Get me up the mountain!

My Barrel Bonk

Breckenridge

Time to get off the couch!

Breckenridge – 1305 of 2358 acres of the mountain are open.

Snow in the last week: 14″

Base Depth: 34 ”

Total Snowfall: 104″

Copper – 863 acres of the mountain are open.

Snow in the last week: 9″

Base Depth: 32 ”

Total Snowfall: 73″

Keystone – 1310 of 3148 acres of the mountain are open.

Snow in the last week: 8″

Base Depth: 27 ”

Total Snowfall: 62″

A-Basin – 245 of 900 acres of the mountain are open.

Snow in the last week: 12″

Base Depth: 37 ”

Total Snowfall: ?

Vail – 2325 of 5289 acres of the mountain are open.

Snow in the last week: 12″

Base Depth: 27 ”

Total Snowfall: 107″

Beaver Creek – 1503 of 1815 acres of the mountain are open.

Snow in the last week: 12″

Base Depth: 29 ”

Total Snowfall: 99″

Breathtaking view from the top of Copper

So as you can see by the current conditions that although resorts are still waiting for the snow pack to increase and base levels to rise, there’s plenty of great terrain to navigate. Snow is also in the immediate forecast and given the recent regular snows that the high country has been receiving, the numbers posted above will continue to rise…and rise…and rise! Come on over to Pioneer Sports to get your discounted tickets and gear. You can also reserve your rentals online which streamlines the time it takes you to get to the mountain. While you’re there, consider a demo rental and try out some new snowboards and skiis on your feet. See you on the mountain!

A great sunrise at Center Village

To go or not to go? … that was the question posed to my crew and I. I have desperately been waiting for a good dumping of snow to test out my back. Well, I gave up on the wait. I have been trying to heal from a recurring back injury that plagued me all of 2011, which has made me rather cautious regarding my return to the mountain. “It’s good enough” I decided. I couldn’t wait any longer. With a less than 100% back, I decided to take advantage of a couple days off and hit up Copper Mountain with good friends Michael, Nicole and Thomas. Regardless of the minimal snow accumulations throughout the valley we still decided to go to Copper and see what terrain we could find.

Thomas is having a Hart to heart inside Pioneer Sports

Nicole is happy with her sweet set-up from Pioneer Sports rentals

We arrived at Copper (after a stop at Pioneer Sports to gear up my friends) to a beautiful crisp and mostly sunny morning. Man, it was good to be back on my board and soaking in the sun and the air. As I rode the lift up, the last thing on my mind was the minimal snow fall lately, but my thoughts were on more elegant concepts; such as the grandeur of magnificent creation in every direction and as far as my eye could depict. I was in my element again.

This past weekend brought 5-10 inches of fresh snow to a most of Summit County. Even though we need more snow up in the high country, there’s still no use of sitting on the couch indoors. There’s no use in complaining about the lack of snow when there’s plenty of snow to get your turns in. My grand New Year’s Prediction is this: get ready for the snow…I have a gut feeling that late Winter and early Spring 2012 is gonna bring LOTS of snow. i.e. a CDOT nightmare, but a snow bunny’s good fortune!  i.e. Chaos for Denver/front range, but jubilation and right order for ski resorts and those who play there. I seriously doubt that we will get as much late snow as last year (record amounts mind you) but we’ll get our fair share…so be ready. Get out there and play in the snow already!

A moment at the top was worth the journey

Christmas is for Snowboarding and Skiing!

I know what you were thinking… oh, I don’t feel like fighting the crowds at the ski shop to rent my gear… isn’t there an easier way? Just when you thought it was a hassle to rent your mountain gear, now it’s easier and faster than ever! Pioneer Sports has an awesome online reservation process that’s as easy as 1, 2, 3.

1. Go to the online reservation page and enter your promo code. If you don’t have a promo code, you automatically will get a 10% discount for registering online. That’s a pretty sweet incentive for doing something that already makes your life easier! Click on the Start Here button to begin your rental process.

2. Choose the equipment, the dates you will need your gear and input your rider/boarder information for all people in your group.

