Keystone Ski & Mountain Vacation Rentals

Keystone is a fabulous mountain for skiers from beginner to expert. For beginners, Keystone has two learning areas. The most spectacular is called the Summit Learning Area right at the top of the mountain. The terrain up there is quite flat and you can also enjoy panoramic views that are generally not available to beginners. There is a covered Magic Carpet, a short slow chairlift, and a cozy cafeteria with a fireplace. At the end of the day you can take the gondola back down or ski a gentle green run right to the Village. There is another learning area at the Mountain House base.
If you are an intermediate, advanced, or expert skier, Keystone has 3 mountains to entertain you. The front face is called Dercum Mountain, and contain mostly beginner to intermediate terrain. There are long groomed runs accessed by the gondola and the high speed Montezuma chair. Some runs remain mogulled so you can work on your bump technique.
The area behind Dercum Mountain is North Peak. It has a range of intermediate and expert runs. There will be a board at the top of the mountain to tell you which runs have been groomed. North Peak has 2 high speed chairs. There is a 6-pack to get you back to the top of North Peak. From there you can ski the front side or else back down to North Peak. The quad chair takes you to the top of North Peak. From there you can ski down the North Peak runs, access the Outpost restaurant (highly recommended), or ski to the Outback. This is the best and least crowded part of Keystone. It has excellent advanced intermediate to expert runs, groomed, bumps, and tree skiing. You can also take a snow cat tour from the top of the Outback. It costs $5 for one run and is great to do if there is fresh powder.
Lift ticket deals are best at some of the ski rental places along Highway 70 driving up to Keystone including King Sooper (a local supermarket chain). There are also supermarkets in the area (City Market and Safeway) and rental shops in Frisco, Dillon, and Silverthorne which sell discount lift tickets. There is a little known way to get an excellent price at the ski area. Season passes for Keystone are loaded with a number of discount lift tickets which most pass holders rarely use. If you see a person with a season pass, ask them if they can help you out with a “bring a friend” discount lift ticket. All they have to do is accompany you to the ticket window, show their pass, and let you purchase the adult or child lift tickets that you need.
If you are staying at Keystone, it is an easy drive to ski Vail, Beaver Creek, Loveland, Arapahoe Basin, Breckenridge and Copper Mountain. There is free bus transportation to both Arapahoe Basin and Breckenridge.
The Keystone Mountain Resort can be accessed by flying into either Denver or Grand Junction. From there you can rent a car or take a mountain shuttle to Keystone. It is generally less expensive to fly into Denver rather than Grand Junction, and the drive from Denver to Keystone is quite easy. In the winter, you should consider reserving a four-wheel or all-wheel drive vehicle.
The Summit Daily News is a free daily publication which can be found in the River Run Village or as you walk around in Frisco, Dillon, Silverthorne, or Breckenridge. It has local and national news and great advertisements for restaurants (including discounts on meals), ski sales, rentals, etc. It also has a daily calendar of local events and a daily TV program. It is recommended reading during your stay at Keystone.