SkiBud - Welcome - For Skiing & Adventure Holidays

Haunts - Winter Park, Colorado, USA.


We've only been the once - Winter 2000/2001. This is a small resort, but contains the opportunity to ski the Berthoud Pass. Winter park has 4 sides to the mountain, Mary Jane, Vasquez Circ, Vasquez Ridge and the main Winter Park area. All runs above a blue are MOGUL mania. Take this into account before booking. You have the front side of the mountain (Winter Park), which will give you access to the other areas. It takes 10 minutes by bus to get to the main ski area, which stops at 11pm, and becomes infrequent from 5.30pm. We would recommend Car Hire for everyone.

Mary Jane	Winter Park (Central)	Vasquez Circ	Vasquez Ridge

Berthoud Pass	Winter Park Facts	Recommendations	Comments

Mary Jane - This tends to be where the upper class stay as there is a hotel complex at the base. As for skiing, it gets the most snow on this side of the mountain. Runs do vary from greens / blues to single / double blacks. But this is definitely the most challenging side of the mountain. The challenger lift is the most difficult and harvests some fantastic runs with vast drops and deep powder. Parsanne Bowl is a definite must, but beware of Sunnyside Lift and the fast two man chair going up to Parsanne Bowl.

Winter Park (Central) - This is the only way to access the area as it leads you straight to the main access area for the rest of the mountain. It also hosts competitions during the season, such as slalom, and is proud of its paraplegic activities for people with all disabilities. Mostly easy access area with lots of blues and greens going over towards Mary Jane side.

Vasquez Circ - Well off piste, as much as you want! Get up early for the fresh powder! There's nothing quite like skiing the Vasquez Circ first thing. It may be colder but well worth it. Ask the lift guides about the skidoo charges, as they will tow you to the top of the area for $5 per person from the top of the Parsanne Bowl.

Vasquez Ridge - The tranquil area of the mountain. Cruise the blues and greens around here. Very picturesque, wide open runs. There is a few mogul runs, but they are easy to avoid or good to practice on. Lots of trees for those who want to build up the off-piste skiing, but aren't ready for the adventure. Vasquez Circ joins the ridge.

Berthoud Pass - Helicopter skiing without the Helicopter! The first ski resort in Colorado in 1936 when the first lift opened here. It still only has two lifts either side of the road, but definately hosts some of the best runs in Colorado! You should take avalanche beacons and be prepared for anything. Runs shoulder deep in powder to 40 degrees in steepness. For access, give them a call as offers change monthly. You are charged by the inch of fresh snow + basic lift ticket prices of $35 per day. You ski down to the main road and get a bus back to the lift area. Bus is included in your lift ticket price. It boasts to have the highest restaurant / bar in Colorado, but that is all it is! We skied there 12 times and took pack lunches after the 3rd time. Check out this sign!

Winter Park Facts
Village Height :	9000 Feet / 2743 Metres	Highest Lift :	12060 Feet / 3676 Metres
Number of runs :	113	Number of Lifts :	22
Ski Area :	95 Square Kilometres	Longest Run :	8.2 Kilometres
Average Snowfall :	914 cm	Snow Cannons :	27

Recommendations
Best Ski Run on the mountain :	Look out for the grooming reports on Winter Park TV in the mornings. As most runs are Moguls. When SLEEPER, which is a blue/black, is groomed totally then it's a must! Wide and open. It is generally half groomed, but does get groomed once a month, and when it does it's the best run on the mountain!

Best Restaurant :	On the main street, there is a restaurant called THE SHED. This is the best value for money and for quality of food - In our opinion. We found two of the waitresses to be very arrogant, and openly said they didn’t like the English as we didn’t tip, but we tried to change their opinions, by adding "good service achieves a good tip".

Worst Restaurant :	In our experience, near the main road there is a restaurant called HENNADO’S. This is an Italian / Pizza place. The food is generally OK and reasonably priced, but the service is diabolical in high season. They don’t take bookings, but you can be expected to wait for 1 to 2 hours for a table.

Pubs :	Well, for those who like a sports pub and like to play pool, then the best place we recommend is called BUCKETS. Bar snacks are OK (good value) and the tables are fantastic. Sunday night is Open Mike night and $1 all night. If you are not driving, then book a taxi with Home James before you go out for a pick up time, as they close early during the week.

Ski Hire :	Best for overall service would be Ski Depot. Located in the main town, but has more stores than all the others do. All the latest up to date equipment is offered, but you have to be quick as it is limited. You may be better pre-booking if you want to hire. The majority of stores in Winter Park hire out very old equipment. The prices are very competitive with the other stores. If you pre-book over the Internet, there is usually extra discount offered.

Other comments about the resort.
Winter Park is very limited for beginners. The resort is full of bumpy moguls and is a hard area to ski. It is a small area, and you can get bored after 10 days. If you've already booked, then look at the Berthoud Pass for a couple of days, as the lift ticket is cheaper and good value for skiing, if you are a strong intermediate. The hire of equipment and bus service leaves a lot to be desired, and both are in need of an immediate upgrade.

Top