3. Sign-in (if you have registered in the past) or register then checkout to complete your order. Walla… your life was just simplified!

You’ll be surprised at the quality of gear and equipment you can rent at Pioneer Sports! Take the pain out of renting and reserving your equipment and save your energy for the slopes!

Snow time is Ski time

Snow is falling in the high country as resorts open and continue to increase their base.  It’s been a rather predictable snow year so far but there’s already plenty of snow to spend the entire day burnin’ up the slopes! You’ve gotta get out and get those preseason yard sales over with anyways! Yes, it’s true that Thanksgiving brings out the “tourist skiiers”, but it also holds back a lot of the locals. Therefore, normal crowds can be expected and you shouldn’t let “big, bad, tourist monsters” dicourage you for gettin’ out there. Summit County resorts have been getting steady snow in the last couple of weeks, so the snow conditions are better than you might think. Sure, some Texan wearing blue jeans and a Carhart jacket may uncontrolably run into you on the slope once or twice, but shake it off and remember that you’re out rockin’ the slopes while others are sitting at home watching football and eating pumpkin pie. Well, actually, the latter sounds pretty awesome too…

If you are contemplating heading out to the Summit County ”slopes” for a day or two (or three) this week, then remember that Pioneer Sports in Frisco has discounted lift tickets. And while you are in the store purchasing your your tickets, you can also rent your ski or snowboard equipment, or demo some new gear. You can make convenient online reservations for your rentals as well so you’re not spending all your “slope time” filling out paper work and sizing gear up.

Whatever you decide to do this Thanksgiving “break”, just remember to give thanks where it is due and remember that our time here on the earth is short in the grand scheme of things, so spend it doing what you love most and with the ones you love most. Happy Thanksgiving!

Unity Snowboards

Did you know that Unity Snowboards are handcrafted in Summit County, CO? How can you resist the urge to try out a local made product with outstanding quality and performance? Caution: You may fall in love with these boards. Unity Snowboards have been making awesome boards in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, Silverthorne, since 1995. Pioneer Sports has partnered with Unity boards and offer these great boards for rental! If you are like me, sometimes you get tired of the corporate feel of the “big boy” products and want to go local…”mom and pop” style!

As the snow continues to fall in the high country, we know that we are getting closer to one of our favorite times of the year…Ski Season! You can reserve your rentals now at Pioneer Sports and save 25%. Your reservation must be made in advance of November 15^th in order to receive the discount. You can even reserve your rentals for peak season times.

The 2011 ski season is almost here!

Ski Rental Packages

Pioneer Sports offers the most current rental equipment from five major manufacturers: HART, Rossignol, Salomon, K2, and the amazing Nordica. Our rental line also includes skis engineered specifically for a woman’s style of skiing.

Sport Shape Package

Skis with a stable and forgiving flex at a value price, and perfect for helping the new skier adjust to a changing terrain. This package comes with a three-buckle boot.

Mid-Shape Package

An upgrade to the latest in rental ski technology. Treat yourself to better stability and performance. Including a four buckle boot, these skis get you all set as a first time beginner as well as still being suitable for intermediate skiers. This package provides the newest rental ski technology making turning easier.

Performance Package

Another upgrade to the previous year’s high-end skis from Rossignol, Salomon, K2, and Volkl with four-buckle performance boots. This package provides better performance for intermediate to expert skiers.

Premium Performance Package

Try out the current year’s high-end skis from Hart, Salomon, K2, and Nordica with performance boots from Salomon. This package offers the latest ski and boot technology for novice to expert skiers wanting to take their skiing to the next level. See what they can do for your skiing.

Kids Ski Package

We offer specially designed skis for children up to 90 pounds with a size 6 or smaller shoe size. This package includes K2 or Nordica shaped skis with Salomon boots and is perfect for a fun day on skis for the little ones. Poles are optional.

Snowboard Rental Packages

To make each day on the hill a memorable one, Pioneer Sports has stocked a great line of performance snowboards. The brands we proudly carry include Salomon, Burton, and our local favorite, Unity.
We stock wide widths to accommodate larger feet, and the boards are equipped with Burton strap bindings.

