Hitting the Slopes

Vail+Ski+Resort+mid+2014-2015+season.++Photo+Via+Flickr+under+the+Creative+Commons+license.%0A+https%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fdherholz%2F104050623++

Vail Ski Resort mid 2014-2015 season. Photo Via Flickr under the Creative Commons license. https://www.flickr.com/photos/dherholz/104050623

When the snow arrives in the urban parts of Colorado, it has already hit the mountains a month earlier; here’s what to expect when up in the mountains.

View of the front side of Breckenridge. Photo via Wikimedia Commons under the Creative Commons license. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breckenridge_Ski_Resort
View of the front side of Breckenridge. Photo via Wikimedia Commons under the Creative Commons license. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breckenridge_Ski_Resort

Breckenridge: The popular ski town and resort have a big reputation to uphold; Breck continually impresses even in the off-season. Opening day was November 13th, and the slope will remain open until April 24th. A newer part of the mountain, Peak Six, opened in the 2013-2014 season and features 21 expert trails, 10 intermediate trails, and 2 lifts. As for entertainment this season,  November 30th though December 6th, the mountain is hosting The Hartford Ski Spectacular, a competition for disabled athletes, along with hosting the Dew Tour Mountain Championships December 10th through the 13th. Down in the city, from January 18th through February 7th, Breckenridge is hosting its annual Budweiser International Snow Sculpture Championships. Back up on the slopes, 10 restaurants scatter the mountain, including the popular Sevens and Vista Haus.

Vail: A sister resort of Breckenridge, Vail, is the largest ski resort in the Rocky Mountains. A total of 10 bowls, 31 lifts, and 193 possible trails, with areas to ski for all skill levels, Vail will once again rack in many powder chasers this season. Planning to open November 20th all the way through the 10th of April, this resort will attract many tourists throughout the season. New to the mountain this season is a new high speed six pack lift and an addition to Eagle’s Nest: the fun park of a zip line canopy tour. Vail Snow Daze, returns December 11-13th, and plans to feature many live musical acts. December 19th, 20th, and 31st are all days of Holidaze, a family fun time with fireworks, a lantern walk, and a tree lighting ceremony. In traditional New Orleans spirit, Vail takes on CarniVAIL, a Mardi Gras celebration, with crawfish boils, a Fat Tuesday parade, and Cajun food. Vail’s on-mountain and in-town dinning features over 100 restaurants to choose from.

Sarah Burke, a skier, taking part in the 2014 X Games in Aspen. Photo via Wikimedia Commons under the Creative Commons license. [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Burke ]
Sarah Burke, a skier, taking part in the 2014 X Games in Aspen. Photo via Wikimedia Commons under the Creative Commons license. [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Burke ]
Aspen: Further north and west, Aspen Snowmass, is a tourist and a local favorite. Aspen Snowmass is home to four resorts all within one town. Aspen Mountain and Aspen Snowmass open November 26th, and plan to stay open until late April. Buttermilk and Aspen Highlands open December 12th and plan to stay open through early April. ULLR Lights, at Snowmass, is a light winter festival, that is every night from December 18th until April 1st,  with bonfires, tubing and a snow slide. The Aspen Winternational, November 28th and 29th, is both in town and on Aspen Mountain, where viewers can watch ski races from the base of A1, at the finish line, and attend a free music festival at night within the city. 2016 X Games will be in Aspen as always, January 28th-31st, at the Buttermilk Resort, giving viewers the opportunity to spot and cheer on their favorite skiers.

Wolf Creek, Monarch Mountain: Both resorts, much smaller in comparison to Breckenridge, Aspen, and Vail, are known less by tourists and more by the local ski bums. Wolf Creek gets on average 430 inches of all natural snow, the most in Colorado. Best known for knee deep powder and low ticket prices, Wolf Creek also hosts many races and college days. Just short of a four hour drive from Colorado Springs to Wolf Creek, it would be best to plan a weekend getaway rather than a day trip for this Colorado gem. Monarch, a two and a half hour drive, has snow almost just as good as Wolf Creek’s with a much shorter drive. With an average of 304 inches of natural snowfall, Monarch’s resort is closer to most major cities in Colorado, and features many advanced trails.

Before planning a weekend to the mountains, pick a resort that will fit your interests, or even pick an event to attend; be a part of all the excitement! Vail, Breckenridge, and Aspen feature town entertainment along with big slopes; snow-bunnies and powder-hounds can hit up Wolf Creek or Monarch for some all natural skiing.