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Loveland Snowboard Zone
Rider's Guide -- If you've never been to Loveland, you've flat out been missing out. For starters, Loveland opens way ahead of most everybody else, with a foot and a half of man-made base, and a whole bunch of light, sweet, slick champaign powder. Until you’ve landed in this kind of powder, you haven't really lived!
Loveland sits atop the Continental Divide, on both sides of I-70, the main highway that goes across Colorado. When you're on the mountain, you're actually riding over the top of the Eisenhower Tunnel! This isn't some little sideshow spot. It has long been a local secret. There aren't resort accommodations right there on the mountain, so it didn't gain notoriety the way that places like Vail and Breckenridge and Aspen did. In a way, that's a good thing, because that's what keeps this most excellent mountain set aside for the more dedicated ski and snowboard enthusiasts.
The lift lines are a lot shorter, and it's just a lot less crowded. Part of that is because the mountain's so big, with two separate areas. The other part is the Local Secret factor. The lift tickets are cheaper too, making it even sweeter of a deal!
If you're new to snowboarding, don't sweat it. The school's instructors are some of the best anywhere, and their ski patrol is top-notch as well. They'll get you going in no time. More experienced boarders will get good tips from these pros too!
Parks and Pipes -- Let's take a look at a partial list: There are custom-built slider boxes. Santa Cruz and Session sponsored a C-box. Burton put up the bucks for a Hubba flat-to-down box. There are slider rails, a double-barrel, a rainbow rail, jumps and hips... They're hosting the Vert, and there are several rail jams throughout the season... A ton of air, with landing zones full of powder, and endless supply of stoke for everyone! See, Loveland doesn't just get SOME snow, or SOME powder. At that altitude, most of the 400 inches (read: 33 FEET) of natural snow is silky smooth powder to ride on and play in!
One of the many sweet things about Loveland is natural terrain. You'll find plenty of that at Loveland. While it is well groomed, it's just a really HUGE mountain- 1365 acres to ride and play on, so you'll find some of that back country and out of bounds action too.
On mountain, there are refueling stations for your bod. The grub's affordable, tasty basic fare, and plenty of it, includes basic sandwiches, soups, Mexican, Pizza and BBQ. Off mountain, it's pretty much wide open, from snacks and gourmet treats to fine dining.
Out of Bounds – We're in the Rockies. If you can imagine it being done on or in snow, it's available and 15 minutes or less from your hotel room.
Hang out and Hook Up -- Yep, you're going to have to take transport) to lodgings and après-ski. But you're going to have a lot more stoke to share when you do! Besides, it's really not far at all. There are 3 towns within 15 or so minutes of Loveland, (Dillon, Silverthorne, and Georgetown.) Idaho Springs is a bit further off to the east, with Frisco and Breckenridge to the west and south. Hang with the crowd from A-basin, or head on over to Dillon and Frisco. Check out the live music scene at Breckenridge or rub it up over at Vail. It's your call, from a low-key laid back vibe, to intense party mode.
The Deal – Under an hour from Denver, with everything from buses to limo service, you'll find getting to Loveland is easy. It's right there at I-70 and the Eisenhower Tunnel. You can rent wheels, or transport is available to take you from the mountain to lodgings and après-ski at any of the excellent areas mentioned.
If you live for those sweet, special days when everything is just right and it all comes together, you're going to love Loveland. The opportunities are literally endless! Scarf it up while you can, though. With everybody having such an awesome time, word's bound to get around pretty soon!
