Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Colorado Ski Vacations

Even before John Denver's "Rocky Mountain High" made the state internationally famous, Colorado was THE place to ski in the United States. Perhaps it's the way that the Rocky Mountains jut up boldly into the sky, or maybe it's the near-perfect powder that blankets the slopes every year. It could be the old-style charm of the former silver mining towns, now ski and snowboard resorts, or the prestige of rubbing elbows with the upper crust that frequents such delightful places. It's most likely the combination - all these things and so much more coming together in the same state, that brings millions of people from all over the globe to Colorado for their ski vacations.



Few states can boast being so thoroughly covered in incredible, wonderful, and wildly different quality ski resorts. From the southeastern corner, Pueblo, to the Southwest with Wolf Creek Pass, to Estes Park's majestic non-commercial mountains and rare eco-systems - all over Colorado there are unique resorts to experience, new slopes, and bowls, chutes and backcountry excursions to try. Whether you're a first-rank beginner or a seasoned expert, most all of these resorts have been set up to ensure that everyone who chooses Colorado for their ski vacation destination will be comfortable, and yet able to progress and learn while they're visiting. Even the most vertical of drops is going to have a bunny slope somewhere else on the mountain, and a whole bunch of intermediate level runs to aspire to, when you're ready for them.

Find discounts and deals on your next winter vacation - are your ready to ski Colorado this season?

With success come privileges. Colorado's ski resorts make for a very affluent clientele. Aspen and Vail have always been thought of as part of the lifestyles of the rich and famous, but the fact is that pretty much anyone can (and does) ski there, along with every other mountain resort area in the state. Even in the most exclusive Aspen, you'll find people with multiple PhDs working as janitors so that they can stay and ski there. Breckenridge, Copper Mountain, Arapahoe Basin, Keystone and the rest of the joys of Summit County are so readily accessible that you can land in Denver in the morning, check in to your lodgings and still be on the slopes before noon!

Then there's the new kid on the block, the enigma (or is that vision?): Echo Mountain. Formerly Squaw Pass, this mountain was revived and redesigned from the ground up with a different sort of vision. The owner wanted to make a place for the everyman to go, where lift tickets didn't cost $75 and a buffalo burger wasn't 14 bucks. He set about the vision with wisdom. He bought a used 3-chair lift from Vail, an older quality snowcat, and brought in bright young snowboarders' minds to set it all in motion. The results are an adrenalin junkie's paradise! You won't find any frills, and you won't find daycare or Starbucks or Oakley franchises. What you will find are 80 features on a zillion freestyle terrain parks, over a dozen trails, and a LOT of aerial fun being had by everyone... for a LOT less than any other ski resort in Colorado!

Some places grow old. Some places grow up. Those who choose a Colorado ski vacation find that it just keeps getting better.