Help-need Colorado snow ski trip recomendations

[jamisonsbrodie]

Vail is my favorite of all of them. Great terrain and great nightlife. Lots of lodging options in Vail village or Lionshead and lots of VRBO options as well (all within walking distance). Breck is a cool town but the skiing can't compare to Vail, IMO. As far a crowds go, weekends are crowded at all of them, but once you move up the mountain, you can avoid a lot of the lines. Steamboat is cool, but more out of the way than the rest. BTW, new gondola will be opening this year too.

FYI, discount lift tix are available at King Soopers for Keystone, A-basin, Winter Park and others (not Vail or BC though)

[tmacx2]

Is there anywhere to get discount tickets for Breckenridge or Beaver Creek?

[madcityskier]

Big fan of Winter Park, and the ski train from Denver is kind of different. Steamboat was a great mountain and a great town, but as mentioned it's a long way from anything.

[VRS Fan]

Agree on previous post on Steamboat, snow is drier and closer to what you get in Utah.

[VRS Fan]

Steamboat for the snow, Brek for more night life.

[east tx skier]

In my opinion, for the variety in terrain, there is no beating Snowmass. I have been skiing since birth and have never found anything I love more than Snowmass. However, for a quick weekend trip from Denver, I think Copper is your best bet. I love Steamboat as well, but it's far enough to be enough of a drive as Snowmass is. Breckenridge is fine, but not my favorite.

[ttu]

i learned to ski breck back in the 70's. i think it has gotten way to busy. but i did enjoy seeing my ex wife get wiped out by a newbie snowboarder when we were going thru out divorce!

[2RLAKE]

Steamboat Springs ... We went there over Christmas two years ago and had a terrific time ... New snow every day .. Spectacular

We are heading to Jackson Hole formChrustmas this year ...more pricey but we want to try it out as I've never been there

[d2jp]

I was part owner of a lodge/ski shop/bike shop in Winter Park until a few years ago. I've skied about every resort in CO, and Steamboat, while a very cool town was my least favorite to ski.

The Ski Train no longer operates - sad b/c it was a very cool thing.

Ski/in/out is nice, but you can save a ton by staying in town and using the bus system to get to the ski area(s). Food is less expensive this way too. Some of the older properties though, can be noisy and very basic. But if you are there for the skiing that really won't matter. However if you want a little more 'plush' look for the newer units and be prepared to pay for it.

Winter Park/Mary Jane is laid back and affordable, with a cool town vibe. WP is not as easy to negotiate for beginner skiers as Copper, which is convenient/affordable but not much 'town' feel. Vail is really hard to beat for everything (terrain, amenities, etc) although it's pricier.

After spending part of my life where it snows 400" per year I'm in search of sand, sea and palm trees and a private lake. A guy can always dream

[madcityskier]

Ski train died? That sucks. It was an awesome way to come in looking up at the mountain. There's an Irish pub style restaurant in Winter Park that had a lobster/mac with aged cheddar and bacon in it that is highly recommended.