Nathalie and I spent almost the entire month of January snowboarding in the Colorado Rockies. It's always been a dream of mine to ride some of America's largest mountains and visit some of the best ski resorts on the western side of the Atlantic. Part of this stemmed from a desire to snowboard out where the sport was invented. Another part came from the alluring appeal to explore the American West. Either way, it was a world-class experience and one that I learned a lot from.
The lessons continue after the jump!
Our time in the Rockies was primarily spent in Dillon, Colorado, a town perched 9,110 ft/2,777 m above sea level in the heart of Summit County. It's the first main alpine town west of Denver and is a mere 20 minutes from four major ski resorts: Copper Mountain, Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin (A-Basin).
Our passes gave us unlimited access to the latter three and we spent our three and half weeks bouncing between them. Really, the only decision we had to make each morning was figuring out which resort we wanted to go to that day. That doesn't sound so bad, right?
The lessons continue after the jump!
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| The Zuma Chair at A-Basin |
Our time in the Rockies was primarily spent in Dillon, Colorado, a town perched 9,110 ft/2,777 m above sea level in the heart of Summit County. It's the first main alpine town west of Denver and is a mere 20 minutes from four major ski resorts: Copper Mountain, Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapahoe Basin (A-Basin).
Our passes gave us unlimited access to the latter three and we spent our three and half weeks bouncing between them. Really, the only decision we had to make each morning was figuring out which resort we wanted to go to that day. That doesn't sound so bad, right?
Big Sky, Wide Mountains and Sitting Where The East Meets the West
Upon arriving in Summit County, the first big distinction we noticed was the contrasting contours of the Rockies compared to the Alps. We got the impression that the Rockies are much more broadly spread out.
Whereas in the Alps you feel that the mountains are towering over you, in Dillon, at least, you sensed that the sky opened up more. Part of this has to do with the greater vertical rise from the base to the summit in the Alps, but it left me with the feeling that, like with everything else in America, there was simply more space.
This in turn gave rise to more sky, giving us sprawling panoramic sunsets and beautiful, star-filled nights. This isn't to say that you don't get these wonderful vistas in the Alps; far from it. However, it was easily more pronounced in the Rockies and was a delightful treat after a long day of snowboarding.
Dillon is also the first city west of the continental divide; the geological marker that splits North America in half. Given the folklore and grandiose given to the pioneering journeys made by thousands in the 19th century, it gave food to thought about what it must of been like to traverse this great unknown without the comfort of the interstate. Simply put, to teeter on the edge of a continent gives you plenty to reflect on and really helps put life in perspective.
Whereas in the Alps you feel that the mountains are towering over you, in Dillon, at least, you sensed that the sky opened up more. Part of this has to do with the greater vertical rise from the base to the summit in the Alps, but it left me with the feeling that, like with everything else in America, there was simply more space.
This in turn gave rise to more sky, giving us sprawling panoramic sunsets and beautiful, star-filled nights. This isn't to say that you don't get these wonderful vistas in the Alps; far from it. However, it was easily more pronounced in the Rockies and was a delightful treat after a long day of snowboarding.
Dillon is also the first city west of the continental divide; the geological marker that splits North America in half. Given the folklore and grandiose given to the pioneering journeys made by thousands in the 19th century, it gave food to thought about what it must of been like to traverse this great unknown without the comfort of the interstate. Simply put, to teeter on the edge of a continent gives you plenty to reflect on and really helps put life in perspective.
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| Sunset over a frozen lake Dillon |
The Altitude
Summit County sits some 9,000 ft/2,700 m above sea-level with most of the ski resorts sitting even higher. Coming from the Alps, where most stations end at this altitude, it took a couple of days to wrap my head around the fact that we were sleeping above the majority of the European resorts.
What's even crazier is that to get to Dillon from Denver, you have to drive up I-70. Denver sits 5,250 ft/1,600 m above sea-level. By the time you go through the Eisenhower tunnel and passing the continental divide, you've climbed to an elevation of 11,158 ft/3,401 m in under one hour!
