Seeking CO Ski trip Advice

[ADKmike]

My wife and I (and possibly another couple) are heading to CO in FEB (presidents week)

This will be sort of road trip format, plan to rent a car at airport and hit a few different regions with a travel day in between.

Based on fact I need to mix the combo of some good skiing with the fact that we're going to be doing some non-skiing stuff like spending a day in Denver and finding a hot springs and stuff like that...and trying to ski 3-4/7 days we'll be out there...I'm looking for all info such as:

-What mountains/towns to hit and what to steer clear of
-Where to stay esp if cheaper option is outside of resort town but reasonable driving distance
-Are there any lift ticket deals to be had?
-Is it unreasonable to think I can cover Denver down to Telluride and back in 7 days with a stop in between?
-Other good things to see/do in CO along these routes aside from skiing?

As of right now with my initial research, I am thinking something along the lines of Denver-->Aspen-->Telluride and back with maybe a stop at A-basin or Breck if it makes sense. Or just do the Aspen/Telluride idea. Part of this is influenced by the Mountain Collective pass having Aspen and Telluride, which I'm thinking about purchasing for this trip, with the added bonus of 2-days at Stowe back home to justify the cost.

Thanks in advance for any comments

[Shredhead]

Denver-->Aspen-->Telluride and back is doable, but a lot of driving. Better buy the MCP soon.

[SILENCER]

Before this thread gets out of hand, overall you'll be visiting good mountains if you stick to your list. Sometimes snow can be quite different in the different zones (Telluride = south, Aspen = central more or less, A-Basin north, etc). So if whatever the hell weather system it's now supposed to be this year leaves uneven coverage, one part of the state could be quite a bit better than others. So be prepared to be flexible. A stop at A-Basin is always fun, but that early the steepest (read: fun) stuff won't be open yet.

Aspen and Telluride are much harder to find lift ticket deals for (basically anything off I-70 of any size and recognition has this "problem"). Aspen does the Aspen Classic pass, of which they have a 4 or 7 day option. Gets the price per day much cheaper. But lodging in Aspen proper is $$$, so stay down valley. Basically the closer you get towards Glenwood Springs the cheaper it gets. You'll have about a 45 min drive to the mountains, but traffic ain't bad. At least not compared to I-70 by any means.

Telluride is a much smaller town and area, so I'm less familiar with lodging there. Most times I've skied there I've stayed in Ouray. It's a rad little town, and very picturesque, but very sleepy at night. Very good hot springs though. Better part of an hour drive to Telluride, but no traffic to speak of.

You might find some VRBO action in either area with a low enough minimum night rental to be able to avoid hotels.

So you've seen a common theme; I-70 can be a son of a bitch during peak hours. Try to plan your time on it wisely. Basically a 2-3 hour window in the morning and afternoon can add easily 30 mins + to your drive. Add a storm; sky's the limit. So see what creative routes you can take to avoid it; Aspen being the exception if you're coming straight from Denver.

Another killer option, depending on snow, is Crested Butte. No crowds, burly mountain, great vibe. Lots of options down valley in Gunnison to stay much cheaper if find nothing in town. Not on the Mountain Collective, but there was a deal for 2 for 1 tickets from a liquor store in Gunnison for many years (buy a case of Coors, get a 2 for 1). You might wanna dig a little on that (and others might chime in if that still goes down).

Aspen is 4-ish hour from Denver, CB is 4.5 and Telluride is more like 6 or 7, weather dependent. So if you end up in Telluride and have to make it back to Denver plan on a long drive. I personally think that mountain is worth it, but it's a full travel day back (or through the night if that's your bag).

Finally, don't waste your time with Breck. By far the most crowded and simultaneously flat mountain. Unless you like park skiing, of which they have 28 parks or something...LOL

Enjoy man \m/

[ADKmike]

Before this thread gets out of hand, overall you'll be visiting good mountains if you stick to your list. Sometimes snow can be quite different in the different zones (Telluride = south, Aspen = central more or less, A-Basin north, etc). So if whatever the hell weather system it's now supposed to be this year leaves uneven coverage, one part of the state could be quite a bit better than others. So be prepared to be flexible. A stop at A-Basin is always fun, but that early the steepest (read: fun) stuff won't be open yet.

