Gretchen

What Fmpden says about altitude sickness is SO true. Timing is a total mystery. However, being short of breath will be a given!!

BigRuss

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You may get a lot of that on the way to the area. Rent a car with 4 wheel drive. Downshifting an Altima using its manumatic mode in a blizzard isn't fun (that's how we got to Breck in '08).

And Breck has at least one (maybe more) oxygen bars if you're feeling a bit height-sick. Had to hit one myself. Also carried an oxygen can (available at convenience stores) for quick hits.

Gretchen

I have driven to and from the mountains in snow and in clear weather. Front wheel drive is fine. If you absolutely would need 4 wheel, wait for the weather to clear!!
But if you rent early enough, an SUV can be economical, but decide many months in advance. Experience speaking here--price went up too much and a minivan worked out fine. Colorado does a great job keeping its interstates open.

fmpden

Don't get a four wheel drive vehicle unless you are very experience with driving in snow. Learning to drive with a four wheel drive in our mountains is not recommended. Front wheel drive is more than adequate and safer.

Extra oxygen is psychology. There is more than enough oxygen in our air for you. The problem is the lower pressure at altitude does not drive the oxygen as efficiently across the membranes in your lungs. What you need is a pressure chamber.

peanut33

Thank you so much everyone! This has been really helpful. I've been getting most of my information from reports just like this, so I apologize if some of it is wrong :/ Maybe that's why I've been so confused! I'm not quite certain about the flattening out stuff, because as I said, I've never been skiing! What I read though was that at Breckenridge people often have to unstrap or whatever from the snowboard and carry it quite a ways to the lift whereas I guess at other places they maybe don't have to carry it so far.

Thank you for the advice on the vehicle rentals. I will definitely look into that

I'm still not sure where we will go, but all of this feedback definitely helps. Thank you!

martym

Tiny scientific correction here Those of us who live at altitude have more red corpuscles--those are the ones that carry the oxygen.

fmpden

Opps, your are correct. I meant red. White is for infections.

....at Breckenridge people often have to unstrap or whatever from the snowboard and carry it quite a ways to the lift .....

Would love to see the original source for that statement. I can think of no place in Breck where that would be even remotely true for a chair lift other than getting to it at the beginning of the day. Second, there is one flat area when transiting from peak 8 to peak 9 that if you make a slightly wrong turn you can end up walking. But it is also easily avoided by using the correct chair lifts in order.

Bitter

Stay in Breck and from there you can ski it, Copper and Keystone. I think all are served by the free Summit Stage (double check that). Check the ski maps online to confirm which has the most green runs (but if you change mountains each day you shouldn't get bored). I'm a little more advanced and prefer Keystone and Copper to Breckenridge.

sf7307

And Breckenridge is the much better (or, more correctly, ONLY) town among the three - I don't ski, so when we go on a ski trip, I like a nice town, and Breckenridge, Aspen, Park City all qualify. Copper and Keystone don't.

fmpden

Correct, Summit Stage runs hourly between all three with a change in Frisco. There is even a connection to Vail for $20 or $25.

Gretchen

There is one area of all this that needs to be sort of explored. The OP has NEVER skied. She's gonna be on the magic carpet hopefully taking lessons, as are several others, I think. Her husband has boarded in the Midwest. He won't be on the carpet, but all are going to want greens, IMO.
Many have said that copper is the best boarding mountain even having real areas for boarding and easy delineation of the greens, blues, and blacks--and Frisco is literally 10 minutes away and is a great little town. I also like Breck, but....
OP, please take the "flattening out" out of the whole equation!!

shoreen

I would defniitely stay in Steamboat over Copper Mountain. copper is fun as a day trip from Denver in my opinion. But I think Steamboat has a charming town. Park City is great and super easy to get to from the airport. That's a fantastic option as well. The town is lovely wtih lots of great little restaurants and the resort is very, very nice. It will probably be much easier for you to get to Park City than Steamboat.

fmpden

In our eagerness to prompt our favorite places, there is tendency to forget what the OP posted or wanted. All beginners with a three day/four night stay. Hardly enough time to learn how to put on skis let alone learn how to ski well.

If I was going to spend a week in a ski area and skiing at an intermediate level, Copper would not be my first choice. In the front range I would choice Beaver Creek for the skiing and Breck for the town options. After that would consider Steamboat, Aspen or more likely Snowmass. Of all the places in Colorado, Snowmass would be my choice for the final run.

But for rank beginners with three days of skiing, Copper is a very good fit. If they have the energy at the end of the day, can always drive to Frisco and Dam Brewery in Dillon is pretty good way to end the day - if you can get in.

peanut33

Thank you everyone again for all of the information! If snowboarding isn't an issue at Breckenridge, I think that definitely puts it in the top of the list. It seems to be between there or Steamboat I think for the best options for a large group. It's a tough decision!

peanut33

This is what I read on Trip Advisor

"Park City is much closer to the airport. Negatives the runs are shorter than at Breck. I have found Park City to be more expensive all the way around, lifts, lodging, dining.. Though I have had very good times there. I do like the town of Park City more than Breck.

My snowboarding friends that are intermediates complain that the the run outs at Breck are to flat. Not a problem if you are adept at keeping your speed up or are more advanced."

sf7307

We've been to both Park City and Breckenridge (as well as Aspen, Snowmass, Vail). As far as towns go, I think Park City and Breck are pretty darned comparable.

Gretchen

OK, my family of snowboarders LOVE Copper. DGDs have honed their skills this year from advanced beginner to pretty darned good, as well as DS enjoying boarding with them. Good terrain.
Perhaps the posters on wherever chose the wrong run--like the bunny hill==to come down to?

Gretchen

I might add--it isn't as if you are buying a house and moving to this place. I don't think of a place in CO or Utah you could go skiing for 4 days and not have a wonderful time. LOL

peanut33

Is there any difference in avalanche risk at park city vs snowbird? I know they are close on the map, but I don't know how meaningful that is.
One person commented that there is enough to keep us busy at park city without going to canyons or deer park, do others who have been there agree? I believe with some lessons my husband may be intermediate before leaving (as I said he had snowboarded in CO before).

Very true Gretchen! It does sound like we can't really go wrong.

Gretchen

I think this is my last suggestion/idea. Fly to where it is cheapest--SLC, Denver,Steamboat,wherever--and wherever accomodations are best for your group. There is not enough difference for beginners and intermediates to matter one whit. if you have never had skis on (or a board), it is going to be the bunny hill/magic carpet or the shops in town. There is plenty plenty of terrain in the Rockies for every level of skier/boarder, particularly for the first couple of days to catch your breath. Runs are long--you WILL stop on the way down to get your breath back. Or the skiers who are up on the mountain will.
I remember the first time we drove into VAil and I looked at the "mountain"--such a disappointment--it just didn't look very much "more" than our NC mountains. WHOA--who knew there were 3 more (don't hold me to that!!) ranges behind it we couldn't even see.