Related posts:

1. Colorado snow conditions via Twitter Check out Daniel Weiss‘ latest creation: Twitter Daily Ski and...
2. Winter X Games 14 in Aspen It’s going to be a busy weekend January 28 –...
3. Echo Mountain: more snow = free tickets Echo Mountain has teamed up with Sims Snowboards for the...

Over the past weekend I had the privilege of ski biking with a group at Vail’s Adventure Center. At first glance, the bikes seem to be nothing more than two skis; one in the front of the other. Apparently, there is a little more to it.

First, the adventure began in the late evening. We headed up the gondola late after the mountain had closed. Worth noting: our group went out at 5:15 which, in the mountains, is far past sunset. In fact, it was downright dark out. I started having second thoughts… Good thing everyone was provided with a headlamp; safety first!

Next, we strapped on what appear to be snow skates to the bottom of our ski boots. At this point in the bike metaphor our feet had become the training wheels (or the ‘tri’ in tricycle). That’s encouraging…

Finally, we awkwardly waddle outside (snow skates are like walking around with flippers on) and spot the bikes. There are two types of bikes: “big” and “slightly less big.” It turns out, my height qualifies me as a “slightly less big” guy. That really took a hit on the ego. Strike three…

At this point, it’s time to sit on the bike and receive the safety and instructional tutorial. “Sit on the bike, don’t stand, slide to a stop like a hockey player…”. I’ve been skiing for years, this all seems fairly straight forward. Turns out, if you’re a skilled skier, it is. The bike is a long frame with a seat, a handle bar which controls the ski in the front, and a ski in the back. The front of the bike and the seat have some suspension… some. But, the majority of the work is done in your hips. Much like skiing, you slide to the sides and carve on the edges to make nice turns. The only difference, of course, is you’re two feet from the ground.

I can see how the sport isn’t being widely accepted: you need to already have some skiing expertise, you are so much closer to the ground, you have many more moving parts and a big bike to land on you. The sport is intimidating. Oh and at Vail: you’re doing it at night, in the dark and it’s very cold.

All of that aside, once you push off and slide down your first hill, it’s a blast. I did a couple slides and fidgeted with the handlebars and already had the hang of it. Just by shifting my hips left and right allowed me to make nice, steady turns. Though, it did start to feel like I was going 100 miles an hour because the ground is whizzing by right below me. Overall, I had a great time. It’s a new experience and a new sport and you’ve already got the hang of it.

If you’re lucky, you’ll get three full top-to-bottom runs in during the two-hour session. If your group catches on quickly, you can try moguls, easy tree runs (very fun!), and maybe even a little jump.

Unfortunately, the snow conditions are less than perfect right now. If you hate going down icy runs in the afternoon, imagine them on a bike in the dark. It’s scary. I think with a bit more fresh snow, the ski biking could be even more enjoyable. For now, it seems a bit fast and almost reckless (the dark, its intimidating).

Check it out and don’t let me discourage you. Again, it’s a bunch of fun and with some more light and more snow, I’d consider ski biking again.

Related posts:

1. An Appreciation for Snow This newbie skiier grew up on The Great Plains. On...
2. Two For the Records The Colorado ski season bounded to one of its earliest...
3. Arapahoe Basin 1/9/2010 The lack of snow in the majority of Colorado hills...

If you’re curious, yes, you can upgrade your Vail Resorts passes (Summit to Colorado or Epic, Colorado to Epic). I confirmed that you can upgrade even after the pass purchase deadline.

I had opted for the lowest pass this season (Summit Pass: Arapahoe Basin, Keystone, Breckenridge) but had a change in plans (days at Beaver Creek). All I had to do was call the customer support line at 877-204-7881 and press ‘8′ to speak with a representative.

If you have your old pass (say you’re upgrading Summit to Colorado) and have previously owned a Colorado pass, you’re all set, they’ll simply re-activate the old pass.

