first time visit to Colorado-seeking info
 

My husband and I want to take a trip to Colorado mid November, around the 11th, for about 3 nights. We?ve never been to Colorado, much less any mountainous town, and we?ve never been skiing. We will be driving from Texas and are still trying to decide the best town to visit for our first time. We are looking to get away from it all, would like to do some snowmobiling, hiking, sightseeing nature and have some romance. Would the early part of November be a good time to visit Colorado and will there be any snow? I noticed that the Silverton train does not run until later in November and was wondering why.

Also, we are still trying to decide where to go but have limited our options to 3-4 locations. Durgano, Steamboat Spring, Estes Park or Colorado Springs. I would appreciate any advice and tips on what to do, where to go, and where I should stay. Thanks in advance!

Whether or not there will be snow is totally a gamble...the weather here is very unpredictable. Steamboat is probably pretty likely for snow and has good activities. Not sure if hiking will be possible...Colorado Springs has Pikes Peak and some other things, but it is more of a small city than a vacation destination. Estes Park is nice..near Rocky Mountain National Park. I believe most of the roads into the Park will be closed by November.

If there's enough snow to snowmobile, you're not going to be able to hike in the same area and vice versa. Especially within a 3 day span. Either way, mid-November is not a good time for either.

November probably won't have snow accumulated, so don't count on skiing for sure. But it is still a pretty month, if you are happy with hiking and sightseeing. I wouldn't suggest Colorado Springs, as it isn't situated in the mountains, and really wouldn't be what you're looking for. We like Winter Park for its wide open spaces, and nearby Grand Lake for its spectacular scenery. And Steamboat Springs has a 'wild west' feeling that you might enjoy. I don't know what route you would drive into Colorado, but Durango is very pretty, so are Telluride, and Crested Butte. Of course there's always Aspen for a big splurge. Can you make it more than 3 nights? Seems like a long drive for a short stay. I'd do 5 nights minimum.

The first time my husband and I visited Durango, we had been living in Houston; we flew into Albuquerque and drove a big loop through Pagosa Springs, Durango, Silverton, Ouray, the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Grand Junction (and the Colorado Monument), then Moab, Cortez, and Mesa Verde. We did this all in 4 days around early November. I thought the whole area was really beautiful. Now that I live in Colorado, I'm spoiled, and would say that November isn't as pretty as other months, because the trees have dropped their leaves, but there isn't usually much snow.

Around Durango at that time of year, you can expect some incredible mountain views, possibly snow, but not usually deep. The train stops running all the way up to Silverton around then, because pretty soon, the tracks will be covered in snow, and there is avalanche danger. It does make the trip to Cascade Canyon and back, which is still a great ride.

One of the good things about travelling then is the possibility of winging it - I think you could get by pretty easily without reservations. That would give you the option to go where the weather and conditions were what you wanted. Depending on where in Texas you are driving from, and where you decide to go, you might want to consider flying into Albuquerque, Colorado Springs, or Denver in order to maximize your vacation time. Flying might not be much more expensive than driving because fares are relatively low then, and if you drive, you'll likely have to stay in a motel coming and going.

Travellyn's route sounds gorgeous; and good idea about leaving your lodging reservations flexible to follow the weather.

Colorado Springs is a small city but it is a very good vacation destination, as well. Pikes Peak has lots to offer: hiking, a drive up the tollway to the summit, the cog railway. The U.S. Olympic Training Center is a great stop and the U.S. Air Force Academy with its gorgeous chapel is worth a visit as long as security regulations are permitting visitors on base (it was closed to visitors recently). Seven Falls and the red rocks of Garden of the Gods are both lovely and the famous Broadmoor Hotel is also a favorite. One note: The Springs does not get a lot of snow typically, so it is quite likely you won't see any except for maybe some on the Peak. (That applies to winter as a whole; not just mid-November.) For snowmobiling and the like you'll want to go to someplace higher.

