The Beav cracks the Top 5 this year, so it’s not surprising that readers are pleased with the place. Enjoying a world-class resort with excellent terrain for all levels (“plenty of blues, and enough blacks to keep me interested,” says one reader) without a lot of company is a big deal. “Never
overcrowded, even on weekends,” says another. It’s clear that last season’s visitors noticed the resort’s renewed focus on kids: Family Programs ranks No. 3, up from No. 10 last year. Thank The Ranch—the new children’s center—and last season’s addition of the Buckaroo Express kids’ gondola for that. This season, there’s a new tubing hill just below the children’s center. Lodging (No. 5) continues to impress, with the Osprey and the Westin Riverfront joining the array of offerings in the village and in Avon. Dining, both on-mountain (No. 4) and in the village (No. 7), rack up points, no doubt thanks in part to Thomas Salamunovich’s new hotspot, Avondale, at the Westin. And the breadth of the terrain continues to please. “I was surprised by the challenging skiing at a resort known for pampering,” a reader says. “More trees, steeps and bumps than it’s given credit for,” adds another. But Stone Creek Chutes, the series of steeps and treed terrain that opened in 2007 on the resort’s eastern perimeter, must still be a secret, as rankings for Terrain/Variety and Challenge remain poor. Check out the resort’s new website, beavercreekextreme.com, which highlights the mountain’s most treacherous terrain. Top 10 scores for Grooming (No. 2), Service (No. 3) and Lifts (No. 9) all jibe with the Beav’s goal of giving visitors what they want before they even know they want it—like the warm chocolate chip cookies served in the village after 3 p.m., or the Greeters and Seaters, who’ll find your family a lunch table at Spruce Saddle Lodge. Pricey? Sure. But “you get what you pay for,” says one reader. And more of it than ever before.
/ What’s New / Lift-served tubing hill below The Ranch children’s center; “BC/EX” flags to better identify extreme terrain; Mamie’s outdoor grill moves to the base of Bachelor Gulch; expanded Family Night programming
/ Don’t Miss / A snowshoe or nordic ski around scenic McCoy Park. Trade in one day on your
multiday ticket for a pass, rentals included.
/ Mandatory Run / Royal Elk Glades—if super-tight trees that hide powder from the masses is your thing
Photo by Cody Downard
