Review of Beaver Creek | John Henwood

© Vail Resorts

John Henwood, March 2024

In my life, BC has come to mean before Covid. Thankfully, my partner and I avoided the virus, but still felt the pandemic had stolen two years of our lives and at our age, we are septuagenarians, it seemed perhaps we would be denied all the things we might have done. One of those was skiing. We love it and thought we might have skied for the last time.

My partner, Moya, a younger 70-odd year old than me, said we should do it. “If we don’t ski now, we’ll never do it again” she said. My GP, also a keen skier was positive, “Go for it” he said, telling me of a friend, about my age, who skied with a small oxygen pack on his back. If he can do it, so can you!

So, we went for it. BC also stands for Beaver Creek, a favourite resort in Colorado and with the usual generous advice and support of Karen at Ski Independence we flew into Denver. Epic Mountain Express took us from door to door. It can be a difficult drive in bad weather, but we were lucky and arrived at The Osprey in Beaver Creek in a little over two and a half hours.

The Osprey at Beaver Creek

The Osprey was Karen’s recommendation; on previous occasions we had stayed at the Park Hyatt, but The Osprey boasts that no other lodging in North America is closer to a ski lift. Indeed, the Strawberry Express, a fast quad lift, is right by the exit from the hotel’s ski valet room. Walking in ski boots and carrying skis is something, at my age, I can do without, so The Osprey was an excellent recommendation.

The Strawberry Park Express, directly outside The Osprey

It's not just the proximity to the lift that makes The Osprey a great choice: it’s part of the Rock Resorts group, but it manages to feel like a private family hotel. The staff are warm, friendly and go to lengths to make guests welcome and happy. Our room was large and comfortable with a fireplace, a king bed, sofa and ample storage. We would recommend it without hesitation.

Beaver Creek has all that the skier could require. For the adventurous there are many double black diamond trails (my double black days are behind me) and a wide variety of blue and green runs, many through glades. Since we were last there the resort had opened the McCoy Park in 2022; it is a huge bowl with 17 trails served by two express quad lifts. There’s easy access to Bachelor’s Gulch and its 1800 acres of trails at all levels. At the base one can relax at the Ritz Carlton for a drink or lunch; we enjoyed great weather during which their broad patio with comfortable loungers is a sun trap with daily live music. Equally easy to reach is Arrowhead village with another great mix of long, inviting trails. There is enough in these three area for several days hard skiing without much repetition. But that’s not all, there’s another range, equally well served so overall there really is something for everybody.

Image: Jon Resnick

Beaver Creek village is charming. The centrepiece is an open-air skating rink which each evening sees much activity among those who still have energy to burn. Occasionally there are illuminated ice shows too. There are so many good restaurants that in a week or ten days one does not have to repeat one’s self, from fine dining to the informal ‘road house’ eateries, which are fun. The Osprey has a free shuttle service to restaurants which are beyond walking distance.

The village is also an open art exhibition with numerous bronze pieces and enough galleries to entertain the most discerning art lover.

Through the day and into the evening Beaver Creek ambassadors wander around keen to answer questions or help in any way they can. At 3 o’clock daily chefs come out and distribute trays full of free warm delicious cookies. We were met with kindness and warm hospitality everywhere. Beaver Creek is an up-market resort, but does represent value for money and caters for the beginner to the expert. If like me you are a veteran skier (I prefer the term vintage) don’t think about hanging up your boots, head for Beaver Creek, mix with the young crowd and have fun - you won’t be disappointed.

Find out more about ski holidays to Beaver Creek by speaking to us on 0131 243 8097 on Enquire Online.