I know it's not on your list but you might want to consider Summit County (Breckenridge, Keystone, Coppery Mtn. Arapahoe Basin ski resorts). Plenty of cross country and downhill skiing there and some gorgeous places to snowmobile and snowshoe. Just a warning, though, that the last couple years have been rather light on snow, so your trip is probably a bit early to ensure snow.

Why these four? Durgano, Steamboat Spring, Estes Park or Colorado Springs.

Of those Durango or Steamboat, not a big fan of Estes Park, even less so for Colorado Springs. Like others said early Nov is anyones bet as to the weather. Some resorts will have very limited skiing, I'd skip skiing if you have never been.

I hike year round. Unless we have a really big storm there is no reason that you could not hike. Most trails are pretty packed down and you can get by with good water proof hiking boots. If there is snow rent some snowshoes, about 10.00 or less. It is fun, if you can walk you can snowshoe.

For me though it is not on your list I would look at Vail. It fits the other criteria "snowmobiling, hiking, sightseeing nature and have some romance." If you can push your trip back till early December you would have a better chance to snowmobile.

Vail has wonderful resturants and romantic hotels. Early Nov is still off season and you could get a great rate.

PS Maureen's idea of Telluride is good too. I am not sure how much is open at that time though?

Thank you for your replies. I will keep my options open and look at other places. I just ordered a Colorado book to help. I would really like to be there when there is snow so I guess I better wait until December or maybe even January. ?? We chose early November because we have some time away from work then.

Having never been to any place in Colorado, I only know what I hear and I've heard the people in Vail aren't very friendly, which is why that wasn't on my list. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated and I'll take into consideration everything to help me plan my trip.

My husband and I spent six nights in Vail this summer and LOVED it. We thought the people were very nice. We stayed at the Sonnenalp and it was fabulous - highly recommend.

Beachjaunt, I go to Vail often people are the same there as anyplace. Personnaly I have found them to be very nice. FYI..rates will be much less before the Christmas holidays. They do go down a bit in Jan but if your budget is restrictive it is something to consider. Of the places mentioned I would go to Telluride or Vail. I could be wrong but I think that Vail will have more to offer non-skiers. Telluride has spectacular scenery. Hard to go wrong with either.

Beachjaunt - if you can move your dates, to early December, you'll have a much better chance to go snowmobiling and other activities. I also think its much prettier then.

Early November - the leaves have fallen, there's not complete snow coverage so theres a lot of brown. By December, there's snow coverage, Christmas lights are up, more people and therefore more shops and restaurants open. Be sure to avoid the week of Christmas and New Years as these weeks book up a year in advance and are the most expensive.

I also think as non-skiers, the Durango/Silverton/Ouray/Telluride loop is a beautiful choice. Spectacular scenery, cute town. If there's not enough snow for snowmobiling, you could drive to Mesa Verde and hike the ruins. (There'll be snow on the peaks) The train is closed for the winter due to weather.

I'm not a big fan of Estes or Colo Springs. Steamboat is geared more toward skiing/boarding at that time. Summit (Breck/Keystone) and Vail would be good options, as mentioned, as alternatives.

I like Vail and have personally never had a single problem there. But I've had friends come back with the funniest stories of running into snooty people there. And a friend of mine managed a condo project in nearby Beaver Creek ($2 million and up--yikes!) and before the project was even done one owner had already filed suit against his neighbor because his neighbor had a double-door entryway and he didn't. (There was no way to give him a double-door entry because of his condo's layout so he demanded the neighbor give up one of his doors. When the neighbor said no, he sued him.)

Again, I've enjoyed my trips there and will go back in the future but it's only fair to report on what others have told me, as well.

Beachjaunt, I think Durango and/or Telluride meet a lot of what you are looking for. Both have skiing, beautiful scenery, history, great hiking...

