Breck vs. Vail

[Christopher3000]

Aspen/Crested Butte/Telluride, if you must hang out in Colorado. If you're choosing a ski area based on whether there's a lift to bring you from town to the hill, you're going to choose a shitty ski area.

If you must have super quick access to lifts and you're considering moving somewhere year-round, consider Park City, UT. The ski areas are about as boring as Vail and Breck but the snow is better and the town is marginally cooler. You could even sack up and ski on an actual mountain in LCC/BCC or up at snowbasin on the weekends. Plus, SLC is a half an hour away and you can get or do anything you want there.

[cmsummit]

I think some people don't realize that with one very affordable pass you get Vail/Beav/Breck/A-Basin/Keystone. So instead of one shitty ski area, you get five and all the terrible sidecountry options they offer.

[admx]

It's also relative, maybe he is leaving a shit hole like Texas or Michigan.... So good skiing might just be skiing more than 300 feet or just on vacations.

Accessibility might also be on the list; if he's working from home he may need to be near a city for occasional work related items.

[ColMan]

yep. nordic centers

"Roudy terrain.. Yeah, we have pretty steep slopes, 50deg+"

Breck = gnar.

[DanoT]

T-Ride is def on the list of consideration...but, i am concerned about cost of living...season pass is more than 3x that of EPIC pass. I am not ignoring the other mountains in the US in fact i have considered many...just trying to find the right combination of all aspects i am looking for.

If the cost of living is a concern and the low cost of the Vail Epic Pass is the main reason for residing in Summit County, then give you head a shake. Whether it is nitely, weekly, monthly or yearly, the cost of housing is way more expensive than lift tickets or season passes. Living within walking distance of a lift at a Vail resort is very likely not in your budget. Since driving to a parking lot and catching a free shuttle bus uses up valuable time, you also need a resort that you can park at and walk to a lift, so not Vail or Breck.

BTW i skied Vail Resorts for the first time for 7 days last Jan. Based on my brief exposure I would say Beaver Creek was my fav.

[montanaskier]

this thread, as most along these same lines, is ridiculous in lots of ways. I love how people that don't live in this valley think they know about this valley. "living developments, not towns"? Nope, I don't live in a neighborhood in a town at all....just a big "development"

The one thing you said in your post that is interesting to me is that you don't want to have to drive 15minutes to ski. If you move to the Vail Valley, you more than likely aren't going to live in Vail. You may, there are some "affordable" options in West Vail depending on what your size requirements are and if you want to rent or buy. If you are buying, more than likely you'll be in Minturn, Eagle-Vail, Avon, or Edwards. All of those are great options and all of those (-Avon IMO) are good towns with nice "grown up" vibes full of good solid local folk.

Is Vail flat....sure, the inbounds runs are kinda lame. However you have over 5k acres inbounds to explore and if you can't find fun stuff to ski you are doing it wrong. As for Breck, I don't ski there much but I would trust what CMSummit thinks. I will say that Breck has more skier visits each year (most on the planet) and has less acreage than Vail. Also Beaver Creek in this county is pretty freaking fun.

Having said all that, I'd pick Crested Butte.

[Missing Sock]

"Roudy terrain.. Yeah, we have pretty steep slopes, 50deg+"

Breck = gnar.

Gnar? no. Only pointing out that the "nordic center" rep isn't all that fair or accurate. Plenty of good stuff off of the t-bar, 6 and E chair at Breck. The same wind scoured terrain gets skied at loveland or Abasin and your "core" because you took a fixed grip to get to it?????? Bottom line is your sacrificing quality of skiing to hit up any of the front range resorts but every resort, yes even breck, keystone and vail have some fun terrain if you know what your doing.

[Hugh Conway]

COLORADO TRANSPLANT STOKE! AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME

you can find "fun" terrain at Afton Alps if you "know what you are doing"... and it's still shit. Just doesn't have the CO douchebags

[SLSki]

I like how moving to CO threads, specifically Summit/Vail, get so many responses and there are so many arguments. I wonder if that is because a good portion of this board resides in the Front Range/Summit/Eagle Co. area

I have lived in Vail for 6 years and have had an amazing time skiing Abay, Breck, Vail, and the Beave (however I am ready to move on). There is a lot to explore and the sidecountry is pretty damn good, not to mention the backcountry. Looking back on it, I regret not living in Aspen or the surrounding area if I were to do CO all over. There are many good options out there, and an equal number of reasons to live/ski at those places. Good luck in choosing, as long as you really enjoy skiing you can't go wrong. I may make less money up here than in other places, but I wouldn't give it up for anything.

[PowTrees]

Here's the deal, if you want snow and steeps, to focus on the "best" turns in the world go to Alta, Snowbird, Jackson, or British Columbia. If you want to live in a metropolitan ski town with lots of great people, women, jobs, and easy access to chairlifts and Airports move to Vail/Breckenridge.

Some have posted that if they had it to do over again they would move to Aspen or Crested Butte. I'd be thinking British Columbia if I was looking for powder and to do it over again. Face it, Colorado is a busy place, fairly heavily traveled statewide in most mountain areas. It just seems like there has to be more powder up north somewhere less developed and much less densely populated, but probably less jobs to be had also...

