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Spending dough for the Snow - Dough for winter Snow Sports |
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Written by Erin Frustaci
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Thursday, 02 November 2006 |
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Page 1 of 12
 Snow. Here in northern Colorado, Mother Nature is teasing us with a just few flurries. Up in the mountains, though, she’s already letting loose.
And — just like Pavlov’s dogs — that’s enough to start us salivating in anticipation of winter and the sports that will soon follow.
Colorado is a national destination for skiing, snowmobiling, hut trips and more outdoor adventures.
This week, we’re giving you a tour of all the outdoor sports Colorado residents — and hordes of tourists — embrace.
Turn the page to start your winter adventure with us, and learn where to go, what gear is hot, and how to prepare for whatever sport suits the snowbunny in you.
NEXTnc staff reports
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SPORT: Downhill skiing
Skiing on a dime...
By Erin Frustaci
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 A lift ticket at Eldora— $53. A lift ticket at Aspen— $82. The fulfillment of the sport— priceless. No matter the budget, a new season of skiing awaits. So whether you are cracking open that piggy bank and dipping into savings or looking for an extravagant splurge, there’s a ski adventure around the corner just for you.
But where to start? With over 25 resorts across Colorado, a skiing venture can seem overwhelming. So before you hit the slopes, do a little planing. Evaluating your priorities, skill level and budget will allow you to custom your trip to your own needs.
Economical outing
Ken Wallace, shop manager at Outpost Sunsport said there are several ways to shave the dollars off the cost of skiing. And he should know. He’s been skiing for 21 years.
“I’m just really passionate about it,” he said. “Getting to be outside and exercise in the winter is great.”
The first place to save money is on equipment. If it’s your first time, Wallace said it’s not a bad idea to rent equipment. Several shops rent kids packages for the entire season. Adult ski rentals usually run between $18-$37 per day and include skis, boots, bindings and poles. Additional days are often discounted.
Maka Kalai, manager of Christy Sports in Fort Collins recommended renting locally, instead of waiting until you are on the mountain.
“We have Christy Sports everywhere and prices at the ones by the resorts will jump $6-10 because of the location,” he said.
The next place to save money is on apparel. The slope isn’t Paris Runway. The main thing is to stay warm.
 “In Colorado, you can find low-end ski stuff at Wal-Mart,” Kalai said. “You can get out on the mountain with very minimum stuff.”
Now comes the big ticket item— the lift ticket. For people planning on going up regularly, all the resorts offer season passes. For a set price, skiing trips are unlimited. Other packages such as four day passes are also available. For the newbies, buying a single day lift ticket is probably best.
Wallace and Kalai said a person can save money by buying lift tickets around town. Places like King Soopers and Christy Sports sell discounted lift tickets. There are also several coupon offering out there. The trick is hunting them out.
To save money on gas, carpools are in order.
“We usually meet off of I-70 at the park n ride and split gas,” Wallace said.
Though Eldora is smaller than many of the other resorts, it is only an hour and a half away and not as expensive as others. Plus, I-70 traffic is completely avoided.
Once there, a big hidden cost of skiing is found in the ski lodges around noon.
“I always bring my lunch to avoid spending $12 on a hamburger,” Wallace said.
Resort food definitely adds up Kalai said.
“Lunches can make it really expensive for a family of four,” he said. “Packing a lunch is a huge money saver.”
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DESTINATIONS
Where will you go to ski? Here are some of your options, what they have to offer, and how far you’ll have to go to get it:
Lifts include triples, doubles, high- speed quads, high-speed 6-person, conveyors, surface, carpets, handle tow, pomas, rope tows, gondolas, platter pulls and ski school lifts
Runs: Green— beginner, Blue— intermediate, Blue-black— in between, Black— advanced, Double Diamonds— Bad ass
Arapahoe Basin Ski Area, AKA: A-Basin
• Open
• 69 trails/six lifts — about 5 green, 22 blue, 38 black
• 120 miles from Fort Collins (about a 2-hour drive)
• Adult full day $51, youth 15-19 $41, child 6-14 $22, senior 60-69 $41 and senior 70 and older $10. Get a free child lift ticket with purchase of a full price adult ticket.
