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Ski Trip – Breckenridge and Keystone
- By Michael Lakus
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- Read Time: 5min
Just Book the Ski Trip!
Everyone – ski season is back! This is my second year with an Epic Pass, so I gotta make those days count. This little vacay was super impromptu. Right before boarding my flight to Las Vegas for AWS re:Invent, I get a call from my Dad about some flights for this ski trip. No more than 5 minutes later… looks like we’re going to Colorado!
Initial Outing of the Season
Fast forwarding, the first ski trip of the 2018-2019 season was with the family to some of our favorite resorts: Breckenridge and Keystone. Both are super close to Lake Dillon; the area we normally stay. Since this is usually an annual thing, let me map it out:
The condo this year had great view of the lake, too. Here was a quick picture I snapped before heading out to the slopes. I didn’t realize it at first, but I think it was actually quite picturesque!
First Lift - Breck
The ski trip started out with the first day in Breckenridge, or Breck for short. This place is YUGE now. I remember going here as a kid, and you could call it a small ski village. Nowadays, Breck is a legit town.
At Breck, I met up with some friends from work, and we took some casual laps to get loose. Unfortunately, only having one day at Breck, we weren’t all over the mountain. Nevertheless, we got some solid runs in from top to bottom.
A Welcomed Coincidence:
Dew Tour happened to be in Breck the day we were out, so I had to stop by and check out the riders throw down in the pipe. There’s always some competition going on at the resorts!
Breckenridge at Night
Now, every ski trip needs that momentum to keep on rolling. Let’s not forget the nightlife in Breck either. The town has one main street (S Main St, to be correct) where everything is in walking distance. They have it all – the club scene, live music, sports bars, chic bars and much more. Personally, I’ll have to vouch for Motherloaded Tavern.
This place was made for the 90s kid. They had a live band called El Paso Lasso, covering all those nostalgic jammy jams. Dancing on tables was mandatory, and naturally, everyone was singing along.
Discovery Brew:
My buddy Chad introduced me to Montucky while in Breck. It is the best 12oz cold snack you can get, and not to mention an aesthetically pleasing design. Thank you, sir.
Keystone Rippin’
Next up, it was time for some Keith Stone action at Keystone. This resort has one of the best views of Lake Dillon, and is my go-to place for park skiing every ski trip. However, being early season, the A51 terrain park was not operational, so it was time to get creative. Good news, this season was already off to a good snowy start, so much of the mountain was open and ready to become acquainted with my skis.
Usually on ski trips with the fam, I’ll break away at some point to freestyle it up and work on progressing. Fortunately, my sister’s boyfriend (“Smitty”) came along to shred it up. Conditions were prime to keep it sendy. We found some gnarly side-hit jumps on most of the runs to keep things interesting. Good times overall!
Keystone Castle and the Beach
Although ski trips to the good ol’ Stone are all about the skiing and snowboarding, there are also some other cool spots on the mountain I have to mention. Right up at the first peak where the gondola lets off, there is a giant snow castle. I’ll admit, every year I see it, but never go in it. This year’s ski trip, I broke the trend. Pretty impressive work, if you think about it. I wonder how long it takes to make?
The other Keystone original is the ‘Beach.’ This is basically a lounge area on the backside of the mountain, complete with a restaurant called LaBonte’s. After an exhausting day on the mountain, we’d always find ourselves back at this spot. Best part about it? Relaxing in a chair with a drink in hand, watching people wipe out coming down the hill. Jerry loves his yard sales.
LaBonte's Price Check:
Ordered an RBV (RedBull, Vodka) for liquid courage activacion – must be inflation rates. Beverage seekers be warned.
Weekend Ski Trip Complete
Being from Florida, I always enjoy those quick ski trips out to Colorado to take advantage of a real winter. With so many friends (and now family) living out in Denver, relocating seems like a great option these days.
Who know what will happen…
Regardless – looking forward to a great ski season with family and friends this year!
Recap of Places
- Breckenridge Resort – one of the biggest and best resorts in Colorado
- Dew Tour – Watch athletes throw down the craziest freestyle tricks
- Breck bars – Motherloaded Tavern and Rocky Mountain Underground (RMU) among others
- Keystone Resort – Great views, one of the best terrain parks
- The Beach and LaBonte’s – Sit back, relax, and people watch
Michael Lakus
IT professional, athlete, musician, ponderer of many things... Born and raised in Florida, I began traveling internationally after college. I created this site primarily to remind myself of where I've been and to share my experiences on traveling with a quirky, stress-free, travel attitude.
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