[stfu&gbtw]

Gnar? no. Only pointing out that the "nordic center" rep isn't all that fair or accurate. Plenty of good stuff off of the t-bar, 6 and E chair at Breck. The same wind scoured terrain gets skied at loveland or Abasin and your "core" because you took a fixed grip to get to it?????? Bottom line is your sacrificing quality of skiing to hit up any of the front range resorts but every resort, yes even breck, keystone and vail have some fun terrain if you know what your doing.

Did you really just try to say that Breck and A-Basin have the same terrain, but Breck is high-speed served?

My favorite part of skiing at breck is watching people randomly stop to see if they left their skins on.

[GrumpyPilot]

T-Ride is def on the list of consideration...but, i am concerned about cost of living...season pass is more than 3x that of EPIC pass. I am not ignoring the other mountains in the US in fact i have considered many...just trying to find the right combination of all aspects i am looking for.

There is an old saying, maybe you have heard it; You get what you pay for.

If I had a job that let me live in whatever mountain town I wanted to, I can tell you one thing, Summit County won't make the short list. Oh wait, I do have one of those jobs.

Now there are places I fucking love in Colorado that I-70 mess isn't one of them. Good luck with your search, I think you are over looking a lot of awesome places to live by being locked in to Vail, Breck.

[bamboocoreONLY]

some of you guys are like pampered fucking babies. "oh nooooo, the terrain isn't as rowdy as jackson, therefore it's completely useless". most of you saying that probably suck ass at skiing anyway so why does it matter?

with that said, DO NOT live in breck. everyone there is from Reno and just a bunch of punks.

[stfu&gbtw]

some of you guys are like pampered fucking babies. "oh nooooo, the terrain isn't as rowdy as jackson, therefore it's completely useless". most of you saying that probably suck ass at skiing anyway so why does it matter?

with that said, DO NOT live in breck. everyone there is from Reno and just a bunch of punks.

Says the douchebag insisting on bamboo core ONLY...

[Pow4Brains]

(oh, did I mention 30min lift lines on the weekends?)

Yup, Vail NEVER has long lift lines.

Done proper.

[WTF is dat]

Wow I dont get why everyone is hating on colorado.

CO's skiing may not be as good as utah, but at least we arent stuck up assholes like they all are. Most of the people in here hating on breck and vail aren't even from colorado.


Anyhow, breck is windy, and it is crowded, and it is flat (in spots) But Anything off of Peak 10, E Chair, Imperial, The T-Bar and 6 chair is honestly just as good, and just as steep as any other resort in America. Seriously, some of the terrain off of imperial is insane. I personally dont mind the town of breck either. There are a few "Bro / brahs," but there are also alot of regular down to earth people.

Plus, if you live in breck you are only an hour away from some seriously world class ski resorts (Vail, Beaver Creek, A-Basin) and they are all included on your pass.

If I were you I'd go check out the town for yourself, and see if you like how it feels. Dont rely on what some random douche bags at TGR think of Breck, because in the end it is your decision, and the town should feel right if you are going to live there.

But If I were you I would go to crested butte. we have some of the best skiing in the world imho

[Misty_Fly]

If you want proper skiing, start looking at Utah, Jackson, Tahoe etc. as has already been stated. Then wake the fuck up and move to Europe.

[the_immaculatedeception]

this choice reminds me of the South Park mascot election episode where they had to choose between a Giant Douche or a Sh*t Sandwich

http://www.southparkstudios.com/full...ouche-and-turd

[Lindahl]

The only way Vail is a decent option is if you're into sidecountry and backcountry. The only way Breck is a decent option is you're a bro-brah who cares more about partying and hitting the pipe (both) than skiing. Crested Butte wins for Colorado.

[racesla]

If skiing is your main interest. + steeps and no crowds.
Big Sky/ Moonlight Basin = Huge, steeps, no lift lines, great snow, endless side and back country. Night life- not really. Buy some bear spray.
Or Anaconda MT- Cheap, pass at Discovery-cheap, doing laps on the backside of Discovery with the locals-humbling.

[iskibad]

Like i've said this is not just about skiing, it's about whole lifestyle. I am thinking more and more about Telluride as an option. I have a job that i can work from any location with reliable internet. I regularly ski in VT but have done multiple trips to places like Silverton, Jackson, Alta and Squaw. I may not be as great a skier as some people on here, but, I can def hold my own. I want convenience, affordability, good people and good skiing....maybe that's an unreasonable package for 1 ski area?

[montanaskier]

Tride is great but pretty isolated. Tride definately isn't "affordable" whatever that means. Good people, good skiing, and great scenery it does have. The reality is that almost anywhere you pick is going to be a great place. I can't think of a ski town in CO that is "affordable" but people make it work because that is what is important to them. I also can't think of a ski town in CO or anywhere else that doesn't have tons of good people and a good vibe, some are better than others, but for the most part the people is what makes a ski town great...along with the skiing. You'll end up stoked and loving life no matter where you end up. Have fun and enjoy.

Oh yeah....pics of your mom, sister, or gf.....JONG.

[BI-POLAR-BEAR]

These threads fucking suck my balls.

[hofman]

I'd say you are looking in the right place as the other places mentioned don't have reliable internet.

[iskibad]

thanks for all the help (to those that offered honest help).