• 1.888.ARAPAHOE
• www.arapahoebasin.com
Aspen Mountain
• Opens Nov. 23
• 76 trails/ eight lifts — no green (though Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk Mountain both have green), about 37 blue, 20 black and 20 double diamonds
• 258 miles from Fort Collins (about a 4 and a half-hour drive)
• Adult full day $82, youth 13-17 $74, child 7-12 $52 and senior $74.
• 800.525.6200
• www.aspensnowmass.com
Beaver Creek
• Opens Nov. 22
• 146 trails/16 lifts — about 50 green, 57 blue, 39 black
• 157 miles from Fort Collins (about a 2 and a half hour drive)
• Beaver Creek has not released its one-day window pricing yet. 3 of 5 day adult ticket $204, child 5-12 $138 and senior 65 and older $177
• 800.404.3535
• www.beavercreek.com
Breckenridge Ski Resort
• Opens Nov. 10
• 146 trails/ 28 lifts — about 22 green, 48 blue, 29 black and 46 double diamonds
• 141 miles from Fort Collins (about a 2 and a half hour drive)
• (Early season) Adult full day $75, child 5-12 $39 and senior 65 and older $65
• 800.404.3535
• www.breckenridge.com
Copper Mountain
• Opens Nov. 3
• 125 trails/ 22 lifts — about 26 green, 31 blue, 45 black and 23 double diamond
• 137 miles from Fort Collins (about a 2 hour drive)
• (regular season) Adult full day $79, child 6-13 $64, senior 65-69 $39 and senior 70 and older free
• 866.841.2481
• www.coppercolorado.com
Crested Butte Mountain Resort
• Opens Nov. 18
• 121 trails/ 15 lifts — about 24 green, 42 blue, 20 black, 27 double diamonds
• 290 miles from Fort Collins (about a five hour drive— good for a weekend getaway not a day trip!)
• Adult full day $74, youth 13-17 $56, child 7-12 $37, senior 65 and older $55.50
• 877.326.1471
• www.skicb.com
Eldora Mountain Resort
• Opens Nov. 17
• 53 trails/ 12 lifts — about 10 green, 28 blue, 9 black and 8 double diamonds
• 75 miles from Fort Collins (about an hour and a half drive)
• (2005-2006 Season prices. This season prices have not been released.) Adult full day $53, child/ youth 6-15 $33, senior 65 and older $35
• 303.440.8700
• www.eldora.com
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Want the ultimate ski day?
That’ll be at least $2,000, please.
 ULTIMATE EXCURSION
“We would take trips to Colorado and New Mexico for skiing,” he said.
Wallace moved to Colorado when he was about 5, but for many Colorado remains a hot spot for winter travel.
Kalai said he used to work in Steamboat, where people would come in to buy brand new equipment every year.
“They would come in and buy the latest and greatest stuff on the wall,” he said. “Some people will get all matching stuff.”
Wallace said top of the line skis run about $930. And while cheapy outerwear can work, higher quality fabrics tend to wick away moister better.
 For those looking to indulge, many resorts have sit down restaurants.
Gwyn’s High Alpine at Snowmass offers elk medallions for $24.95, smoked duck and poached pear salad for $16.95 and a buffalo burger for $15.95. The restaurant features an extensive wine list and recommends reservations.
Kalai said the pinnacle of skiing is heli skiing. Heli skiing, officially known as helicopter skiing, is for intermediate to advanced skiers. A breathtaking helicopter ride takes skiers to untracked powder for the ultimate day of skiing.
Telluride offers Colorado’s only heli skiing. A single-day of heli skiing — which includes 6-7 runs — costs $945 per person.
“Once you’ve gotten on a helicopter to go skiing, you know you have made it,” Kalai said. “That’s a splurge, I’d say.”