Aspen and Telluride are much harder to find lift ticket deals for (basically anything off I-70 of any size and recognition has this "problem"). Aspen does the Aspen Classic pass, of which they have a 4 or 7 day option. Gets the price per day much cheaper. But lodging in Aspen proper is $$$, so stay down valley. Basically the closer you get towards Glenwood Springs the cheaper it gets. You'll have about a 45 min drive to the mountains, but traffic ain't bad. At least not compared to I-70 by any means.

Telluride is a much smaller town and area, so I'm less familiar with lodging there. Most times I've skied there I've stayed in Ouray. It's a rad little town, and very picturesque, but very sleepy at night. Very good hot springs though. Better part of an hour drive to Telluride, but no traffic to speak of.

You might find some VRBO action in either area with a low enough minimum night rental to be able to avoid hotels.

So you've seen a common theme; I-70 can be a son of a bitch during peak hours. Try to plan your time on it wisely. Basically a 2-3 hour window in the morning and afternoon can add easily 30 mins + to your drive. Add a storm; sky's the limit. So see what creative routes you can take to avoid it; Aspen being the exception if you're coming straight from Denver.

Another killer option, depending on snow, is Crested Butte. No crowds, burly mountain, great vibe. Lots of options down valley in Gunnison to stay much cheaper if find nothing in town. Not on the Mountain Collective, but there was a deal for 2 for 1 tickets from a liquor store in Gunnison for many years (buy a case of Coors, get a 2 for 1). You might wanna dig a little on that (and others might chime in if that still goes down).

Aspen is 4-ish hour from Denver, CB is 4.5 and Telluride is more like 6 or 7, weather dependent. So if you end up in Telluride and have to make it back to Denver plan on a long drive. I personally think that mountain is worth it, but it's a full travel day back (or through the night if that's your bag).

Finally, don't waste your time with Breck. By far the most crowded and simultaneously flat mountain. Unless you like park skiing, of which they have 28 parks or something...LOL

Enjoy man \m/

Thanks - this is good info. And also thanks for not saying "search JONG" or something like that lol!

Telluride may get nixed just due to drive distance. If I don't do T-ride then the MC Pass sort of doesn't make sense anymore, which leads to another problem of trying to find discount tix for aspen. I'm thinking a more reasonable loop may be Denver-->A-basin or similar-->aspen-->CB(maybe)-->back to Denver.

What's the deal with Vail? They own Breck right? Should I avoid any Vail owned areas?

[ADKmike]

Also, is Aspen more for the "bourgeoisie" or is it a good spot for a group of 30 y/o's

[hatchgreenchile]

Sounds like a fun trip in the making, hard to have a bad time in the Rockies mid winter.

Telluride is really far from the airport. It can be done, but it's a solid 7 hours in good weather. It might be better if you planned on staying there the whole trip.

If you are big on hot springs, I'd highly recommend Steamboat to go with Aspen. You will not be able to get to Strawberry in a big storm unless you take the shuttle, but if the weather is clear and the stars are out, it's not to be missed. There's a more developed spring right in town and a nice free bus line. Not too much burly expert terrain on the hill, but lots of perfectly space trees, and if you call the snow line and hear "It's a powder day in the 'Boat....", you'll be grinning from ear to ear. Powder days at Steamboat are so good! I think they have a 3 day pass going for $179, but it may be blacked out during Presidents Week.

Enjoy

[doebedoe]

Just FYI -- Crested -> Aspen is a long slog of a drive in winter when passes close down. Like 4+ hours in good weather.

Aspen is hard to do on a budget without MCP. Not much in the way of discounts. CB is great but can lack snow.

