ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, October 13, 1996 TAG: 9610140002
SECTION: TRAVEL PAGE: 8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: TOM GIBSON SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES
IN the late 1800s, miners thronged to Summit County, Colo., in search of gold, silver and copper. The mining towns have long since gone bust, but today, a different breed of prospector comes for white gold - the soft, powdery snow at the area's four ski resorts.
In recent years, Summit County resorts have opened new terrain and built new lodge facilities, catapulting them to the same status as Colorado's more-famous Vail, Steamboat and Aspen. The area enjoys a geographical advantage in being only 75 miles west of Denver along Interstate 70. Throw in the fact Denver is the closest gateway for western skiing and you have the most accessible big-mountain skiing for eastern skiers.
Summit County's resorts consist of Keystone, Arapahoe Basin, Breckenridge and Copper Mountain, all on the front range, or eastern slope, of the Rockies. Keystone, Arapahoe Basin, Breckenridge and the towns of Dillon, Silverthorne, and Frisco surround Lake Dillon; White Copper Mountain sits 10 miles west on 1-70.
Convenience is the name of the game -- call it interchange skiing. You can stay anywhere in the area, either in a town or at a resort, and be reasonably close to everything. Free shuttle buses run between all the resorts and towns. The towns are filled with every type of restaurant, bar, grocery store, gas station and shop you'll ever need or want on a ski trip. And if somehow you can't find enough skiing here, world class Vail lies 30 miles west and Loveland 12 miles east, both on 1-70.
Having arranged a package deal with Lynx Ski Tours (800-422-5969) in Breckenridge, my wife and I stayed at Buffalo Village condos near Silverthorne. A long, winding drive up a mountain treated us to panoramic views of Dillon and ski slopes across the interstate. The efficiency unit included a loft bedroom, kitchen, fireplace and plenty of space for two of us. An indoor hot tub and heated pool rounded out the essentials for a pampered ski trip.
Our first day took us to Keystone, where we warmed up with a run down Schoolmarm on the front side of Keystone Mountain. Keystone had long been labeled an intermediate's mountain before it added the North Peak and Outback areas a few years ago. These areas changed that by adding expert mogul runs and bowls to the mix and giving advanced skiers a playground of their own.
Making our way to the newer slopes, we discovered Mozart on the back side of Keystone Mountain and delighted in a run full of soft snow and easy, flowing bumps. Later at North Peak, we worked up a sweat schussing Starfire, a challenging blue run, and hopping through the bumps of Blackhawk. Then we relaxed with some long cruising on Anticipation. We also enjoyed Elk Run on the Outback because I could ski bumps while my wife plied easier groomed terrain.
As we skied, it became apparent why advanced intermediate skiers love Keystone.
You can explore mogul-filled terrain all over without getting into trouble, as long as you stay away from the Outback Bowls. And the slope layout makes it easy to go from one mountain to another.
For lunch, we ventured to the top of North Peak to the shiny new Outpost Lodge with its huge deck, upscale cafeteria and Alpenglow Stube restaurant which serves Bavarian-style food. We found the oversized log cabin as plush as Keystone advertises but somewhat crowded and pricey.
Although Arapahoe Basin and Keystone share the same owner, the two resorts differ markedly. While Keystone has a sprawling base complex with far-flung parking and shuttles, any parking space at A-Basin puts you a ski pole's throw from the lodge and slopes. And you'll find few amenities here such as lodging or on-slope restaurants. So what's the attraction of the small 47-year old resort? Experts and locals love it for its funky terrain and lack of crowds.
With a summit elevation of 13,000 feet, A-Basin has the highest lift-served skiing in the United States. This means much of the skiing lies above the treeline, and the wide-open upper half of the mountain offers an infinite number of ways down. Without trees in the way, a small resort can act like a big one. And being so high, the Basin often gets snow when other areas don't.
We met with my nephew Spence, an accomplished skier and student at the University of Colorado in Boulder. My wife went off to the blues on her own while Spence took me to some expert terrain I doubt I would've tackled otherwise. We discovered some powder between groomed trails under the Norway lift. Later, we skied some black runs in the Palivacinni lift area and explored tight and bumpy paths through trees. Following a true expert who made it look easy, I found myself skiing like I never had before.
