It is still August but in less than 20 days, the snow guns at the ski areas are going to start up.  The new lift at A-Basin is in pieces in the Beach parking lot but the chopper is there and will soon start assembling.  The time to look to season passes is here.  You have three sets of options for season passes:  Vail Resorts, Copper Mountain and Loveland. 

Vail resorts has a run down at their web site.  But the Epic Pass is a great deal at $599 and get you unlimited days at all Vail resorts.  That's a snow fanatics dream.  Ski any of the resorts, Breckenridge, Vail, Beaver Creek, Arapahoe Basin or Heavenly any time the lifts are running and for just one price.

Copper Mountain has enough to sway almost any rider in their direction.  The lineup of Copper Mountain, Winter Park/ Mary Jane and Steamboat is dreamy.  The Copper Colorado web site has the rundown of prices and options but it comes down to the quality these resorts have.  The Super B lift is arguably the best lift in Colorado and it showcases the best terrain that Copper Mountain has.  Mary Jane is a mogul loves paradise and Steamboat is known for its champagne powder.  The parks and pipes of Copper are unquestionably top end (sorry Breckenridge, your 18 foot pipe dragon in four feet shorter than the going size) and the emphasis on progressive learning is the best.  They have Woodward, they have free parking, they have laser shows at night and the list goes on.

Loveland is the real.  No chalets, no village, no hype just good mountain top skiing and lifts to take you there.  Loveland has incredible above tree-line terrain.  Unfortunately, at the time of this blog the website had yet to post numbers, maybe they will by the time you get there!!

 Remember, if you decide not to buy a season pass when you come to Summit County, the best deals in the County are at Pioneer Sports in Frisco.

 Having a bad ski or snowboard rental experience can ruin a vacation.  Lift ticket prices in Summit can get you into Breckenridge, Keystone, Copper Mountain and Arapahoe Basin or Loveland but they can't assure you that the equipment you rented will get you down the slopes safely.  Imagine spending all that money and having the rental shop fit you improperly.  Here are some tips for when you come to Summit County to rent.

1. Bring a set of ski socks or buy a pair when you get to the shop.  A good, thin, synthetic sock will keep your foot dryer and more comfortable through out your day; a dry foot is a warm foot.  A good sock should be in the $20 dollar range.  They are worth every penny and will last though many ski trips so spend the money and do it.  Never wear two socks, never wear cotton socks.

2. Boots should fit snuggly.  Rental boots are designed to fit all shapes of feet but, because they do not bend, the shop needs to measure your feet to get the proper length.  Boot fitting can be an art and a science and can can be very costly and involved depending on your needs so, at a bare minimum, a shop should measure your feet to get you in the right size.  (If the shop you have chosen just asks for your shoe size and pulls a boot off the shelf for you- run away!!)  Take off whatever is on your feet, climb into the ski sock that you brought with you, have your foot measured.  A good rough guideline is that, after the top two buckles are tightened, a toe that should hit the front of the boot should slide back just a touch when the boot is flat on the ground and the knee is flexed over the ball of the foot.  These boots don't bend under foot like a street shoe so they should fit front-to-back snuggly.  Any foot slide and your feet will be in pain.  The most common mistake is fitting a boot to loose; happens all the time.  The second mistake is fitting it too snuggly; rare, but if your toe is bent up in the boot, try a half size bigger.

3. Snow goggles.  Just spent a ton of money on you and you rfamily to go skiing?  Bought outfits, rentals, tickets, lodging and now, after all that a shop guy says you need goggles as well and you say enough is enough- right?  Wrong.  Snowblindness at altitude is a great way to waste all the money you spent and a good way to spend the rest of your trip in the hotel room, seeing tunnel vision and feeling like someone ran over your brain with a weed wacker.  It sucks and you would gladly go back and spring for the $70 or less it takes to get into a decent goggle.  A good bet is rose colored lenses with a mirror coating as these tend to be the best lenses for an average of most light conditions.  Locals use 3-4 different lens types depending on conditions; if you only want to buy one, go rose, mirror. 

4. Suntan lotion.  Ok, maybe not crucial on some days only because your face might be covered in a mask but on any day, sunny or not, that you aren't hidden in a fleece balaclava, you need it.  The Sun and its rays are brutal above or near tree-line which, in Summit County is everywhere. 

5. Water.  Keep it with you at all times.  If you see water, drink.  If you think about water, drink.  If someone mentions water, drink.  Summit is at altitude, probrably higher than you have ever been before.  It is a desert environment so the more water you drink, the less likely you will feel ill.  Coffee, alchohal, sweating and just standing around all cause water loss.  The mositure just gets sucked away from you.  In Summit, we don't pick up our ice cubes because they evaporate almost as fast as they melt.  Drink until you have to get up to pee more than once in the night.

These messages brought to you by the Rental Ninja of Pioneer Sports.

You might not know, you might not be from Summit County but you come to the best mountains in Colorado to ski the best terrain in America.  Then again, you might be a beginner or an intermediate who thinks they are an expert.  Either way, you might need help with renting snowboards and skis when you come to ride the hills of Breckenridge, Keystone, Copper, Arapahoe Basin, Loveland, Vail or Beaver Creek.  The Pioneer Sports rental Ninja is here to help.  He (or she, we can't really tell) is the stealth employee of the shop.  In fact, most of the employees don't know he exists, who he is or why he gets paid for what he does, but if you are reading this blog, you have an advantage.  Rental Ninja is a lifetime snow lover and has spent the last few decades as a ski bum extrordinaire.  He runs wild in the backcountry, knows every illegal hut, can carve deep trenches in hardpack and best of all, he can help you get into the right rental equipement for your trip to the high country.  Every year he rides, decides, comments and helps riders get into the best rental equipement for the best price.  Have a question?  Call him at 970-668-3668.  If they can't find him, you can talk to any of the knowledgable staff.  They can help you with all your snowboard rental questions.  Want to reserve you equipement ahead of time?  On-line?  Rental Ninja can do that for you as well.  FYI- the only reason Rental Ninja is carrying skis in this photo is that he had to drag out some poor tele skiier who couldn't handle the pow-pow.  Don't let that person be you; always know who you are skiing with, where you are going and always, always bring a Ninja.

Below is the newest snowboard in the Pioneer Sports rental fleet.  Looking to advance?  This soft ride has the pop and flex to dial in your turns and get the performance you always thought you could achieve.  The Salomon Drift graphics are sweet- a mix of a zombie Slash from G-n-R on the top and slimeballs wheels on the bottom.  Known for its mid-range flex and factory tuned sidewalls, this board makes the perfect all around fun stick.  Board testers have all stated the same praises for Salomon products since the first production boards; these ride better than the prices indicate.  Even Transworld Snowboard rated this a "good wood" for boards under the $399 price point.  If you come to ride the mountains of Summit County, rent this snowboard from Pioneer Sports.