Keystone Ski Resort

Slane
Slane
First Reviewer
4 out of 5
Avg. Member Rating
6
Reviews
11
Photos
Editor Pick

Keystone

  • October 3, 2005
  • Rated 4 of 5 by amjohnson from Holly Grove, Arkansas
I skied at Keystone during December so it was still early season and many parts of the mountain were not open. I did still have some really good skiing though. The ski area was really nice; there were two base areas so it was a little more spread out with condos and such at both areas. This helped to cut down on the crowd some. They are also open in the day from 9am until 4pm and certain slopes until 9pm for night skiing.

The night skiing is one thing that drew me to Keystone but I was not very please with it. They have lights on the slopes but you really need more of a clear goggle to see at night and I didn’t want to make that extra purchase for just one night. It is also extremely cold night skiing especially on the lifts. It was fun to try and say I did it but I have no desire to hurry back and night ski.

They have a deal where you can buy one lift ticket to ski five resorts. This includes Keystone, Breckenridge, Arapahoe Basin, Vail and Beaver Creak.

The summit elevation is 12,408 feet and they have nineteen lifts. Their lifts include gondolas, high-speed lifts, chair lifts, surface lifts, and carpets. They also have the ability to make snow. There are 117 trails and the longest run is 3.5 miles. The terrain is 2,870 acres. About half the mountain is most difficult terrain and half easy or intermediate. I was an intermediate skier and really like the runs. It was about on the lines of many of the other ski areas I had skied in Colorado.

They had eating places at the base of the mountain and also bars with happy hour specials when the slopes closed. The ski area was walking distance to many of the condos and hotels.

When going back I would not go in the early season because much of the mountain was not open and it was really cold there in December. The cost of the lift tickets also varies with the dates though. If you are looking for a cheaper priced ski vacation the early season may be the best for you.

From journal Skiing in Keystone

Keystone Ski Lessons

  • September 21, 2005
  • Rated 4 of 5 by mlmeredith from St. Louis, Missouri
Keystone Ski Lessons

We've discovered that the best way to learn is with a semi-private lesson where you can have an instructor just for your group. We've had lessons with Ken Wilson a number of times and he is the BEST! If you see him, tell him that the Meredith's of St. Louis say hi!

The Discovery Hill is wide, short, and a fine place to learn, even if you have to dodge a sitting snowboarder or two (what's up with that?). But if that hill is closed, you'll be taken to the summit, where another learning slope is located. That's not so lovely.

The summit area can be exceptionally windy, and for the first-timer, it can be a bit intimidating. The view is spectacular, but you find yourself wondering about how easy it might be so slip off the mountain all together.

My recommendation? Go after mid-December (when there is plenty of snow for the Discovery Hill), book a lesson with Ken Wilson, and have a blast!

From journal Skiing for Beginners

Keystone

  • March 6, 2005
  • Rated 4 of 5 by Sheeela from Ridgefield, Connecticut
I thoroughly enjoyed the variety of runs and the layout. Advanced skiiers can avoid the greens and beginners by hanging out on the upper faces and in the outback area of the mountain that exclusively caters to advanced skiers. The lodge facilities were cozy--updated and inviting. Staff was friendly, and it was here that I discovered my K2 T-Nine Spires! A ski instructor encouraged me try them out (demo) after overhearing me discuss my fatigue in the lift line. He was so right! Ski Keystone! We'll be back--my son loved the bumps!

From journal Keystone is a Jewel!

Editor Pick

Keystone Mountain

  • January 28, 2003
  • Rated 4 of 5 by books from Houston, Texas
Keystone Mountain

The altitude here is 9-11,000 feet. I recommend letting your body adjust a day or so before you hit the slopes. The runs here are long, and they seemed steeper than other greens we have skied.

The bus picked us up in the parking lot very quickly. The workers even helped load our skis on the racks on the side of the bus. Buses made the rounds of the parking lots and base areas every few minutes.

Two in our group had not skied before so they signed up for a lesson, which lasts all day. The lift to the easiest slope was closed on the Monday before Thanksgiving so they never got to practice getting on a real lift. They only used the "Magic Carpet" all day. Had we skied Breckenridge before, we would have taken our beginners there for lessons. However, our one that stuck with the lesson all day, did very well on the green slopes at Breckenridge the next day.

Since this was very early in the season, only a third of the mountain was open. We skied the greens and blues off the Argentine and Montezuma lifts. If you like long runs, Schoolmarm coming down from the summit is about 3 miles of skiing! It has some pretty steep sections, but they don't last long. The snow was great -- 8 inches the previous night. They said the snow was at January level in November.

There are numerous restaurants in the area. If you want to "dine," eat in the village. There are many choices--sandwiches, burgers, soups, salads, pizza, BBQ--at the Mountain House base area and at Summit House. We ate in the food court at the Mountain House Base. The soup and bread were wonderful--filling and hot. Allow about $10/person for lunch. You can bring your own lunch if you are on a budget.

Don't buy daily lift tickets at the mountain. If you know at least 2 weeks in advance when you will be there, buy tickets through the Peaks program from the website. Multi-day tickets are much cheaper over the internet. We got 2- and 3-day lift tickets for early season at $29/day compared to individual tickets of $39 and $49 for the days we were there. These multi-day passes are good also at Arapahoe and Breckenridge. Five-day tickets are also good at Vail.

From journal Thanksgiving in Summit County

Editor Pick

X-Country Skiing at Keystone

  • August 16, 2002
  • Rated 4 of 5 by Grasshopper from Keystone, Colorado
X-Country Skiing at Keystone

Often hard core downhill ski fanatics will ask, truly baffled, "what can you possibly like about x-country skiing?!" How about the peace, the solitude, the beauty, the scenery, the quiet? X-country skiing allows me to get out into the outback of nature where I can go for a long time with out meeting another soul. I never have to watch my back for a crazy snow boarder or out of control skier.

Keystone resort has a variety of options for the x-country enthusiast. The primary x-country trail heads are at the River Golf Course. There you will find a sport shop with rentals (everything you need to ski or snowshoe), trailpasses, and lessons.

From the sport shope you can head two directions. One will take you through a series of loops, that actually circle the holes of the golf course. These are fun because within a short range you get some uphill and some downhill. Head down the hill to the left of the rental center and across the road and you get out into a huge meadow area. There you can skate ski for a good 6 to 8 kilometers without stopping.

There are other, unmarked and ungroomed routes within the resort that I actually prefer to the formal area. At the far end of the resort, where the bridge to Settler's Creek crosses the Snake River you will find the old fireroad that heads out to the small town of Montezuma. This is a mostly flat road that, while not groomed, will take you through a beautiful, deserted forest area.

Additionally, there are some tougher trails at the top of the mountain that are reached by taking the River Run Gondola. These trails are found at 11,400 feet elevation and the views are incredible. The weather can change very fast up here and it's important to keep in mind how long it might take to get back to civilization.

From journal The Colorado Rockies - a Year Round Destination

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