Mountain Review: Winter Park, Colorado

[@Phil-oy2mr]

Also, it would be cool if the corner of the video showed what run you are actively on

[@PeakRankings]

Thanks for that suggestion Phil! To be frank, doing this may add a lot of editing time to our videos. Can't 100% promise it will happen, but we'll try our best!

[@IndigoVisuals]

Most skiers watching this know the runs. I've lived in WP for years, download a resort map and follow along.

[@Island_Line_Rail_Productions]

9:20. Another great way to get to Winter Park is to take the Amtrak California Zephyr. While it does not stop at the resort, it does make a stop at Fraser, just a few miles down from the mountain. In Fraser there are a lot of places to stay from AirBnB to hotels and there is a free shuttle service that goes around the town and up to the mountain. The Zephyr departs Denver Union Station at 8:05 AM and arrives at Fraser at 10:07. A few years ago I did this with family and it worked flawlessly.

[@Kenoticrunner]

Your review is really good and maps closely to those of us who love this mountain. According to your review, the top drawback is crowd flow. Here, what you do is go on the week days. If you can't do that, it comes down to experience at the resort. The crowd traffic is fairly patterned based upon time of day, which lifts are open, and snow and weather conditions. Once you learn the patterns, you can avoid not all but much of wait times. The way to learn these patterns quickly is to take the singles line and ask the mountain's locals. Even on busy weekends you can bypass much of the lines by knowing where to ski when across the resort. Second drawback you have is navigation. First-timers and especially boarders get hung up easily on this mountain. That said, except for deep powder days, the whole mountain can be quickly and easily navigated, once you learn how. Again, experience is rewarded. The way to learn this quickly is to ski with the mountain's locals who know when and where you need to keep speed. What this means together is that this mountain rewards loyalty. As a vacationer or first timer, the resort being ranked "only" among the better of Colorado makes sense. But if you get a pass and ski this mountain a number of times, its drawbacks will fade away. For Grand County residents, Front Ranger families who love athletic skiing especially in the bumps, and vacationers who have developed a loyalty to learn this mountain, Winter Park and Mary Jane have a cult following.

[@JhonPereda]

Would you consider Monday to be an off-peak day?

[@kaseyburleson]

Nice content. You showed insane lines and mentioned the crowds on weekends. I think to be balanced you could add that WP isn't very crowded during the week. Also, WP doesn't have a ton of restaurants but there are a few that are outstanding at good prices with a nice "scene/vibe". I also think WP has a very approachable ski school and learning area. We have also found WP employees better than most places.

[@PeakRankings]

Thanks for that feedback Kasey!

[@MorganBrown]

Lines I experienced at Breck on a weekend in 2015 way worse than anything I’ve seen in maybe 50 days at winter park

[@JhonPereda]

Is WP crowded on Mondays?

[@mitchdwx]

I just went on a Thursday and Friday in late January. Zero lines on Thursday and some short (2-3 minutes) lines on Friday. I do agree with the navigation being somewhat confusing though, even after 2 days there I still had no clue where I was on the mountain most of the time. At some points I had to ride the lifts 2-3 times just to find the Village Way trail which takes you to the base. Still had great snow and tons of trails for all skill levels which made it very enjoyable!

[@AnomalyCreates]

Your videos are so well thought out and presented. You are my go to for reviews.

[@georgeg.7124]

Enjoy your vids. Thanks for doing them.

[@bigjfodayz]

I only went on weekends last year. The lines were long but not as bad as lines at some east coast mountains. Additionally, the high speed six packs move the lines fast so I never stood for more than 15-20 minutes. If you’re a skilled skier or snowboarder you can get the goods and not have to stand in line if you know where to go.

[@timothydooley1550]

Good video but I disagree with you on the level of challenging terrain. WP/MJ is way more challenging than Vail. The level of skiers at WP/MJ are better as well so that's an indication of challenging terrain. Vail has BSB and the bowls which are great but every bump run at the Jane is tougher than that...lol... other than that good video!

[@Bohdisattva326]

Therese literally nothing to do in Wp apres. I’d take vail over Wp 99/100 times. The lure of Wp is it’s never that busy in comparison to vail/breck(I lived in denver for 2 yrs). Also Mary Jane is mostly bumps and moguls. A good mountain for bump skiers ⛷

[@SkiDaBird]

Haven't skied Vail, but I'll agree it's a harder mountain than he's giving it credit for. The MJ saying exists for a reason.

