Staff Picks: Favorite Lifts in Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Steamboat, and Vail

Ever wondered where the locals go to avoid the crowds, find the fluffiest powder or smoothest groomers, and enjoy the best views? Here are the Moving Mountains staff picks for their favorite lifts in our Colorado mountain resorts.

Renowned for its legendary Champagne powder and world-class tree skiing, Steamboat Resort is a skier's paradise, boasting 3741 acres of diverse terrain and 182 names trails. To access all the skiing and riding, there are 23 lifts, including the new Wild Blue Gondola, North America's longest and fastest 10-person gondola, getting you from the base to Sunshine Peak in 13 minutes. Which of these lifts do Moving Mountains staff head to for a day on the slopes with their family and friends.

Wild Blue Gondola because it get you all the way to the top quickly. It’s also comfortable with padded seats and the views are amazing! - Kathleen Russell, Reservations Specialist

Sundown Express because you can access most of the mountain from this one lift.  It's also fast and warm because it is on the sunny side of the mountain, and you can do a top to bottom from this lift. – Effie Henderson, Accounting Assistant

You avoid Sunshine Lift, which gets crowded, and my family always sees a porcupine beneath the lift. We call it the “porcupine lift.” From here you can ski West Side that takes you right by the back door of Rendezvous Lodge for a quick stop. There’s a water fountain, bathrooms and a bar. – Kate Pahula, Reservations Manager

It gets me to my favorite warm-up intermediate runs before my companions make me hit the blacks!  Flintlock and the Sunshine Lift Line are my go-to starting runs.  From there I do one of the Clocks or Buddy’s, a good long groomer, or Rainbow because it is a fun easy ride. – Jeni Osborn, Yacht Broker, Moving Oceans

More than 180 trails are spread across five peaks. With nearly 3,000 skiable acres and a diverse mix of parks, groomers, glades, and bowl, there's a run for everyone. The resort boasts 35 lifts. The crown jewel among these is the Imperial Express SuperChair, the highest chairlift in North America, topping out at 12,840 feet. Which of these do our staff members do laps on all day long.

I love doing laps up the T-Bar, to the Imperial lift and dropping into George’s thumb, then Deb’s alley or Vertigo and repeat! It all depends on conditions and coverage, but keeps you at the top of the area, with less people to contend with and freshies on good day! – Nancy McDowell, Accounting Assistant

Its a fast, 2-person chair accessing ungroomed black diamond runs on Peak 8. On a powder day, that's the chair you'll find me lapping all day long! – Meghan Hill, Photographer

This lift gets me to my favorite run, Centennial. If it's not groomed, there will be plenty of other runs that are. Because I like my runs fast and steep! - Rob Wall, Maintenance Technician

Just to the right off the Kensho Superchair, you’ll be treated to a massive open bowl. Drop in immediately or traverse over near some impressive cornices and take the line less traveled for some guaranteed fresh tracks. This run is equally about the views as much as the exceptional skiing, so take your time, make some extra turns, and find your way back to Kensho for that next lap. – Dalon Stone, Business Development Specialist

From the legendary Back Bowls of Vail to the famed Bird of Prey runs and the family-friendly McCoy Park in Beaver Creek, these two resorts attract skiers and riders from all over the world to the Vail Valley. Vail is the largest ski resort in Colorado with more than 5,000 acres of skiable terrain, 32 lifts, and a 4-mile long run. In Beaver Creek, 24 lifts service more than 2,000 acres of skiable terrain and 167 meticulously groomed runs. Which lifts are our team's favorites.

Ricky’s is fantastic for some early morning groomed runs, and spectacular on powder days. Sun Down Bowl is rarely packed, and with Ricky’s having a long sustained upper pitch transitioning to a full speed winding cat track, it’s always worth the ride. For the expert, ski past Ricky’s to access Seldom, Never, and O.S., some of Vail’s lesser known and more exposed terrain. – Dalon Stone, Business Development Specialist

This lift to the McCoy Park Express Lift takes me up to one of my favorite Nordic centers to skate ski - the trails in McCoy Park. 19 kilometers of trail are groomed specifically for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. From The Overlook Trail you get incredible views of the Sawatch Range. – Teresa Wiedel, Brand & Guest Experience Manager

Before you hit the lift lines, you'll want to fuel up for a day on the slopes. Check out our Staff Picks for the best breakfast spots in Breckenridge, Steamboat and the Vail Valley.