It's crazy to know that not only are you on a road at this altitude, you're on the interstate none the less. And that in Europe, you'd be flying over the Alps at this elevation, you're navigating a major artery that bisects the United States.
To top that off, once we got to the top, we felt the effects of being so high above sea level. With our faces slightly tingling and our heads slowly floating away from our necks, unpacking our car became a massive workout. While it might sound scary, within a couple of days,our bodies were back to normal. To top it off, this high elevation snowboarding gave our performance a boost, making us better athletes in the process.
Our apartment was conveniently located on the eastern shores of lake Dillon. This put us at no more than a 20-minute drive to all three resorts and while there was a shuttle we would take to Keystone, it was completely new for us to drive in and out to go snowboarding.
When we're in the Alps, we stay within the boundaries of the base station. This means that we park the car and leave it in our spot for the duration of our stay and either go by foot or by bus to the nearest base station.
I'm a big fan of leaving my vehicle at home and using public transport to get around (here in Brussels, I despise how this city is the traffic capital of Europe). However, it was really nice to be able to hop into the car at the end of the day, drive to the store then head back home without having to put too much thought into it.
Given the proximity of the three ski resorts and our mountain-tested car, we quickly got accustomed to the effortless luxury our snow-sedan afforded us.
Americans, as a society, have always been more extroverted than their European counterparts. That's not to say people from the old world aren't friendly; far from it. But we did notice this warmness and kindness coming from everyone we encountered. People were generally positive and extremely relaxed. It was never difficult to have a chat with a stranger on a chairlift and that infamous French ego that plagues some European resorts was nowhere to be seen.
On the flip side, the American stations lack that rustic, authentic Alpine charm that their counterparts on the other side of the Atlantic have been cultivating for centuries. Typically, this is defined as quiet, charming farming villages replete with dairy cows and quaint churches.
Since this sort of society never existed in the US, Keystone went a different, soundly American route, when designing their towns. Built almost entirely from scratch, the town has the Disney World-in-the-Mountains feel to it. It's kitsch, but somehow it fits.
Breckenridge, while having its roots as a mining town from the 19th century, has gone a long way in modernizing this look. The city prides itself on their family-friendly image, one that is quintessentially American in culture.
A-basin was a bit different, being the smallest of the three and the only one without on-site lodging facilities. The station has been around for a long time, having opened in the 1940s. It still maintains a very relaxed and blue collar vibe. Whereas Keystone and Breckenridge bring hordes of out-of-towners, Arapahoe Basin is more for locals and folks coming up from the Denver area. Keeping with this working-class ambiance, skiiers will come up early on the weekend and setup a tail-gate in the parking lot. The mood is always festive with music, beer and BBQ flowing freely.
For us, seeing this contrast between the three resorts gave us an excellent sample of the different types of sub-cultures in American skiing. For the record, we spent the most time at Keystone, followed up by A-Basin and then finally Breckenridge. We were never disappointed in any of the resorts though, however, we tended to prefer the atmosphere at Keystone and Arapahoe.
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It's crazy to know that not only are you on a road at this altitude, you're on the interstate none the less. And that in Europe, you'd be flying over the Alps at this elevation, you're navigating a major artery that bisects the United States.
To top that off, once we got to the top, we felt the effects of being so high above sea level. With our faces slightly tingling and our heads slowly floating away from our necks, unpacking our car became a massive workout. While it might sound scary, within a couple of days,our bodies were back to normal. To top it off, this high elevation snowboarding gave our performance a boost, making us better athletes in the process.
