cheapboxofwine

Realizing the snow could be iffy this time of year, we're sort of bound by the school holiday which is the first week of April--the week before Easter. We'd like recommendations for ski resorts in Colorado but would consider Utah or Canada as well. We are a family of four and the girls are in 4 and 5 1/2. My husband is an expert skier, I'm intermediate, and daughters are on their way to Olympic medals! Thanks.

MaureenB

April in Colorado would be a gamble. Your best bet, if you want Colorado, would be to stay in Summit County where you have a few areas to choose from. Arapahoe Basin is always open late, so it would be your safety net.

I'm not sure about the Aspen mountains, but there are four there, also. Maybe check their statistics for closing dates. Aspen is our favorite.

amwosu

We ski Aspen/Snowmass every winter and occassionally the first week of April. Like MaureenB the Aspen area is the family favorite after 20 some years of vacationing there.

The snow is sometimes crunchy in the spring and the mountains have bare patches but we've always been able to ski with no problem.

Aspen is a small mountain with many expert runs compared to Snowmass which has lots of great long and wide runs for all skill levels. I've never skied Aspen Highlands in the spring but that mountain is known for its back bowls. Buttermilk probably won't interest your family as it is more of a beginner/intermediate area and it likely closes the first week of April.

www.aspensnowmass.com is a great website with info on all four mountains, lodging, lessons, and restaurants.

Dayle

Hi Cheap,

I live in Park City, but Snowbird has always been my favorite. April skiing in Little Cottonwood Canyon at Snowbird and Alta is awesome. If your family is intermediate/expert - you will especially love it! Very often powder in the morning, tee shirts in the afternoon. In a normal snow year, April is the second heaviest snowfall month, March being the heaviest.

Powder to the people!

Dayle

PS - Snowbird's normal closing date for winter skiing is first weekend in MAY. Then they go to summer skiing hours. That tells you something about the snowfall.

enzian

I second Dayle's recommendation for Snowbird/Alta. Our family has skied there the first week of April a number of times. Alta in particular holds the snow very well because it is very high and the slopes mostly face north. Both areas have a lot to offer intermediate and advanced/expert skiers (including some awesome off-piste skiing at Alta).

For lodging, Snowbird offers lots of condo choices in four different lodges (all owned by the same company). They have nice swimming pools and hot tubs for your girls. Alta has some older ski lodges, and a selection of privately owned homes and condos which are in the area between Snowbird and Alta. The two resorts are adjacent; you can get a combined lift ticket, and there is a shuttle that runs between the two. So it doesn't really matter where you stay---choose the lodging that seems to best suit your needs.

You can fly into SLC, take a shuttle like Canyon Transport (reserve in advance), and be on the mountain in 30 minutes. No need to rent a car, unless you want to be able to go into SLC for shopping, etc., or try other ski areas.

corwin

i will cast a third vote for snowbird and alta for april vacation which, for us in massachusetts isthe 3rd week in april. alta has more for the advanced intermediate/expert skier, but can be exhilarating for all levels, nevertheless. snowbird is large and international enough, that there are lots of trails for every level of skier/rider. i skied there growing up in texas, and continue to return with children from toddler ages on up now.

alternatively, we also adore mont tremlant resort in quebec for april vacation week. less crowded than snowbird that time of year, there is plenty of snow and sun. plus, lower cost for inns and hotels.

BLYVAIL

My suggestion would be for Beaver Creek or Steamboat. With March typically the snowiest month, there is usually plenty of snow the first week in April.

Beaver Creek & Steamboat have great ski schools and a wide range of skiing for all abilities. For BC, you can fly directly in Eagle (EGE) for Steamboat you can fly into Hayden.

padams421

Best snow would probably be found in April at Snowbird/Alta. Also, in SLC, you have a choice of going to any of the other areas (Park City, Deer Valley, etc. to ski if it's a good snow year). Colorado is likely to be "spring conditions"- icy in the morning and slushy in the afternoon.

wtm003

Since your girls are young, can you take them out of school for a few days in early to mid-March? Like others have mentioned early April is iffy in Colorado. We stopped skiing this year in late March after finding the conditions at Keystone (in Summit County) not great and slushy.

MaureenB

Snowbird/Alta sounds like a great choice. I didn't realize the snow in Utah lasts longer than here in Colorado. I wouldn't take kids out of school, and it sounds like you could find snow in April in Utah. I've been there to ski myself, and it is definitely worth a visit.

Loki

I'm in a similar boat next year as school break will fall on Apr 20th! Way too late! So this past year, I diligently checked ski reports through mid-late April and Snowbird/Alta was the obvious choice for spring snow, so that' where we'll be in April.

cheapboxofwine

Thanks to all who replied and told me about Snowbird! I will definitely look into that location since it was highly recommended for April skiing.

ggreen

I learned to ski at Alta during my April vacations from school (relatives lived in SLC at the time), and I have been back as an adult. Since you say you are skiers, as opposed to snowboarders, I will mention that Alta is *skiing* only - which makes for great rides! Snowbird allows both, so if you do snowboard, then you have that option; as others have mentioned, you can easily get between the two.

On our last visit, we took a shuttle van from airport to mountain. We stayed at the Alta Peruvian, one of those "older lodges" in the area. A little worn at the edges, but the food was good, hot tub and heated swimming pool welcome, and tow rope access to the ski lifts very handy. There are different types of rooms at different price ranges; we opted for bathroom-down-the-hall, which was fine for us for a few days, but the room was quite small! Our stay included three meals per day, with a box lunch or lunch in the dining area if you returned to the lodge midday (we didn't), and ski passes for each day we were there. Since we had to leave too early to ski on our last day, they reimbursed us for that lift ticket.
http://www.altaperuvian.com

take_time_2_travel

In the same part of the country...I love my home state of Wyoming. Check out Jackson Hole's Teton Village and the beautiful Teton mountains. (Also Yellowstone Park, the elk refuge, etc!) However, I have never been skiing in April...this might be "iffy" as well. You could check online for the normal snowpack at that time of year.

Have a great time wherever you end up!

Annaoj

I see you're getting lots of other recommendations--and I haven't been to Snowbird or Alta so can't comment--but personally I love the Aspen/Snowmass area, and have found that Snowmass in particular [just ten minutes down the road from Apsen mountain--you can buy passes that are good at the four mountains in that immediate area, which are Snowmass, Aspen, Highlands and Buttermilk] is a wonderful choice when you have skiers of a few different levels.
I suppose spring weather is iffy, but April in the Aspen area may be absolutely delightful--warm and sunny, but still with good snow. It's my favorite out-West skiing.

Dayle

important note about spring skiing in Jackson Hole - they close early! Not always due to lack of snow, but due to lack of skiers. If Easter is really late this year, Jackson Hole will probably be closed after mid-April, if not sooner.