Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Where to Ski
Northern Mountains
Although this section of the state does have tremendous hiking and mountain biking -
normally indicators of a nearby ski resort - much of the best mountain terrain is protected
in the Rocky Mountain National Park. However, there is one day-use resort just up the
road from Boulder. More convenient than epic (although the 1400ft vertical drop in
Corona Bowl will get your attention), Eldora Mountain Resort, 4 miles west of Nederland,
has around 500 skiable acres and 25-plus miles of well-groomed Nordic trails.
Central Mountains
Summit County has the world's highest concentration of ski, snowboard and winter-sports
arenas. The resorts, it seems, are strung out like snow-white pearls off I-70 or the parallel
Hwy 6. If you're trying to decide where to base your winter vacation, here are the basics:
Vail & Beaver Creek Vail is the largest ski resort in the US, with 5289 skiable acres, 193 trails and three terrain parks.
It lacks the downtown cohesion of an Aspen or Telluride, as this is classic plaza-style resort development, but for sheer
variety and thrills Vail is top-notch. What makes it really special are the back bowls - more than 4000 of the acres are on
the back side of Vail Mountain with postcard views. The drawback has always been expense. Historically, Vail has
angled to be the most expensive lift ticket in Colorado (often outpricing Aspen by $1), and lodging doesn't come cheap
either, but at least your ticket is also good at four other resorts, including nearby Beaver Creek.
Beginners love Beaver Creek because the mountain is upside down, with easier runs at the top of the mountain plus
great views. But there's plenty of expert terrain, including a World Cup downhill course. Plus, this was the first Color-
ado resort to incorporate European-style village-to-village skiing.
Aspen & Around With celebrity glitter, a historic downtown core and some of the best skiing in the state, Aspen is a
terrific choice for those with a padded budget. One lift ticket grants access to the Four Mountains. Aspen and Aspen
Highlands (the locals' under-the-radar choice) don't offer much for beginners, but there's plenty of green terrain here.
Snowmass is the biggest, and some say the best, of the bunch, with over 3000 acres, three terrain parks and 60 miles of
groomed Nordic trails. Buttermilk is the host to the Winter X Games, though this might change in the future. Cross-
country skiers should also make their way to historic Ashcroft and the Pine Creek Cookhouse.
Breckenridge Closer to Denver, with a jewel-box historic downtown and a ski resort spanning four luscious mountains
covering 2900 acres. It will also be opening the anticipated Peak 6 during the 2013-14 ski season. Breckenridge offers
great atmosphere. Beginner and intermediate skiers have some of the best runs in Colorado. Advanced skiers have
plenty to rave about, too, and there's a state-of-the-art superpipe.
A lift ticket here is also good at Keystone and A-Basin, plus Vail and Beaver Creek with a 3-day-plus pass. Also, it's on
the free Summit County-wide public transportation system.
Keystone Also in Summit County, the Keystone ski area encompasses three mountains of 3148 skiable acres laced with
135 trails, about half of which are expert runs. It's family-oriented, as almost 20% of the trails are beginner runs. The
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