[Marshall Tucker]

So, if you're planning on a few days in Aspen and don't want to spend a boatload (which I admit is an oxy moron) where to stay?

been nozing around carbondale some. Roads stay clear? thoughts / wisdom appreciated!

[uglymoney]

^The last time I visited Aspen I slept near the closed gate to Indy pass in the back of my 4R. Nobody bothered me. Almost no traffic.

[adrenalated]

Colorado sucks, go to Utah.

Also, listen to Silencer.

[ADKmike]

So, if you're planning on a few days in Aspen and don't want to spend a boatload

Yeh....may be mutually exclusive.....

[Buster Highmen]

Aspen is a great skiers town; do not let it's schnotzzle rep dissuade you from skiing Highlands. Aspen's got the nightlife too.
Telluride is an awesome town too, great night life and a fantastic ski area; my favorite "resort".

It is of a lot of driving. And you'll be competing for vacation resources because that's what everyone does: flies to Denver, rents a car and heads out.

If you're sold on doing the standard stuff, go for it, it's the norm for a good reason.

If you're more adventuresome and more "ski" oriented, there's other options than Denver.

Like SLC to get to Park City or the Cottonwoods (Alta/Snowbird;Solitude/Brighton).

Or Albuquerque where rental cars are much cheaper and you can do the Taos/Wolf Creek/Telluride loop.

[Name Redacted]

I'd leave it pretty open and see how the snowfall is this season. Some years the south gets skunked, some years the north gets skunked. Long range forecasts (which are pretty worthless) are saying that the south might have a dry year and the north might be the place to be. There's almost always some last minute deals if you do some research.

FYI Taos could be a great option too. I think it is my new favorite mountain,,,,if there is snow. Closer to DIA than T-ride and a lot of lodging options in the area that don't fill up till last minute.

[muted]

Skip Denver and fly into Grand Junction.

[ADKmike]

Aspen is a great skiers town; do not let it's schnotzzle rep dissuade you from skiing Highlands. Aspen's got the nightlife too.
Telluride is an awesome town too, great night life and a fantastic ski area; my favorite "resort".

It is of a lot of driving. And you'll be competing for vacation resources because that's what everyone does: flies to Denver, rents a car and heads out.

If you're sold on doing the standard stuff, go for it, it's the norm for a good reason.

If you're more adventuresome and more "ski" oriented, there's other options than Denver.

Like SLC to get to Park City or the Cottonwoods (Alta/Snowbird;Solitude/Brighton).

Or Albuquerque where rental cars are much cheaper and you can do the Taos/Wolf Creek/Telluride loop.

Sorry I should have mentioned this originally: I already bought plane tickets because we found direct flights from EWR to Denver for $271 and I thought that was pretty damn cheap for a holiday week so we jumped on it.

I should also mention that I'm definitely aware of the many other ski options aside from Denver...I've skied in many different regions of the west coast and in the 27 years I've been skiing, have actually never been to CO to ski...probably due to the fact that I've always thought it was the epitome of a East coaster headed on a western ski vacation. I tend to try and avoid following the masses...and avoid overly build up "base villages".

However, this time I'm kind of going against all my usual don't's holiday week/mainstream resorts/etc because it's not my usual out west-wear-the- same-clothes-for 5 days-guys trip (hopefully pull this off in march) and we'll have to actually so something aside from drink and ski with the girls coming and all.

[uglymoney]

For my Mountain Collective tour I'm driving to SLC to do Alta/Bird then taking a travel day for T-Ride 2x then Monarch/Crested Butte (Shell 2-1) or maybe Taos and back out through Denver to home (another 800 miles) in a week. If you can find a one way rental from SLC to DEN there is lots of combos that can work between Mountain Collective and the Shell 2-1 deal (Monarch, Crested Butte) and Liftopia gets you a good discount at the Basin and even you can easily ski Taos (Mountain Collective) and sleep in a motel for a flight out of Denver the next day.

I've kind of been priced out of Vail resorts but Beaver Creek is a great mountain that you can hit hard for a day.

Don't plan on skiing anywhere the day you fly out of DEN. Way...too...risky.

