Swoosh...
Written: Feb 01 '01 (Updated Feb 01 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Amazing skiing and tons of it
Cons: Pricey
The Bottom Line: Amazing skiing, amazing town, plenty to do besides ski, plenty of trails -- well groomed, just fabulous
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| jill_a's Full Review: Breckenridge |
WHY BRECK?
A friend of mine and I decided to go out west for a week of skiing. She knew people who were going to be at Vail (which was out of our price range), so we decided to go to Breck. I was pushing for it. When I was younger, I went to Breckenridge with my family and had an amazing experience. It was the first time I'd skied on powder (us East Coasters are used to ice), the first time I'd seen such HUGE mountains (those rockies are really something else), and the first time I'd gone away to a ski resort. I loved it and always wanted to return as an adult. So, we booked a trip and off we went... back to heaven.
COST
Breck was more than Keystone, but we got a lot for our money. First, we stayed ON THE SLOPE. Ski in, ski out is a wonderful thing. It gives you a little more time to sleep in the morning and STILL be the first on the chairlift. Plus, at the end of the day you don't have to wait for a shuttle. We skied right up to our porch and went inside. Second, the pad we stayed out was phat. Three hot-tubs, a kitchen, nice amenities... it was very lux. Third, we got a six-day ski lift ticket (more on that later). Forth, we got shuttle service to and from the airport. And Fifth, and most expensive, we flew from Newark, NJ to Denver, CO... practically across the country. Not cheap. But I don't regret the money at all. We got a package deal and to be honest, it wasn't that bad. (Under $3000 for both of us for 7 nights/6 days of skiing and airfare).
SKIING
The lift ticket was good for three days at Vail or Keystone, so we spent a day at Vail. Obviously, Vail is an amazing resort... but Breck was too... the first few days we were there was the tail end of the Christmas holiday, so lines were long... but the next few were AWESOME... no lines, great conditions... Breck has about 4 (I'm not sure on the number) mountains woven together with trails and lifts. There are some quads etc. to get you half-way up and then there are mostly two seaters (old ones which have the pole in the middle and sway and are SCAREY... our biggest complaint with the week). I took a lesson (I'm an intermediate-advanced intermediate skier) with an incredible instructor. In an hour and a half (for $150) private lesson, I learned and polished my skills. The ski instructors are top notch. All friendly (I asked one on the lift about lessons, conditions, what have you, and he was so nice), and all incredible skiers. I didn't take a group lesson, but from what I hear they have them for all levels and they are terrific.
They keep the mountain clean and powdery. We didn't hit any icey patches (which, by the way, we did at Vail during the last run of the day). Two thumbs up. The chairs were fast (oh, another complaint about Vail here -- we got traped on a lift there for 30 minutes -- they gave us "free drink" cards -- as if that makes up for lost skiing time?!).
NIGHTLIFE
Breck is a real town. It's got a main strip and a real population. Very cool. Lots of fun bars (like the Breck Brewery, Downstairs at Eric's, etc.). Ladies, the ratio of guys to girls is 8 to 1, so you are basically guaranteed free drinks (if that's something you care about).
Attitudes
LAID BACK! very chill...
GO TO BRECK! YOU WON'T REGRET IT!
Recommended:
Yes
Level of Experience Needed: Intermediate
Best Time to Visit: January
Best Suited For: Singles
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Epinions.com ID:
jill_a
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Member: Jill Bronner
Location: New York, NY and Morris County, New Jersey
Reviews written: 48
Trusted by: 6 members
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