If you don’t have your old pass, you can either opt to pick up your new pass at the office at Keystone, or they can mail the new pass (with additional shipping charges) to you directly.

I’m sure the Intrawest Resorts (Copper, Winter Park, Steamboat) can do the same.

Related posts:

1. Colorado Pass Spring Renewal for 2008-2009 Announcement: For the go-getters among us: The Colorado Pass spring...
2. Colorado Pass discounted tickets (through Feb 15) 2010 Update: The latest ski with a friend ticket prices...
3. Colorado Pass price for 2008/2009 will increase on Monday From the SteepSavers newsletter: “…winter is right around the corner...

• January 9-10, 2009: Vail
• January 23-24, 2009: Keystone

Related posts:

1. Copper to host 2008 Grand Prix “Top snowboarders from around the globe will compete in their...
2. Winter X Games 14 in Aspen It’s going to be a busy weekend January 28 –...
3. A winter storm we’ve been waiting for Here we are half-way through January 2010 and most of...

Related posts:

1. Demo Days Roundup In the market for new skis? Then you might be...
2. Spring Back to Vail 2008 More spring fun starts next week up in Vail with...
3. Quick guide to buying goggles I’m in the market for a new pair of snow...

UPDATE: awesome! CSCUSA has posted the 2009 season dates to their resort pages. Note that the cosnow listing includes non-member resorts (Vail, Keystone, Breckenridge, Beaver Creek).

Here you have it, the comprehensive list of scheduled opening days for ski and snowboard resorts in Colorado by date.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

• Loveland

Friday, October 9, 2009

• Arapahoe Basin

Saturday, October 31, 2009

• Wolf Creek

Thursday, November 5, 2009

• Keystone

Friday, November 6, 2009

• Copper

Thursday, November 12, 2009

• Breckenridge

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

• Winter Park

Friday, November 20, 2009

• Eldora
• Vail

Saturday, November 21, 2009

• Echo Mountain

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

• Monarch
• Beaver Creek
• Crested Butte
• Steamboat

Thursday, November 26, 2009

• Telluride
• Aspen Snowmass
• Ski Cooper

Friday, November 27, 2009

• Purgatory

Friday, December 4, 2009

• Sunlight

Saturday, December 5, 2009

• Silverton

Saturday, December 12, 2009

• Aspen Highlands
• Buttermilk

Thursday, December 17, 2009

• Powderhorn

As always, you can find these dates listed on the CoSnow events calendar. Just search for “opening day”.

Related posts:

1. Keystone opens 2009 early due to snow, others will follow? Great snow conditions have prompted Keystone officials to open the...
2. Recession-proof pricing at Colorado resorts The economy is in the toilet, we get it. Jobs...
3. Colorado majority in SKI’s Top 10 Resorts Pictures are worth 1,000 words over at SKINET, SKI magazine’s...

Related posts:

1. Vail Announces Epic Pass From Sam: Vail Resorts came out with a press release...
2. Colorado Passes to use RF technology “Your 2008-2009 season pass is getting a high-tech makeover. All...
3. Colorado Pass Spring Renewal for 2008-2009 Announcement: For the go-getters among us: The Colorado Pass spring...

Related posts:

1. Big snow extends Colorado Pass… again From Snowboard Magazine: After a major snowstorm blanketed the central...
2. Vail ticket prices hit new high This should come as no surprise but this season Vail’s...
3. Ask CS: When to renew CO Pass? Q: When is the best (read: cheapest) time to renew...

Related posts:

1. Upgrade Summit Pass or Colorado Pass If you’re curious, yes, you can upgrade your Vail...
2. Colorado Pass Spring Renewal for 2008-2009 Announcement: For the go-getters among us: The Colorado Pass spring...
3. Big snow extends Colorado Pass… again From Snowboard Magazine: After a major snowstorm blanketed the central...

So, the question, have you bought a 2008/2009 season pass yet? If you’re still thinking about it here’s the scoop as of August 15th (prices and purchase options are subject to change throughout the season.)

