Winter Park Ski Resort Review

March 6, 2018 The Virtual Sherpa Comments 0 Comment

Winter Park Ski Resort Review

Winter Park Ski Resort Website: https://www.winterparkresort.com/

Winter Park Ski ResortTrail Map

Rating: ★★★ (3/5 Stars) (Winter Park) ★★★ (3.5/5 Stars) Mary Jane

Season Pass: As of 2018, Winter Park is part of the Ikon Pass or you can just buy a pass to Winter Park Ski Resort. Find out more about Ikon here or Winter Park pass here.

Parking: Parking fills up quick, get there early…especially if parking on Mary Jane side. Otherwise, you will have lots of walking or have to pay for parking. Winter Park Ski Resort offers both free and paid parking – Mary Jane only offers free parking.

Summary: Looking to avoid (most) I-70 traffic and still ski/board an awesome mountain? Meet, Winter Park Ski Resort. Although it’s not perfect, Winter Park has quickly jumped up to one of my favorite places to snowboard in Colorado. Tough tree runs, smaller crowds, terrain parks, extreme terrain. Whatever you like to ride or ski, Winter Park has something for you. The mountain is home to 7 unique territories (Mary Jane, Winter Park, Cirque, Eagle Wind, Vazquez, Terrain Park, and Parsen Bowl) each with its own strengths. Located about 70 miles from Denver, Winter Park Resort also avoids most of the painful I-70 traffic as it takes US 40 most of the way to the mountain. Don’t want to drive? You can also take the Winter Park Express Train directly from Union Station in Denver.

Strengths:

Great spot for trees – easy and hard (high lonesome express – easier but so fun), anywhere off Eagle Wind lift (harder), to the right of Super Gauge Express – lots of rocks to jump.
Crowds disperse well, though don’t expect no lift lines. There will always be lifts with lines at Winter Park Resort and Mary Jane (base areas, Panoramic Express and Sunnyside Express), but there are also a ton of spots where I never wait for lifts and if I do, its less than 5 minutes. Outside of lift lines, I have never felt that the trails themselves are super crowded. I will admit, I stick to harder trails but even when I am cruising greens and blues, the crowds are nothing like Breck or Keystone on an average weekend.

Some of the steepest runs in the state – Looking to challenge yourself? Winter Park Resort has two areas that offer excellent extreme terrain:The Chutes at Mary Jane and the Alphabet Chutes in the Cirque territory of Winter Park. Looking to get to Cirque? Pick-up a season long $20 pass to get towed out to access the skiing and boarding. For more information, visit this page.
Avoiding I-70 – Obviously this depends on where you are coming from, but if you are driving from the Front Range or Denver, avoiding most of I-70 can be a game changer. If a storm is coming through, I plan on going to Winter Park Ski Resort so that I don’t have to worry about tunnels closing, accidents backing up traffic for days and the general, pull your hair out, frustration that comes along with a trip to Summit County. Can Berthoud Pass close? Yes. Does it suck to follow someone down the pass going 10 under? Yes. But these pains far outweigh even a good day on I-70 in Summit County. Don’t want to drive? Winter Park Resort is currently the only ski area in Colorado offering train service from Denver. Find out more here.
Weather Pattern – Since Winter Park is a bit farther north than most mountains in the area, storms that produce 2 inches for neighboring mountains often produce larger amounts for Winter Park Ski Resort. Obviously, this can work in reverse as well.

Weaknesses:

Not snowboard friendly or beginner friendly in areas – There is no way around it, Winter Park Ski Resort has lots of long, flat traverses – especially on Mary Jane side. Not only is this annoying for snowboarders who do not have poles to push them along, but it can also be a real pain for skiers when the weather is super warm or super cold. Even if your skis/board is waxed, these traverses can be real buzz kills. Getting familiar with the mountain is the best way to avoid or prepare for these sections.
Like any mountain, Winter Park Ski Resort has some slow lifts. Whether this is due to age or exposure to weather (wind), these lifts can leave your teeth chattering in between runs on cold days.

Vazquez Territory – The bottom of half of this area is long and flat. It can be a real pain in the ass to board or ski, even if you have speed going into sections. Its a shame too because there are some really fun sections of this area that I tend to avoid because of the inconvenience factor.
Parking, specifically on the Mary Jane side – Although Winter Park Ski Resort has a lot of parking areas, they can fill up quickly. Years ago, parking used to be a non-issue for both sides of the mountain, but as it has gained in popularity, so has the competition for parking. My best advice: get there early and hang out until the lifts open. In my opinion its much better than walking long distances just to get back to your car.

Mick’s Tip: Winter Park Ski Resort is a great spot to ski or board, but requires some learning of the mountain to take advantage of the best options for you. Take a peek at the trail map before you visit to learn how to get to certain areas and read up on the areas to find out whats the best spot for you.

Best Views: In my opinion, the best views will be towards the South and North while at Winter Park Ski Resort. A trip up Panoramic Express or Eagle Wind will give you the best views on a clear day.