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| Loveland Pass and the Continental Divide |
Nissan-Driven Choices
Nathalie and I had the right to go to three different ski stations. Between these stations, we had access to 427 slopes and over 7,000 skiable acres (or 28.6 square Km). Each day, we could wake up and chose which resort we wanted to go board that day. Sometimes, it'd go down to either the snow report or the weather conditions. Usually though, we'd just go with our gut.Our apartment was conveniently located on the eastern shores of lake Dillon. This put us at no more than a 20-minute drive to all three resorts and while there was a shuttle we would take to Keystone, it was completely new for us to drive in and out to go snowboarding.
When we're in the Alps, we stay within the boundaries of the base station. This means that we park the car and leave it in our spot for the duration of our stay and either go by foot or by bus to the nearest base station.
I'm a big fan of leaving my vehicle at home and using public transport to get around (here in Brussels, I despise how this city is the traffic capital of Europe). However, it was really nice to be able to hop into the car at the end of the day, drive to the store then head back home without having to put too much thought into it.
Given the proximity of the three ski resorts and our mountain-tested car, we quickly got accustomed to the effortless luxury our snow-sedan afforded us.
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| This car carried us up the mountain and back. It's pictured here back in Tennessee prior to washing the residue of a winter road trip off of her. |
Different Slopes, Different Terrain, Same Amount Of Fun
Another major difference between the Rockies and the Alps that we noticed was the composition of the slopes. In the Alps, the vertical rise between the base station and the summit is much greater than in the Rockies. This means that many trails will run for miles. Usually, this is in open terrain with most of the pistes above the tree-line. In the Rockies, it's different.
Instead of having long, wide open pistes, the resorts we went to had narrower and shorter trails, most of which laid below the tree line. We didn't see this as a fault though. Many of the runs had rolling hills great for taking small jumps and easy riding.
Others were steep, well groomed slopes perfect for speed. Others still were great for cruising, having been refreshed by the snowcat the night before. I learned that I love doing glade runs, slowly working my way through the trees and popping out back into the terrain after playing in the largely untouched powder.
Speaking of powder, the was plenty of it while we were there. It snowed no less than six times during the three and half weeks we were snowboarding. As a result, we got to experience some amazing powder days both on the pistes and the side country.
American Friendliness, Even If The Cheese Was There
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| Keystone Base Area |
On the flip side, the American stations lack that rustic, authentic Alpine charm that their counterparts on the other side of the Atlantic have been cultivating for centuries. Typically, this is defined as quiet, charming farming villages replete with dairy cows and quaint churches.
Since this sort of society never existed in the US, Keystone went a different, soundly American route, when designing their towns. Built almost entirely from scratch, the town has the Disney World-in-the-Mountains feel to it. It's kitsch, but somehow it fits.
Breckenridge, while having its roots as a mining town from the 19th century, has gone a long way in modernizing this look. The city prides itself on their family-friendly image, one that is quintessentially American in culture.
A-basin was a bit different, being the smallest of the three and the only one without on-site lodging facilities. The station has been around for a long time, having opened in the 1940s. It still maintains a very relaxed and blue collar vibe. Whereas Keystone and Breckenridge bring hordes of out-of-towners, Arapahoe Basin is more for locals and folks coming up from the Denver area. Keeping with this working-class ambiance, skiiers will come up early on the weekend and setup a tail-gate in the parking lot. The mood is always festive with music, beer and BBQ flowing freely.
For us, seeing this contrast between the three resorts gave us an excellent sample of the different types of sub-cultures in American skiing. For the record, we spent the most time at Keystone, followed up by A-Basin and then finally Breckenridge. We were never disappointed in any of the resorts though, however, we tended to prefer the atmosphere at Keystone and Arapahoe.
Recommending the Experience
I had an unbelievably fabulous time during our three and a half weeks up in Summit County (I'm pretty sure Nathalie did too). On top of learning about the cultural differences between the Rockies and the Alps, spending nearly a month snowboarding was a fitting cap to what's been an adventurous year. We both miss the Rockies and can't wait to go back. For now though, until we make it back across the Atlantic, we'll have to settle for the Alps and I don't think that's going to be too hard.
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