

[Pau11y]

Don't forget to shuttle Apex...

 

[SkaredShtles]

Dude... go to Whistler. Seriously.

 

[pmrider]

Dude... go to Whistler. Seriously.

ya-- if you can afford 2-3 weeks in colorado- you can afford a sick sick trip in CDN. but ya- you have keystone, winter park, and sol vista. In Canada you could make a whole DH trip, lifts shuttles, mutliple locations and towns- sick!

 

[SkaredShtles]

ya-- if you can afford 2-3 weeks in colorado- you can afford a sick sick trip in CDN. but ya- you have keystone, winter park, and sol vista. In Canada you could make a whole DH trip, lifts shuttles, mutliple locations and towns- sick!

I've never even been there and I know that that's the place to go.

 

[lidarman]

Dude... go to Whistler. Seriously.

I second Vancouver area. Not only Whistler, but the Shore is near there.

Colorado is not mostly about DH. We have it but it's modern DH is not adapted to it like B.C.

 

[billybobzia]

I agree 100%.. if you are planning a DH vacation go to the NW.. Black Rock, Post Canyon, Bellingham, Vancouver, Squamish, Whistler, Kamloops, Nelson..

Colorado is great and if you want to pedal and do some regular ole riding in the high country then this is the place..

 

[SoMo O.G.]

@liderman.what do you mean about CO? Are the lifts/ towns rustic. Crappy trails or what?
I've always heard great things about your state and the DH runs there. Please explain.....

 

[SkaredShtles]

@liderman.what do you mean about CO? Are the lifts/ towns rustic. Crappy trails or what?
I've always heard great things about your state and the DH runs there. Please explain.....

DH in Colorado:

DH in Whistler:

I mean... Colorado is nice... but why settle for just nice?

 

[Mutchie]

DH in Colorado:

DH in Whistler:

I mean... Colorado is nice... but why settle for just nice?

Insert Rain

 

[xcguy]

If your question was: gonna be in Colorado for two weeks, where are the great flowy singletracks for xc? we'd be all over that. For two weeks of DH, dude....Whistler.

 

[Ithnu]

I was in Grand Junction a few months back, shuttles and some XC, and ran into a couple from British Columbia. They were here mostly for the single track. They were checking out Moab and shuttled with us in Grand Junction too. But they were not here for the lifts, although they were going to check them out for a day or two.

They said there are lots of little places with lifts/shuttle service in the NW that are awesome. They said Whistler by far has more trails, and some great ones, but there are more to check out.

If you want to check out CO then by all means do. There are 4 resorts that offer lift riding. Keystone, Winter Park, Sol Vista and Vail. 2 days at each, with a few days off for breaks, could easily fill up 2 weeks.

Crested Butte and Snowmass also run lifts but don't have many trails. So bring a XC bike and check out that aspect of those areas. Its not CO, but Angel Fire down in NM has some awesome lift access DH.

 

[kristian]

Sol Vista and Winter Park ARE in close proximity to one another--they are only about 20 miles apart (quite close in terms of Colorado mountains). Are you going to have a car while you're here?

Both of those resorts are great, but spending 2-3 weeks at them would be way too much. You should definitely get a few days in at Keystone too. In fact, if you're going to be in the Rocky Mountain region that long, you would be missing out by not hitting Angelfire in northern New Mexico which beats all of the CO resorts IMO.

Here's my take on CO DH for what it's worth:

Sol Vista = DH racer's mountain--great trails that you can rail down ranging from smooth, flowy and jumpy to rocky and rooty. Short vertical, but if there's no lift line (which is common) you can get in 20+ runs in a day. SV has the biggest and best gap jumps.

Winter Park = New school DH--more flow and jumps and less steep and gnar. This is the best mountain for newer riders due to their rental fleet and lessons (and smooth terrain). Winter Park seems to have the most dedicated trail crews building new stuff.

Keystone = Most trails, most vertical, best technical. Lots of rocks, roots (and braking bumps) make this more "old school" than Winter Park's smoothness, but Keystone is still my favorite in CO. They have fewer beginner options than SV or WP. Bummer that they don't have proper chairlift bike trays like the other two though.

Angelfire, NM = 3 long expert DH runs including the 2007(?) World Cup dh plus 3-4 other green and blue trails. The DH courses are all very technical at the top with high speed sections at the bottom. Angelfire makes Keystone look like Winter Park in terms of technical riding. I wish it were three hours closer than it is...

 

[SylentK]

You can set up camp near WP(lots of camping available) and easily be able to do Sol Vista, Keystone and Vail on day trips. If you truly are OG then Keystone and Vail will be up your ally.

Otherwise, If you really have some time I would hit up Telluride and Crested Butte, too. Both have been building proper DH trails, altho only a few at each, they are quite good. As Kristian mentioned, Angel Fire would be worth your time too. I wouldn't bother with Snowmass, from what I hear they don't even run the big lift for vacationers that they do when we race there.

Not all resorts are open on Weekdays, like Sol Vista, so pay attention to times and days of operation. Most resorts close for the season in mid to late Sept.

 

[WKD-RDR]

Denverite heading to Vancouver/Whistler in the morning. No rain expected

Lift rides are set, but any Vancouver area must dos / good bike shops / other ?

 

[Pau11y]

Lift rides are set, but any Vancouver area must dos / good bike shops / other ?

What?

Coffee jitters typing?

 

[MBX5]

Just got back from a 10 day trip to Whistler from CO and If you can swing the 2 weeks in BC GO FOR IT! I have been to BC 4 times for biking and 3 for skiing no matter what the season they are on a whole different level to the US. Every time I go and come back I think to myself it's not even worth ridding anymore and I should just call it a season. The stuff around us just can't stack up. One draw back this year in BC was how hot and dry it was last week. Berm are getting beat to death many people are going down and getting hurt bad. Take a look at the NSMB trail reports to see what I'm talking about. Even with that BC is the way to go. Every person needs to see BC.

 

[SkaredShtles]

Insert Rain

No... I wasn't actually talking about the *skiing*... I was just making an analogy.

DH biking in Whistler is like skiing in Utah. That sort of thing...

 

[WKD-RDR]

What?

Days in Whistler are set.
Days in Vancouver are open.
Talkin 'bout a good place to rent/ride/drink/eat/poop/repeat

¿ǝpuǝɹdɯoɔ?

 

[Ithnu]

3 for skiing no matter what the season they are on a whole different level to the US. Every time I go and come back I think to myself it's not even worth ridding anymore and I should just call it a season.

I've been to Whistler twice for snowboarding. I don't need to go back. The top has some awesome stuff, but I'm not a fan of riding through a cloud and ending the day in the rain. I laughed when the Olympics got delayed for rain. Every board/ski magazine out there "Whistler is the #1 most awesomeest place da world!*" *except when it rains. <-- that is usually left out.

I love Jackson Hole, I've been to lots of resorts in many states/provinces and its still my favorite. Lots of snow, 4,100 vert serviced by 1 9 minute tram ride, gnar everywhere and NO rain. They also have awesome hike to terrain in and out of bounds.