Why Keystone Is the Sickest Place to Ride in Colorado

Keystone is ridiculous.

There is so much to do at this resort that I can barely wrap my head around it enough to explain. Whether you’re a noob starting out and need some easy greens to learn on, or an experienced rider looking for fresh powder, steep hills, tree runs or a killer terrain park, it’s all here.

The resort has a total of 102 acres, 4 trails, 3 lifts and 22 features in the park. In short, it’s massive.

First things first, you gotta get up early if you don’t live up in the mountains and want to beat traffic on I-70 and long lift lines when you get to Keystone. I usually park at the free Montezuma lot by River Run village. Try to get there at 8:00 so you can find a good parking spot and get your gear on by 8:30, when the resort opens.

In the past, you had to go through River Run village and hike up a bit, but this year they’ve opened up a new 8-person Gondola that’s right at the base. The lines can be a little long (I was in for about 30 min before I got on), but the ride up is really fast, and once you’re there, just ride halfway down and keep coming back up or explore the rest of the mountain.

Keystone is huge, so I’m only going to name the runs that I frequent and can recommend.

If you took the Gondola up Dercum Mountain, there is a run right across from where you get off called Scout that is perfect for beginners. It’s short and easy, and there is a lift very close by, so it’s a great place to practice.

If you’re planning on seeing the rest of the mountain but want a good warm-up, go to the left and start out on Spring Dipper and get on some of the other blues it connects with. You can get back up top at the Gondola mid-station. Alternatively, you can also go to the right and head down on Schoolmarm and get back up at the Montezuma lift.

Once you’re all warmed up and ready for more adventure take the Outpost Gondola to North Peak. Ride down Spillway and Fox Trot to get to the Outback Express lift. Ride up as far as it takes you, and then prepare to hike up about 10 min to the top. If you’re lazy, you can pay $5 and hitch a ride on a snowcat, but that’s no fun.

At the top, take a moment to look around. It’s amazing, beautiful, incredible and intimidating all at once. It’s the Outback.

After you snap out of your trance, pick either the North or South Bowl. You’ll find everything here – soft, but challenging powder drops, tree runs, wide open space at the highest point of the mountain, and more. It’s a rider’s paradise, and it’s one of the things everyone should do before they die.

Play around up there as long as you can, but remember that it closes at 3:00 and you have a few lifts to get to in order to ride back to Dercum. If you still have energy, you can ride at night til lifts close at 8:30 – but you better have clear goggles. Try riding with tinted goggles and you’ll be clipping edges and smacking trees in no time.

Also, keep in mind that Keystone can get a little colder than other resorts, and it can get really icy. Runs can get really hard-packed and it’s no fun going down a steep hill that feels like a huge icicle, so just watch out.

Other than that, Keystone is my favorite place to ride in Colorado, and with all of the improvements they’ve made for 2008-2009, this season is going to kick ass.

Image credit: Tom JZ on Flickr

Time to Ride

Before you throw all your gear in the car and drive all the way up I-70, know what time the resort is actually going to open. Here are the hours from the Keystone website:

Dercum Mountain: Open 8:30 a.m. daily (9 a.m. early season)
North Peak: Closes at 3:30 p.m.
Outback: Closes at 3:00 p.m.
All Bowls: Close at 1:30 p.m.
The Windows: Close at 2:00 p.m.
Night Skiing & Riding: Friday, November 21, 2008; Wednesday to Sunday from November 26 – November 30, 2008; Friday and Saturday’s from December 5 – December 13, 2008; 7 days a week from December 19 – January 4, 2009; and Wednesday to Sunday from January 7 – March 29, 2009