Breckenridge, CO: January 2021

We arrived at Tiger Run RV Resort on January 1st. Scott got the camper settled into our site, and then drove two hours to pick me up at Denver airport. This is our home for the next ten weeks.

When we planned to spend 10 weeks in ski country, we were hopeful that COVID19 would be behind us. It was clear heading into the fall of last year that this would not be the case. One of the reasons why we chose to spend most of the winter season here was because we had met a couple from England that was also planning to spend a couple of months in the area. We really hit it off with them skiing in Jackson Hole, WY, back in February of 2020, just before the ski resorts began to shut down. Hence, they had to cancel their plans for this ski season.

Last year, we purchased the ICON Ski pass. This year, we switched back to the EPIC Pass. The ski resorts are following the new protocols put into place to ensure social distancing, including the mandate for having a face covering. The good news is that the new “reservation system” is relatively easy to use. The bad news is that the area has not had much new snow since we have arrived. Conditions at Breckinridge and Keystone are packed powder with hard, slick and rock exposed areas. By mid-January, the top of Peaks 6, 7, 8 in Breck were still not open. Still, we were excited to try out our new powder skis – without the powder. Makes a lot of sense, right?

Rather than continue to experience unfavorable East Coast conditions, we chose to put our skis aside for awhile and focus on hiking. An entrance to the Continental Divide Trail/Colorado Trail is located in Tiger Run Resort. It became a popular, convenient spot for us to take a shorter, two-mile hike, or a longer seven to eight-mile hike with some elevation gain. About five minutes up the switchback trail, you can spot our parked trailer. I’ve circled it below in green.

On Monday, January 25, we had reservations at Breckenridge, but the morning temperature was so cold and only a dusting of snow had fallen overnight. The forecast was calling for more light snow Monday night into Tuesday, so we made a reservation for Tuesday and Wednesday at Vail. While it only takes us ten minutes to get to the “free” bus for Breck, we had to drive about 40 minutes to reach Vail Resort. Plus, parking costs anywhere from $20 – $50/day. On Tuesday, I chose NOT to bring my new powder skis, but rather bring along my old K2’s. There was anywhere from three to five inches on the trails in the back bowls. Scott did quite well, and I had wished I had brought my powder skis, the Nordica Enforcer Free 104’s. The early runs were great, until the snow picked up and visibility was quickly decreasing. We called it a day and headed back home. The following day we enjoyed up to at least six inches of new, fresh snow in the back bowls. It was a Blue Bird beauty and a little more crowded. However, Vail is so immense that you can certainly find a trail to call your own with virtually no lift lines once you are in the Back Bowls.

On January 30th, we got another six inches of fresh snow. Hopefully, this will continue as we head in to our second month here. It’s looking like Colorado again!