My family and I are going to WP over my kids' spring break in March and I'm looking for advice on where to stay and how to best navigate it.
We probably spend most of our time on blue runs, with occasional forays onto blacks. For example, there's nothing at Snowshoe we can't handle.
We don't particularly like glades and we hate moguls.
Would appreciate any advice.
TIA
It’s been a minute—we went a bunch on the train as kids—but there are some great groomers on WP itself. Hughes is a really fun run if memory serves. Ditto White Rabbit.
If you don’t like bumps, avoid Mary Jane.
One cool feature is that WP has a “blue/black” designation to capture ‘tweener’ runs — a blue with an unusually steep face in the middle, e.g.
It’s a really fun mountain. Enjoy!
It's been 20 years since my last visit to WP: see here for some commentary. Hughes skied good then too! I also went to WP in 1976 and skied some of the Mary Jane section the first year it was open. The long, steep bump runs at MJ are a signature feature of WP.
BTW, to/from Denver-WP you pass fairly close to Loveland ski area, a great , somewhat economical place for wide open scenic green and blue terrain. Consider for your first or last day in CO.
I skied there in early December and had a 2 foot POWDER dump! They were just opening more trails but any blue (heck, even the greens were enjoyable) was a snowy paradise. Wide open and glorious. Grab a trail map (or app) and explore, you can't go wrong.
We skied Eldora in a blizzard and had a blast too (minus the 40+ mph wind)!
I really miss Rocky mountain skiing, I love Timberline (on the weekday) and Bryce on the weekend (with my wife and 6 year old son) but they can't compare but I won't complain at the opportunities they give me as a resident of northern VA.
After a trip to Winter Park, we are going there for a week next winter. I fell in love with it! They have a night guided ski tour, that I totally want to check out.
Keith_Moon wrote:
We probably spend most of our time on blue runs, with occasional forays onto blacks. For example, there's nothing at Snowshoe we can't handle.
Winter Park may be my favorite resort it delivers everything you could want with terrain. We have been there the past 2 springs (March) for 10-12 ski days. The resort is basically divided into 6-7 areas that are unique from each other. The 2 best areas for your family would be Winter Park & Vasquez. There are green, blue, black & blue/black groomed runs there.
We don't particularly like glades and we hate moguls
Eagle Wind is black diamond tree skiing. Spacing is great but I guess that's not what you're looking for. You didn't say anything about chutes :) The Cirque is top notch! Double black diamond bowls and chutes 35 to 50 degree pitch with steep tree skiing coming out to Eagle Wind lift.
Would appreciate any advice.
The view from the top of the lift at Parsenn Bowl is truly outstanding. Take a right off the Panoramic lift to Village Way (groomed blue) to Primrose (blue). This will take you to Lunch Rock (food & bathrooms) or stay on Village Way (green) back to Vasquez.
You can get to the Panoramic lift via Mary Jane. Take Edelweiss (groomed blue) from Lunch Rock down to Panoramic lift (stay right at bottom of the run and ski under lift). There are a few blue runs at Mary Jane just stay right. Mary Jane is one of if not the best tree/bump ski areas in the US. Roughly 80% of the terrain is this but the other 20% you can enjoy and really open up the resort for your family.
There is also a terrain park area that can be a lot of fun make sure to check that out!
We stay in Granby 20-30 minutes to the north with friends. Town area has some nice bars & food. Not sure what you are looking for?
TIA
Keith_Moon wrote:
My family and I are going to WP over my kids' spring break in March and I'm looking for advice on where to stay and how to best navigate it.
We probably spend most of our time on blue runs, with occasional forays onto blacks. For example, there's nothing at Snowshoe we can't handle.
We don't particularly like glades and we hate moguls.
Would appreciate any advice.
TIA
Do you want to spend a bit extra for slopeside lodging? Or are you willing to drive to start the ski day? There are buses from town, but I'm not sure how often they run. I got advice for where to park from a local when I checked out WP during early season when MJ opened by early December.
Keith_Moon wrote:
We don't particularly like glades and we hate moguls.
I found only the groomed runs didn't have moguls. Practically all of Mary Jane is bumped. The joke with our crew was Winter Park has all kinds of bumps; treed, open, bowls, cliffs, chutes, cirques, run-outs, off-camber, lift-line, double fall-line - lol. I'm not a particularly great bump skier, but at times and spots there, I felt like one.
The groomers there were also exceptional, wide open, grippy, race tracks.
Enjoy
Shotmaker has great advice. Our family loves Winter Park, we are going for Spring break in March as well. You will find plenty for your family to do, skiing-wise, and it has been in great condition in past years when we've been there in March. There are a lot of moguls and tree runs, especially on the Mary Jane side, but there are some nice blue runs over there as well.
Shotmaker wrote:
Keith_Moon wrote:
We probably spend most of our time on blue runs, with occasional forays onto blacks. For example, there's nothing at Snowshoe we can't handle.
Winter Park may be my favorite resort it delivers everything you could want with terrain. We have been there the past 2 springs (March) for 10-12 ski days. The resort is basically divided into 6-7 areas that are unique from each other. The 2 best areas for your family would be Winter Park & Vasquez. There are green, blue, black & blue/black groomed runs there.
We don't particularly like glades and we hate moguls
Eagle Wind is black diamond tree skiing. Spacing is great but I guess that's not what you're looking for. You didn't say anything about chutes :) The Cirque is top notch! Double black diamond bowls and chutes 35 to 50 degree pitch with steep tree skiing coming out to Eagle Wind lift.
Would appreciate any advice.
The view from the top of the lift at Parsenn Bowl is truly outstanding. Take a right off the Panoramic lift to Village Way (groomed blue) to Primrose (blue). This will take you to Lunch Rock (food & bathrooms) or stay on Village Way (green) back to Vasquez.
You can get to the Panoramic lift via Mary Jane. Take Edelweiss (groomed blue) from Lunch Rock down to Panoramic lift (stay right at bottom of the run and ski under lift). There are a few blue runs at Mary Jane just stay right. Mary Jane is one of if not the best tree/bump ski areas in the US. Roughly 80% of the terrain is this but the other 20% you can enjoy and really open up the resort for your family.
There is also a terrain park area that can be a lot of fun make sure to check that out!
We stay in Granby 20-30 minutes to the north with friends. Town area has some nice bars & food. Not sure what you are looking for?
TIA
Thanks for all the advice.
My wife booked us into Zephyr.
Keith_Moon wrote:
Thanks for all the advice.
My wife booked us into Zephyr.
We've stayed in Zephyr, great location; and bring a swim suit, the hot tub is right next to the slopes!