I was just looking at my Telluride pics before I read this post and it reminded me of how dramatic the scenery in Telluride is. We celebrated our anniversary their in the Summer a couple of years ago and Bridal Veil Falls is beautiful. Just not sure how much hiking is really fesible during Dec or January so that might limit what you can see. Here's a link to my photos from Telluride. I have two albums on the first page. Summer was pretty but I'm sure the town looks really pretty with snow!

http://community.webshots.com/user/lenleigh

I would also nix Colorado Springs, husband and I finally moved back to Denver from there and I hated every minute of living there. It does have some nice scenery (I have a Garden of the Gods album too) and a few worthy attractions but it's by no means a small town anymore and the town itself is pretty unattractive. I like Estes Park but it's very family oriented and skiing is further away but it's the entrance to RMNP which won't do much good in Dec.

Snowing today! Yipee, it will melt but it is nice to see so early in the year :)

CoSkier, my husband would not be happy to hear that but I am! I'm hoping to enjoy a little more of this not too warm, not too cold autumn weather. This is one of my favorite seasons!

Beachjaunt,

I'll have to 'third' the Summit County suggestions, especially Breckenridge. Lots to do, it's a real town. Tons of shopping and restaurants too. I was just checking for our ski vacation this year, and the ski area officially opens Nov. 12 this year. We've gone the past two Thanksgivings and there has been snow both times. Have fun whatever you decide.

Coskier, Take a look at the "last day of summer" in Keystone!

http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/5668d/#TL

To each his (or her) own, I guess. Been a resident of the Springs for nine years and have loved every minute of it. There's nothing like looking out at Pikes Peak every morning. That said, this is definitely a city--around 500,000 if you count the entire metro region, I believe. I think you (the original poster) may be looking for more of a mountain town and there are great choices above for that.

As to when it's safest to assume there'll be snow, I think as a beginner skier you'd be fine in December because you'll be on the flatter runs that hold snow well and have the benefit of man-made snow. I don't snowmobile but I'd guess January might be a safer bet for that because you'll be at the mercy of Mother Nature. But, hopefully it'll be a snowy winter. They had measurable snow in the mountains today!

Great photos Grasshopper :) How much longer will you be at Keystone? Heading up with my sisters and mom this weekend. Should be a perfect Colorado fall weekend.

Lenleigh, 80's one day, snow one day 70's the next. Colorado weather!

I may never leave! :-) Maybe we should meet for a drink this weekend. It's supposed to be nice this weekend. It's cold and white and cloudy now. I think we got about 5 inches overnight. They are starting to make snow at ABasin.

Thanks for everyone's suggestions adn lenleigh, thanks for the pictures. I think Telluride might be the place to go. Sounds like I better visit more than once to do everything I want to do! How does this sound: I go to Telluride early November (11th) for a quick 3 nights to see the beauty of the mountains and hope for snow and maybe next year I can plan for more time in the winter. My only concern is that early November may be kinda drab if everything's brown but the crowds should be thin and prices are cheaper. How does that sound?

beachjaunt, I am not that familier with Telluride so take this for what is worth, the mountain does not open for skiing till Thanksgiving. If it is like it is in Summit County many of the shops and resturants maybe closed. Same for services. It should be cheap though.

Grasshopper this weekend is not good the family is coming in from Missouri and it is hard to take time from them, next weekend??

beachjaunt,

It looks like the Gondola will be open Nov 24th (I saw Nov 19th on another site though) for the winter season and skiing opens the same day. It's pretty accurate that there could be very little snow at that time on the mountain unless we get some serious early snow this season which is always a possibility (had to turn the heat on last night!).

Even if you go mid Nov, the aspen leaves will be gone but all the evergreen trees on the mountains will still be green. I would definitly check though on the Gondola. It's free and open during the summer and opens for winter on Nov 24th but it would be a shame not to have it running when you are there. At the top, you have some really amazing views of the mountains behind it and the town. If it's not snowy I would bundle up and head over to Bridal Veil falls. It's over 1,000 feet incline to the falls, we walked almost entirely to the top where the power house is but the last leg is pretty steep. Beautiful falls, great views of the town nestled in the mountains and the mine is really neat.