[@Hyperpuppy64]

The MJ chutes and pretty much all of the Cirque is harder than any terrain at Vail tbh

[@timothydooley1550]

@@Bohdisattva326 that's true about nothing to do but we are talking about the skiing not après-ski. Bump skiers are the best skiers on any mountain... just saying... lol

[@PeakRankings]

Thanks for the support and constructive feedback Timothy! We agree hands down that Vail's BSB and back bowls are nowhere near as challenging as Mary Jane. However, we feel that some of Vail's front side terrain, including the long double-black mogul runs off Highline and the hidden cliffs in Prima Cornice, are demanding enough to warrant a challenge rating similar to that of Winter Park's. Our rankings aren't perfect, but we try our best to be as comprehensive and unbiased as possible. Let us know if you still disagree!

[@Banc2008]

Love the reviews! Winter Park is one of my favorite resorts but you are completely correct to call out the crazy lift lines.

[@PeakRankings]

Thank you Pete!

[@Mossy5150]

Best trees for a snowboarder I've encountered personally, Eagle wind on a powder day is as good as it gets

[@mtadams2009]

I skied there last year and had a great time. Lift lines were fine. Lots of good tree runs and the cat skiing area was great and I would definitely not miss it. We did it multiple times a day.

[@TwinSkiingLiftsRides]

Skied Winter Park twice within three weeks, both times have been on a Saturday, and almost everything was crowded. The Panoramic Express line looked long, but I only waited ten minutes because of how efficient the lift moves people.

[@bruschi8148]

Absolutely love these reviews!!!

[@table7938]

It would be cool if next season you reviewed whitefish in Montana!

[@PeakRankings]

We'll try to get there!

[@jasonsong86]

Winterpark is my second favorite resort in CO!

[@mousetreehouse6833]

Thank you for your honesty, like discussing the downside of Winter Park. It gives you a chance to plan and what to prepare for... Plus that train ride! ❤️ (Edit: is WP close to or ingrained with Granby)?

[@PeakRankings]

Granby is about half an hour away, assuming no traffic and clear road conditions.

[@mousetreehouse6833]

@@PeakRankings Ok, thanks! Wasn't sure if it was an independent town, or part of the ski scene, like Aspen or Vail. Guess I got the idea because of a video I saw once about the train stopping in Granby.

[@MorganBrown]

Winter Park is my daily driver. A few thought in no order: Best resort in Colorado not requiring a drive through Eisenhower Tunnel Can be windy; Mary Jane gets a lot of wind blown powder at these times Yes there are choke points but it is easy to find alternative lifts (esp at Mary Jane). Never had a day ruined by lines There’s almost always a secret stash even on mediocre days, but it’ll vary. Rarely does everything suck Not a big fan of their tree skiing. Prob best at Mary Jane. Sunnyside glades are fun (blue) Belle Fourche is an awesome way to ski the cirque without hiking Eagle Wind inconsistent but awesome at times (lift often break down) Gambler and aces&eights (pioneer) usually excellent Laps on Eskimo express lift line Iron horse is slow but upper golden spike is awesome

[@MorganBrown]

@El Barbero Don't get me wrong, I have had some decent tree runs at WP/MJ. But nothing that compares to the glades at Steamboat. I can literally do lap after lap of pretty excellent trees when I go to Steamboat. Maybe I am looking in the wrong places at WP/MJ. Any suggestions?

[@MorganBrown]

@El Barbero you will probably like the Eagle Wind area. Steep glades and trees. big downside is the crummy old lift that is often closed and literally the sketchiest cat track at the resort! If you ride the Iron Horse lift at Mary Jane, there are some really excellent steep trees. I have also found some good stuff skier's right of Super Gauge Express (also at MJ). Panoramic Express has some cool (and popular) glades of blue trees. I'm sure someone who skis there more would have better insights.

[@markmassoglia]

Just an observation to your excellent content. A fixed grip chair is not by default bad thing in certain parts of a resort. Case in point, A-Basin replacing the old Pali chair with another fixed double. Curious of you take strategically placed fixed chairs.