Our boards allow for smooth turns in all conditions and for all skill levels. Tight trees are a breeze, parks are a pleasure, and open groomed runs will make you smile. Pioneer Sports’ demo package will make all riders feel like the king of the mountain.

Base Elevation: 9,280 ft.

Summit Elevation: 12,408 ft.

Vertical Drop: 3,128 ft.

Skiable Terrain: 3,148 acres

No. of Lifts: 20

No. of Trails: 135

Annual Snowfall: 230 in.

Awesome backcountry skiing at Keystone

What I love best: Keystone, in my opinion has some of the best tree runs in Colorado. Well spaced trees and slopes that hold deep powder are what you can find on the backside and in the back bowls at Keystone. I also love that when the snow conditions are poor, you can play in one of the best park set-ups in Summit County. Not only can you easily choose and navigate the A51 park runs according to your ability, but you can take a lift right back up to the top and hurt yourself all over again. A51 is also open at night with jams that help your focus and soothe your aching body!

The tree runs at Keystone make me smile!

Keystone offers some great unique opportunities for those snow-birds that want more than your average resort experience; they offer both night skiing and awesome backcountry KAT skiing via snowcats. Keystone is scheduled to open on November 4.

When the season hits full swing and you’re ready to rock some new terrain, come in to Pioneer Sports to purchase your discounted lift tickets. We have a kiosk located right in our store and we are only 20 minutes away from Keystone.

Pioneer Sports is proud to be Summit County’s exclusive dealer and demo center for Hart Skis. Pioneer Sports in Frisco will be carrying largest inventory of Hart Skis in Colorado. Hart fashioned its first seamless metal-edged ski in 1955 and by the mid-1960’s, was one of the most recognized ski brand domestically and dominated the ski market. It was also during the 1960’s that freestyle skiing became a incredibly popular across the globe, thus launching Hart as a mainstay, not only in the US, but around the world. Hart Skis are known for the quality of their materials and hand-craftsmanship.

Whether you compete with the world’s best, or you like to rock the park, Hart has you covered with a variety of highly engineered ski series:
F17 Series Mogul
F Series All Mountain
The Big Mountain Series
Park & Pipe
Race

Hart Ski ski products are warranted to be free of defects in workmanship and materials for one year from the date of purchase.

Come in to Pioneers Sports, Frisco, this fall/winter to demo a Hart Skis model or two (or three)…I guarantee you won’t be disappointed!

Come check out Pioneer Sports 2^nd annual month-long Locals’ Sale. This is the sale of the season as we gear up for another epic year of skiing and snowboarding! The sale starts the 1^st of October and ends on October 31^st.

If you’ve been keeping track of the season pregression (I lose track often as summer seems to fly by ever year), you’ve discovered that summer is officially over and fall is here. The aspen leaves are turning golden as a reminder that a season of transition is upon us. The reality of fall for many of us is that it’s the foretaste to another season playing in the pow pow! A summit county winter wonderland is on it’s way; in fact, it’s brewing that perfect blend that we all enjoy and love. I was making my way into the backcountry on a weekend journey in central colorado two weeks ago and ran into some snow-like conditions. Well, not JUST snow-like, but snow was actually falling on me! The next morning I awoke to a blanket of white-capped mountains above treeline…another sign of the year in transition. It made me dream of myself carving on top of the “fluffy” stuff while dodging some trees on my favorite run. It also made me think…what do I NEED to upgrade or buy before the ski season kick starts?

Find sweet discounts on all of last year’s gear from 50-70% off and 20% off the new stuff. And, it’s not just a sale on our hard lines, but choose from all the top apparel and accessory brands as well.

Also, Pioneer Sports is Summit County’s Exclusive Hart Skis Dealer.  

Now is the best time to buy that bike you have been wanting…the prices are guaranteed to be the best you will find around the Summit Valley! All bikes in stock will be discounted anywhere from 30%-50% off. The sale ends when all the bikes have been sold, so don’t wait; come ASAP to get first dibs.  See you in the store!