| Copper Mountain |
| Written by John Wayne Jones |
 I’ll say it like it is…..awesome! You can’t beat the feeling Powder gives you, especially if you are looking to escape from day to day planning. Just a short distance from Denver, one landmark signifies the metamorphosis. Through the Eisenhower Tunnel, you go from mountainous green and brown scenery to a soft white landscape when you come out the other side. You will find Copper right in the middle of one of the most fun places I have visited. More and more men are getting out of their normal one-night party routine and jumping into the bachelor’s trip! What better way to express appreciation for your closest friends dealing with wedding drama than to travel to Copper Mountain for a week of intense relaxation. Day 1 After arriving, immediately collect your rentals. Then relax the first day to ensure you and members of your party adapt to the altitude changes and 30 percent less oxygen. Large changes in altitude affect each person differently and may affect you when you arrive or when you return home. The future Mrs. would appreciate that! The best tip is to grab lots of water before, during and after the trip. Didn’t know there was a science to some trips, huh? While relaxing your first night, be sure to check out one of 25 absolutely fantastic restaurants Copper has to offer within the resort grounds. Start with the Incline Bar and Grill. You can’t go wrong with the French Cut Elk Chop seasoned with crushed juniper berries, orange zest and good old salt and pepper served with wild mushroom demi on top and a side of potato cake and spinach. This certainly healthy portion will, without a doubt, help you go to sleep early on the first night.  Day 2Through out your parties stay, you have more than just skiing to look forward to. You have access to a full multi-service athletic club for those groomsmen that prefer to get an early workout. Alpinista Mountain Bistro is a great first meal with their traditional options to stepping out of the norm for a Rosti or a Sestriere, a Swiss inspired meal of hashbrowns with eggs, sausage, cheese and other delicious toppings heaped onto your plate. We walked two minutes to our lessons. Of course, if you know how to ski, hit the American Eagle or Flyer lift and up 3,000 feet you go. I on the other hand needed a crash course in skiing and the rest of the group found themselves wanting to conquer the snowboard. I never thought skiing would be so challenging “Blame it on the altitude” was the free pass phrase of the weekend for momentary lapses intelligence. Fortunately I was having better luck than my compadres who fell several times on the kiddy slope. A day of skiing must be followed by over-indulgence of fully loaded nachos. It is written. Try Endo’s Adrenaline Café just off the slope in Center Village. After Endo’s we trucked right along to Woodward at Copper. This is the coolest and safest practice grounds for trying out tricks or learning something new on your snowboard, skateboard or skis. It is the reason for the trip. Jump into foam cubes and wear yourself out, learn to hit a seven, or bounce on the tramps for a while to test your balance. Start with the two-hour One Hit Wonder for $60. At this point your body feels like a rag doll or you are on crack. It is only 4:30. Create your own sushi at the Storm King Lounge with Sushi Chef Scott Mikurt to wind down. I scored some points with the girlfriend by showing off my sushi rolling skills when I returned. I think I would have gotten further if I had the bandana on. After rolling, we went to the finest dining experience in Copper, CB Grille, home of the tomahawk. Start your meal with some Colorado Lamb Lollypops tapas. I’ve had lamb all my life and never tasted lamb with this kind of glaze. But it doesn’t stop there. The main course was an unbelievably huge cut of the finest meet around…the tomahawk. Weighing in at two pounds, this piece of meat takes the heart of any meat eater. If you somehow have space left, try Mulligan’s Irish Pub or The Green Fairy Bar for late-night libations. Day 3 Wake up and take a look outside to bask in the peaceful terrain. Start your second day at Jack’s Slopeside Gill. It’s market style so pick up a tray and order away. My favorite is the biscuits and gravy. I enjoyed a different variety every morning. After breakfast, step outside right onto the mountain and take a lift to start your day. If you are a beginner, I would recommend a lower green trail to start. Beware, there are different degrees of green. I took two and a half hours to complete my first trail. I felt a bit defeated. A 60-year-old lady stopped to ask if I was okay. The lift to Solitude Station for lunch made it a little better. Solitude, also market style, features homemade crawfish etouffee, jambalaya and gumbo. The pizza and burgers are also great if you don’t wish to step out of the box. Go there, get your fill and enjoy the mid-mountain scenery. About this time, schedule the gentleman’s retreat spa package. Towels, flip-flops and a robe were waiting in an assigned locker. A shower, hot tub, steam room and sauna were adjoined to the locker room to clean the sweat from the mountain. After some high-intensity skiing, the 50-minute aromatherapy sports massage and 25-minute gentleman’s facial hit the spot. Whether before or after massages, don’t forget Copper’s Coca-Cola Tubing Hill. It was both unfortunate and fun to go tubing during minus seven-degree temperature at night. Five lanes of increasing speeds are available but of course we went straight to the fastest. The slope team will spend you unlike some other tubing experiences we’ve visited. In the East Village, tnd your evening at JJ’s Rocky Mountain Tavern. Take in a piece of local history while teasing your taste buds with some of JJ’s wings in buffalo or raspberry chipotle sauce. Indulge yourself with some braised buffalo short ribs and Alaskan king crab. You can’t go wrong. Day 4 Waking up to four new inches of fresh snow was breath taking. It should make for some softer falls is what I thought. For breakfast we chose the Belgian Bean to sample their on-the-go waffles. Wrapped in a parchment paper bag, the fresh waffle was presweetened and didn’t need syrup.  We spent the rest of the day green slopes. Some were nearly the length of the mountain so if you have a fear of heights or steep declines, stay at the village and eat to your heart’s content. Otherwise, enjoy the smooth ride by the lift to your serene destination. Be sure to break for lunch and visit Chubs. It has a variety of different crepes and made-to-order sandwiches with a relaxed setting. Day 5 By far the worst experience I had at Copper was leaveing. A few pointers when planning a bachelor’s trip are not needing to travel more than five minutes to get anything, finding a fantastic spot that gives you the flexibility to individually explore while still remaining together, able and courteous resort associates that make you feel welcomed, reasonable pricing for accommodations and food. Copper Mountain Resort fulfills the need and then some. Now I know why Copper says “4 inches never felt so satisfying.” Visit www.coppercolorado.com for detailed information on the variety of rental packages, event dates, facilities schedules and list of additional activities for your bachelor’s trip. |