[@PeakRankings]

Thanks for your support and feedback Mark! We ultimately weight fixed-grip chairs lower than high-speeds in our Lifts category, but in our view, strategic fixed-grip placement can really help with two categories: 1) Crowd Flow: Slower lifts can weed out visitors who aren't "dedicated" to a specific mountain pod, resulting in shorter lines. 2) Mountain Aesthetic: Fixed-grips have less of a footprint and are less noisy than detachable lifts, resulting in less of a disturbance to the natural environment and a more isolated feel. Hope this helps!

[@kayakutah]

:11 Tele in the bumps - NICE!

[@Cougar1212]

Spent the 75/76 season as my "off year" at WP with the new MJ. Unlimited season pass $230 !! What a year to be an 18 yr old ski bum.

[@aubreywhitley6889]

A great, unbiased review. Keep up the good work! A few things I disagree with and a few missed points Snow making is limited on the Winter Park (WP) side. Their early season (November, early December) terrain is usually limited to a few green runs and one or two blues. There is no snow making on the Mary Jane (MJ) side. There is a lot of flat terrain on the WP side. If you see a blue run that turns into green on the map, be sure you keep a lot of speed going into that transition. Else, you'll be skating, poling or walking. It's almost if WP tried for more vertical on these lifts than was really feasible. Many of the blues (Edelweiss, Bluebell, Columbine, Roundhouse) on the MJ side lean toward the easier side. Few, if any, groomed black runs. WP no longer gives out paper maps. You have to use the maps on signs, on some chairs or the app. This seems to be a trend many resorts are going to. I don't see it as a "green" solution more of a cost cutting measure. Please have paper maps available. Even if I have to pay for them. I'm be laminating my old maps to bring with me. A paper map is way bigger than my phone screen. As you mentioned, weekends can be a zoo! Especially on a powder day. WP is closer to Denver than the other major resorts. You don't have the Eisenhower Johnson tunnel to deal with but you do have Berthound pass. The road has been greatly improved (2 lanes uphill, widened, more shoulder, more pull outs) over the years but it can be treacherous and down right scary. There are numerous avalanche paths that cross the highway. Winter Park can get more snow than other Front Range resorts. They can get storms out of the W, NW, N or even from the E (up slope) if it's a very strong storm. MJ can stay open until May or even Jue. The Panorama (Pano) lift is often closed due to wind. Even when it doesn't seem that windy. The Pioneer lift, from which there is no other way out, is prone to outages. Especially with winds out of the west. Just yesterday ski patrol had to tow people out with snowmobiles. I was one of them. It's scheduled to be replaced for next season. Limited above tree line bowls. Pano is it for lift served. I find navigation hard. "Where do I go, how do I get there?" Even after occasional visits over 30 years of living in CO. Parking is bad. At least free parking. On the MJ side, there's 3 lots but they fill quickly and you wind up parking on the road and walking. I'm less familiar with the WP side.

[@fitofito1001]

Here is my ranking: 1 Whistler-Blackcomb 2, big sky 3, winter park.

[@jeffbrown321]

The Cirque: "one small area..." LOL ;-)

[@jpsnCoSprings]

Weekends at WP sucks. Way too crowded. I have a weekday only pass for $460. Mondays thru Thursday, not crowded. Ya get a lot more skiing in when it isn't crowded. Have not been to WP on a weekend in over 10 years. Don't miss the crowds.

[@hiro-y2m]

Oh, there are lots of skiing course in Colorado. However, i would like to comment in the Happo-one in Japan. This is the very nice skiing place. There are lot of reason. One is quality of snow is quite nice. Snow is sometimes soft and you can enjoy the powder snow, for example, in Skyline in Happo. In addition, there are many hard slopes, for example, top of Kurobishi, starting course of Olympic. There are also out-side skiing place. You may be think about Colorado is the best. I also agree this situation. However, If you are enjoying Another culture in Japan and reasonable Japanese circumstances, such as convenient Yen payment and comfortable American and European persons using English, please visit the Japan, Hakuba, Happo-one. I am not willing to tell you for such exciting information because this is top-secret. Don't miss it. Thanks.

[@pyotrrossetti]

Winter Park is my favorite resort as someone who mostly skis greens and goes on trips with lots of beginner friends because it is pretty much the only park where you can visit most of the mountain by some sort of green. When my beginner friends inquire about going to other fancier resorts in Colorado I usually dismiss it because you won't be able to see the postcard views as a beginner and you'll be confined to a small cluster of visually undiverse greens.