Colorado Pass

Any reader will know this is my favorite pass as it gets you access to awesome mountains for beginners and experts alike. The extra 10 days to Vail or Beaver Creek are the icing on the cake with this pass. Those 10 days have blackout dates but if you renew early enough (you missed it this season) then they offer a deal like unlimited access during the month of April.

Mountains: Breckenridge, Keystone, Arapahoe Basin and 10 days at Vail or Beaver Creek.

Price: $439 Adult / $329 Teen / $209 Child

Renew only. In-person sales begin Labor Day weekend.

Summit Pass

It’s the same as the Colorado Pass without the extra days at Vail / Beaver Creek. If you think 10 days of access to world-class resorts is worth an extra $40 then skip this. Even if you go once it’s worth getting the Colorado Pass.

Mountains: Breckenridge, Keystone, Arapahoe Basin

Price: $399 Adult / $309 Teen / $199 Child

Renew only. In-person sales begin Labor Day weekend.

Epic Pass

Are you going up to the mountains for the entire weekend? Do you spend a lot of time at Vail and Beaver Creek? Then the Epic Pass is for you because you get unlimited access to all the Vail resorts for an extra $140 (I think that’s roughly how much a day pass will cost this season? Ha!). Plus, there are no blackout dates like the Colorado Pass.

Mountains: Breckenridge, Keystone, Arapahoe Basin, Vail, Beaver Creek.

Price: $579 Adult (13+) / $279 Child

Buy now online!

Rocky Mountain Super Pass Plus

This is the Intrawest version of the Colorado Pass. Get unlimited skiing and snowboarding at both Winter Park/Mary Jane and Copper during the season plus 6 unrestricted days at Steamboat, and free skiing every Friday after 12:30pm at Steamboat. This last part is pretty good because getting to Steamboat is no small feat from Denver (3+ hours) so getting there after lunch would be pretty reasonable.

Mountains: Winter Park, Mary Jane, Copper and 6 days at Steamboat

Price: $439 Adult / $329 Teen / $209 Child

Renew online/phone or visit Winter Park Season Pass office for new passes.

Rocky Mountain Super Pass

This is the Intrawest version of the Summit Pass: unlimited days at Winter Park and Copper with no days at Steamboat.

Mountains: Winter Park, Mary Jane, Copper

Price: $399 Adult / $309 Teen / $199 Child

Renew online/phone or visit Winter Park Season Pass office for new passes.

Rocky Mountain Ultimate Pass

This pass is unlimited days at all three resorts. I can’t even pretend recommend it unless you’re going to spend a lot of time at Steamboat.

Mountains: Winter Park, Mary Jane, Copper, Steamboat

Price: $1054 Adult / $604 Teen / $364 Child

Renew online/phone or visit Winter Park Season Pass office for new passes.

Various Passes

The rest of the resorts and season passes with information readily available.

• Loveland Season Pass: Close, worth missing the traffic and tunnel sometimes. Prices (08/09 not available): $359 / $299 / $159
• Eldora Season Pass: Great for beginners, close to Boulder. Prices: $379 / $269 / $159
• Winter Park Season Pass: $359
• Winter Park 4 Pass: If you’re only going up a few times these are great deals. Price: $129
• Copper Season Pass: $349
• Copper 4 Pass: Restriction is that you cannot transfer the passes to others. Price: $119
• Steamboat Season Pass: Great snow but out of the way for Denver locals. Price: $979 / $529 / $289
• Keystone and Arapahoe Basin: Not available until fall but previous passholders can upgrade to Summit / Colorado / Epic passes.

Related posts:

1. Lesser-Known Season Passes Devin wrote a great guide to all the most frequently...
2. Upgrade Summit Pass or Colorado Pass If you’re curious, yes, you can upgrade your Vail...
3. Colorado Pass Spring Renewal for 2008-2009 Announcement: For the go-getters among us: The Colorado Pass spring...