Meanwhile, my wife skied the Lenawee trails: Dragon, Cabin Glades, West Gully and Lenawee Parks. She found this a fun mountain for intermediates too, comparing it to her favorite resort, Alta in Utah.
We liked A-Basin so much we went back again, only to be rewarded with an all-day snow storm. By day's end, 15 inches had accumulated, resulting in a powder heaven locals live for and easterners dream about. Early in the day, Spence and I frolicked in the soft bumps of the black-diamond runs on the west wall. It was tough to see at the top in the virtual whiteout conditions, but Falcon and Lenawee Face proved fun anyway. My wife and I skied later on High Noon and Ramrod and found lower slopes much easier because of better visibility.
At Breckenridge, the ski slopes rise over a restored mining town known for its Victorian gingerbread architecture. A circa 1859 historic district gives the town a unique flavor as well as a reputation for the hottest night life in the county.
Most of the skiing is on three peaks numbered 8, 9 and 10. Recently opened Peak 7 offers a double-black-diamond bowl for experts who want to get away from the crowds and don't mind a hike to the top. The resort has a broad array of terrain ranging from novice to terrifying. Peak 9 makes an excellent place for beginners with its long gentle runs.
We cavorted in a fun area off Lift 4 on Peak 8 featuring Tiger, Goodbye Girl and Mach 1, all black-diamond runs filled with bumps that weren't extremely difficult. We also enjoyed intermediate runs Springmeier, Crescendo, Duke's Run and Little Johnny off Lift 2; all these had sections of bumps to the side.
The ride up the T-bar to the far side of Peak 8 was windy and cold, as this climbs a treeless area. From here we traversed the top of Horseshoe Bowl and skied Four O'clock to Frosty's to Tunnel. This combination of intermediates made for a fun tour through undulating, winding, and narrow terrain.
A relatively new resort, Copper Mountain is known for its innovative design and slope layout. Each section of the mountain has trails of like ability level, and the slopes angle with the sun for maximum snow retention. Singles flock to the resort because it offers special packages for those skiing alone, and Club Med operates here.
Beginners and intermediates play on most of the mountain while experts trek to the Resolution area. A steep section at the top challenges most skiers, but the short stretch flattens quickly. The last run of the day was a grueling thigh-burner on Far East, which, though not steep, had bumps as far as you could see.
After an exhausting day on the slopes, an endless array of restaurants, from fancy to franchise, awaits you in Summit County. At Frisco's Bar & Grill in Frisco, we devoured a steak dinner in a casual atmosphere. We savored Mexican food at Whiskey Creek in Frisco and shrimp pasta at Shad's, a Southwestern-style restaurant in Breckenridge. For a light night on the wallet, pork barbecue at KC Barbecue in Dillon fit the bill.
A word of caution about Summit County: beware if you suffer altitude sickness, as the area has some of the highest skiing in the country - even the towns are at 9,000-foot elevation. For information on this, you can call the Colorado Altitude Research Institute in Keystone at 303-262-1114.
As a general rule for buying lift tickets in the area, never pay full price. If not on a package deal, you can purchase discount tickets at several places. Safeway and King Super grocery stores in Denver offer the cheapest deals, and in the Summit area, Safeway in Frisco and ski shops sell tickets. Lift tickets for Keystone, Breckenridge and A-Basin are interchangeable.
Driving back to Denver, we took the back way on Colorado 6 through Dillon and Loveland Pass, rejoining 1-70 just east of Eisenhower Tunnel. Winding through the mountain pass, a spectacular sunset greeted us at the continental divide -- a fine way to end a glorious week of skiing at the Summit.
Tom Gibson, a free-lance writer based in Roanoke, edits and publishes Ski Tripper newsletter, a publication for skiers in the mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions.
LENGTH: Long : 147 lines ILLUSTRATION: GRAPHIC: 1. Bob Winsett. In Summit County, Colo., children andby CNBpets (above, right) often hit the slopes together. 2. Ben
Blankenburg. Snowmobiling is a family sport in the U.S. Forest area
of Summitt County, Colo. color. Graphic: Map by staff. color.