[@JhonPereda]

Thank you for this comment. I am visiting CO for the first time ever and only for 4 days, and I want 1 of those days to be skiing. Never skiied in my life, so I want a location that has a lot of beginner trails and beautiful views.

[@jakemagilke2461]

@@JhonPereda Did you go? How was it??

[@chrisskiingpowpow]

He's back!😄

[@PeakRankings]

Thanks for the support Chris! We're posting 1x monthly throughout the summer, with more frequent uploads coming once the season nears.

[@friend_built]

I love winter park. It’s the reason I went ikon over epic

[@blarbkanopcious4243]

Does anyone know where that is between 1:58 and 2:03????????

[@jesboogie]

Love winter park!

[@sanjayc74]

as a snowboarder who loves trees, powder and bowls, would I enjoy WP? I hate moguls too

[@peterfreeman3317]

Stay away from Mary Jane unless you stick to the trees.

[@AlexanderPopov90210]

Can you please do a Mountain Review of Steamboat Ski Resort soon, at least before winter of 2022-2023❄️☃️🌨🏔⛷

[@PeakRankings]

We don't have the footage 😭

[@PeakRankings]

We will try to get one up ASAP after our next trip! In the mean time, here is our written review: www.peakrankings.com/content/steamboat

[@MorganBrown]

Bro just take the leap and ski the ‘boat. You won’t regret it. Best tree skiing I’ve seen in Colorado.

[@Mtb_5670]

they have one

[@timothykaczanowski2603]

Yeah steamboat has great glades but the mountain is not very challenging compared to other Colorado resorts

[@averagejojofan8649]

Can you do monarch mountain?

[@hudsonhighfield9085]

Ayy winter park park crew approved les gooooo

[@TheRealTs638]

I would love to go here, although its quiet spendy.

[@Mtb_5670]

If you have an ikon pass , you have to go

[@TheRealTs638]

@@Mtb_5670 True. But I dont live close enough to most ski resorts to make it worth while to get any pass.

[@Mtb_5670]

@@TheRealTs638 where do you live?

[@TheRealTs638]

@@Mtb_5670 texas

[@Mtb_5670]

@@TheRealTs638 dam

[@valhadden6274]

It also has the best ski school in Colorado maybe even the US

[@brianoconnor3407]

Val, by what criteria do you make that statement? It is mostly unsupportable. I am a Level III PSIA instructor with a 40 year pin. I have taught in California, Nevada, Colorado and Utah. Group lessons, private lessons, kids, etc. It is virtually impossible to state that any ski resort has the 'best' ski school. Cost of lift ticket, cost of the lesson, package deals with rentals for beginners, etc., are important components, and most important is teaching terrain for beginners and transitional slopes away from the main flow of traffic. I get it that you may have had a good experience at Winter Park, but the best in the US? Give me a break.

[@sammcintosh3942]

My Unpopular opinion: Winter Park/Mary Jane has the best variety of tree runs in Colorado

[@MorganBrown]

Looking forward to Steamboat 😀

[@brianoconnor3407]

Winter Park is an intermediate mountain. Difficult to access the slopes from your parking lot, difficult to get from point A to point B. Expect to traverse all day long. If you are an intermediate, you will have a blast. I skied Copper, A-Basin and Winter Park on one trip pre-covid. Winter Park sucked by comparison on several levels. Of those, Copper Mountain is superior. (I have also skied all of the other resorts except Crested Butte and Telluride. Both are on my bucket list.)

[@blarbkanopcious4243]

Winter park is the best. The only one with a blue bowl above timberline!

[@HardlineSoul]

I remember the days when you never had to wear a helmet...Good times! lol!

[@eriklarson9725]

Do Arapahoe Basin!

[@PeakRankings]

A-Basin review is coming after the 2022-23 season. We’ll be returning to incorporate the new Lenawee six-pack into the review!

[@dopebrose5151]

Just to let everyone know, dark territory does not require those things anymore

[@JonathanHeight-b2o]

McCullough Forest

[@foragingfleur]

Winter Park is not for beginners. Gemini lift and Discovery is not for beginners. Only beginners part is the ski/snowboard lessons.

[@Mtb_5670]

winter park is pretty goof for beigners, pretty good runs off olympia, gemini, hi-lo, and prospercter

[@c-LAW]

Give yourself 48 hours to acclamate before sking.

[@joelflights]

Japan

[@Jiddy-J]

Bro doesn’t know what he’s talking about 😂