Thomas Hilton

Review of Loveland Ski Area

I went skiing for the first time at Loveland. Not...

I went skiing for the first time at Loveland. Not only are the instructors and staff great and knowledgeable (they helped me on shin bump and then how to figure out why I was getting loose on downhills), the grounds are also very nice. Priced well, rental equipment is in good condition, staff always around to help.

Tips:

First: If you can, go during the week! The place gets packed on the weekends.

Second: Also, if you're new, or if you're with new folks in your group, take advantage of the valley over the basin: you still have some blue squares over there that aren't heavily trafficked (a plus), and your other group members can go on All Smiles and have a blast--and gain confidence to eventually move to the Basin. The Basin can be full of VERY new people that can make for some bad situations; there were many times I had to cut hard and spill due to someone not watching where they were going, or stopping in the middle of a narrow area to chat/rest.

And that leads to the third tip: Use the Valley if you're just getting to blue squares! This is something I wish we had done, as the Basin gets packed on the weekend; the Valley was basically empty. You can do your confidence runs down All Smiles, and then move over to the harder pistes without worry.

Fourth tip: If you do find yourself at the Basin and it's packed, consider moving up to Ptarmigan and only working down to lift 2 or lift 6. It will be cold, it will probably be VERY windy, but it'll be great snow, not as packed, and with a selection of squares and circles. READ THE MAP WHEN YOU GET OFF THE LIFT! While there are great signs at the beginning of the Ptarmigan area, they are not so great once you get out of the meadow/whatever. You could find yourself on a blue when you really wanted the green.

Fifth tip: Flex pass it. If you get there early, do the flex, especially if you're in a large group. There comes a point where enough people in your group just feel beat up/tired from skiing so much that you want to leave early...but you all bought full day passes! With the flex, if you leave by a certain time you aren't hit with the full charge for the Full Day Pass. Great option.