In town, we didn't get to try much but they have some great restaurants. Lots of spas too if you like to be pampered. Next time we go I want to see the history museum there which looked interesting. Summer is a fantastic time to go because everything is so green, great weather and they have festivals all the time. Just be careful driving if it is snowy because the roads can be dangerous outside of Telluride. Check out this website, you might like some of the info they have about the town and attractions.

http://www.visittelluride.com/index.html

Don't know where you are from but, looking at your screen name, you may be from sea level? Colorado is fantastic! Don't think there is any bad choice as to where to visit. However, everything seems to be at high altitude and hikes are seemingly all uphill. Be prepared to pant and experience loss of breath. At higher locals, 'altitude sickness' can be a problem - even serious if not prepared. Come on out and enjoy but don't try to bite off too much in such a short trip.

Estes Park would not be a good location if you want to ski. Nearest ski area is Eldora, outside of Boulder, and it's probably 45 minutes away. But we are there a lot and in November you can usually hike in the lower elevations of Rocky Mountain National Park. In the higher elevations (around Bear Lake at 9500 ft.) you can either hike or snowshoe, depending on what the recent weather has been like. It's not true all the roads into the park are closed by then! Just Trail Ridge Road to the top and over to the other side. They usually close it about 10 miles in.

There are some romantic cabins with or without fireplaces that are reasonable. Our favorite is the Shawnee (can see photos on vrbo.com) or Pine Tree Cabins. I think Glacier Lodge is closed that time of year. The YMCA isn't bad either.

Sue

I am in a similar situation to beachjaunt, although I will stay for a week, and I do ski. It has been a long time dream to visit Colorado, and I am finally doing it the 2nd week in Nov as well. I found the replies very informative, and plan on using my newly acquired information to make the most of my visit. The one question that was brought to my attention is if I might encounter any serious weather problems driving from Denver to Steamboat - the second week in Nov that may cause me to revise my itinerary?

I am also planning to visit Glenwood Canyon - I 70 Highway project to check it out as I wrote a term paper for my Environmental Engineering class on it.

Any opinions or suggestions that can be passed on would be greatly appreciated

I second Travellyn's suggestions. I would definitely do Durango and make sure to schedule a visit to Mesa Verde, no matter what. The Ouray drive is spectacular. If the Durango-Silverton narrow gauge railway is still running, take a ride. The trip along the Animas River is fantastic. One of my favorite Colorado memories was a moonlit sleigh ride through the pines that included a steak or chicken "cowboy" dinner in a secluded cabin (BYOB). I doubt there would be enough snow for that. Durango is a pretty little town to wander around it and coming from Texas you'll be amazed when you look up and see the mountains surrounding you.

PS - I didn't think I'd miss ANYTHING about Texas, but I did miss the 180 degree big blue sky running from horizon to horizon. That was the good thing about the flat land. The bad thing about the flat land was no hills or trees (to speak of).

Depending on your drive route, you may want to stop at Great Sand Dunes NP. Maybe you could drive up on the east side of the state, head west to Durango and then come south toward Santa Fe. That would be a gorgeous drive!

HRS,

The weather would be really difficult to predict. I've been reading articles about the possibility of a really snowy winter but that will remain to be seen. I don't think there is much snow in the mountains at this point but we are due to get some from the storm that just hit California. Usually, you wouldn't really have to worry much about the roads in early Nov but you'll just have to check the weather reports when it gets closer.

HRS, you will be impressed with the beauty of Glenwood Canyon, especially if you've researched its background. It is quite an engineering feat. I've always wondered about its environmental impact, though.
If you're heading that way, why not go on to Aspen, instead of Steamboat? Wouldn't that make more sense on a map? (I could be wrong.) They are both great places to visit, either way.
We've been getting early snow in the Colorado mtns., and more predicted for this evening. But you never know how the season will go. Early November is always anyone's guess.
Maybe post your own trip question for more help in planning.
Have fun!