[Buster Highmen]

Sorry I should have mentioned this originally: I already bought plane tickets because we found direct flights from EWR to Denver for $271 and I thought that was pretty damn cheap for a holiday week so we jumped on it..

Consider the hopper flights to Grand Junction like muted says if you want to do Aspen and T'ride, that will optimize your experience and avoid I-70 out of Denver.

[ADKmike]

Shell 2-fer-1....I've heard rumor this is applicable to Copper as well? or once was but no longer...or totally false..?

[uglymoney]

They announce in December. I don't recall if they were part of it last year. It changes a little every year.

[Marshall Tucker]

Skip Denver and fly into Grand Junction.

that's what we're planning. Ski first day powderhorn or sunlight. rest aspen. never been to any of these. Rental cars probably 30-40% more though.

[SILENCER]

Thanks - this is good info. And also thanks for not saying "search JONG" or something like that lol!

Telluride may get nixed just due to drive distance. If I don't do T-ride then the MC Pass sort of doesn't make sense anymore, which leads to another problem of trying to find discount tix for aspen. I'm thinking a more reasonable loop may be Denver-->A-basin or similar-->aspen-->CB(maybe)-->back to Denver.

What's the deal with Vail? They own Breck right? Should I avoid any Vail owned areas?

Yes, they do own Breck. Vail can be fun on a powder day, but overall it's not that challenging of a mountain for me, and not being a local there I don't know that many stashes. But you can spend a lot of your day traversing on lifts if unfamiliar. If you go there, stick to a zone that looks interesting per day for instance. I wouldn't say avoid all Vail owned resorts, but to me Breck and Keystone in particular are kinda worthless. Beaver Creek is my favorite of the bunch. It has a similar vibe to Aspen ($$$) but snow lasts longer there than Vail and it's got more interesting terrain. Also notably less people than Vail Mtn.

Aspen is varied. Lots of the glitzy rep is absolutely earned, but there are a shit ton of hard charging, down to earth locals in the area, many of which post here. In my humble, non-local observations, Ajax has the highest amount of "scene" factor, but is a classic mountain with an old school vibe hard to find anywhere else and really good bumps to boot. Highlands is the shit, my favorite hands down. Steepest, most challenging and most local vibe by a mile. Never skied Buttermilk (see Breck from my first post), and Snowmass has a lot going for it. Lower mountain isn't terribly interesting, but fun for recharging the legs. Get up top though and there is some very rad stuff and ridiculous views. If you get the Aspen Classic Pass I'd hit all three of these for sure. Google it, it's pretty reasonable.

[raisingarizona13]

Shell 2-fer-1....I've heard rumor this is applicable to Copper as well? or once was but no longer...or totally false..?

My heart sinks a little having the conversation go from Telluride, Aspen, or Crested Butte to Copper. I'm sure Copper is plenty of fun but in my mind it's not a classic.

[doebedoe]

Shell 2-fer-1....I've heard rumor this is applicable to Copper as well? or once was but no longer...or totally false..?

They announce in December. I don't recall if they were part of it last year. It changes a little every year.

Copper was a part of it last year. Usually pretty easy to find vouchers if you post up here ahead of time and its not one of the first few weeks of the season.

Copper is fun, but it isn't Aspen or T-Ride. Depending on the day it can be better than A-Bay.

[Elkhound Odin]

Stay in Idaho Springs. Hit up Eldora, Loveland, Abasin, and Indian Hot Springs. Hits everything you want: cheap, minimal driving, hot springs.

[raisingarizona13]

Stay in Idaho Springs. Hit up Eldora, Loveland, Abasin, and Indian Hot Springs. Hits everything you want: cheap, minimal driving, hot springs.

And you are close enough to Summit if you want a night of partying, if you have bc travel/skiing skills and the gear you can also ski Loveland Pass and Berthoud Pass too. Maybe there is a local guiding service for the passes? that might be worth looking into. Idaho Springs is pretty cool. Sick dh bike trails on the sunny side of the hill.