Erin Frustaci
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DESTINATIONS
Keystone Resort
• Opens Nov. 10
• 117 trails/ 21 lifts — about 22 green, 38 blue and 57 black and double diamond combined
•130 miles from Fort Collins (about a 2 hour drive)
• Keystone has not released one-day window ticket prices. 3 or 5 day ticket adult $144, child 5-12 $87, senior 65 and up $114
• 970.496.4FUN
• www.keystone.snow.com
Loveland Ski Area
• Open
• 92 trails/ 11 lifts — about 17 green, 38 blue, 17 black and 4 double diamonds
• 116 miles from Fort Collins (about a 2 hour drive)
• Adult full day $52, child 6-14 $23, senior 60-69 $39 and senior 70 and older $49 for a season pass. (Early season through Dec. 16 Adult $40 and child $19)
• 303.571.5580
• www.skiloveland.com
Snowmass
• Open Nov. 23
• 88 trails/ 23 lifts — about 5 green, 44 blue, 11 black and 28 double diamonds
• 256 miles from Fort Collins (about a 4 and a half hour drive)
•Adult full day $82, ages 13-17 $74, ages 7-12 $52; seniors 65-69 $74
• 970.925.1220
• www.aspensnowmass.com
Steamboat Springs
• Opens Nov. 22
• 142 trails/ 23 lifts — about 25 green, 56 blue, 11 blue-black 60 black, 7 double diamonds
• 200 miles from Fort Collins (about a 3 and a half hour drive)
• Adult full day $79, youth 13-17 $59, child 6-12 $49, child 5 and under free, senior 65-69 $61 and senior 70 and older $31 (Early season through Dec. 14 Adult $64, youth 13-17 $47, child 6-12 $36 and senior 65-69 $54)
• 970.879.6111
• www.steamboat.com
Sunlight Mountain
• Opens Dec. 1
•67 trails/ 4 lifts — about 15 green, 16 blue, 10 black 18 double diamonds
• 229 miles from Fort Collins (about a 4 hour drive)
• Adult full day $45, child 6-12 $35, child 5 and under $10, senior 60-69 $35, seniors 70 and up $10
• 970.945.7491
• www.sunlightmtn.com
Telluride Ski Resort
• Opens Nov. 23
• 84 trails/ 16 lifts — about 20 green, 32 blue and 32 black and double diamonds combined
• 390 miles from Fort Collins (about a 7 hour drive)
• Adult $79, child 6-12 $47 and senior 65 and older $58 (early season through Dec. 15 Adult $61, child 6-12 $35 and senior 65 and older $44
• 970.728.6900
• www.tellurideskresort.com
Vail
• Opens Nov. 17
• 193 trails/ 39 lifts — about 54 green, 62 blue and 77 black and double diamonds combined
• 157 miles from Fort Collins (about a 2 and a half hour drive)
• Vail has not released one-day-window pricing. 3 of 5 day ticket adult $180, child 5-12 $117, senior 65 and older $150
• 970.476.5601
• www.vail.snow.com
Winter Park
• Opens Nov. 15
• 134 trails/ 24 lifts — about 12 green, 45 blue, 73 black and 5 double diamonds
• 125 miles from Fort Collins (about a 2 hour and 15 minute drive)
• Adult $79, child 6-13 $39, child 5 and under free, senior 65-69 $64 and senior 70 and older $31
• 970.726.5514
• www.winterparkresort.com
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|  | "Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is Alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only truth." | |
|  | We're not that bright, even though in our own little world, we're geniuses. We like 80s hair bands and one-hit wonders, but among us we have respectable tastes, too. Metallica, Iron Maiden, U2. Pursuit of all things trivial is a lifestyle, not just a game. We like some sports, love other sports, and can find something to say about anything. We watch TV and movies and we've read a book or two, even a few classics (Yes, Classic Comics count!)
We call it insight, you call it what you will. | |
|  | Felix Wong is an outdoor enthusiast living in Fort Collins. A mechanical engineer by day, he is especially passionate about bicycling, running, and backpacking. | |
|  | Hola Amigos! I'm Sandra. I like to believe that people are 70 percent good and 30 percent dumb. I'm stickin to that story. Reading this blog might make you want to be good, but probably just dumb. | |
|  | Donovan Henderson is editor of NEXTnc. | |
|  | Here at Nextnc we have some characters. Get a sneak peak behind the curtain and find out what amusing antics our staffers get themselves into on a weekly basis. | |
|  | What is up FoCo?
I am a recent college graduate of Minnesota State University Moorhead. After recieving my B.A. in English and Mass Communications this past August I moved down to Colorado.
I enjoy long walks on the beach, candlelight dinners, and heavy metal. |
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