My husband and kids 13 and 8 have been skiing Vermont for the past 5 years and are now itching for some Colorado Champagne powder that they have been hearing about. The older child and my husband are intermediate skiers. The smaller one is still a beginner. I don't ski at all. We are thinking of going sometime in late March, hopefully the crowds will be lighter then? We cannot agree on which mountain. The names thrown in have been Aspen, Beckrenridge, Winter Park, Steamboat. So we are confused. Would like a kid friendly place with some other activities available nearby. Shopping for me? Ice Skating, etc.

Also, will we need to rent a car? Is the driving easy or treacherous? Are there shuttle buses to the mountains from the airport.

Thank you for all your suggestions. It has always been helpful.

Aspen is the most upscale town with interesting galleries and shops. From a town perspective, I'd put Breckenridge second and Steamboat third, although we like them both. We love the skiing at Winter Park, but there isn't much of a town for you to poke around in.

We've always had a car in Winter Park and Breckenridge, but have easily done Aspen and Steamboat without one.

Both Breckenridge and Winter Park are very high (base 9000+ feet above sea level), and that can be a tough adjustment. Steamboat is the lowest, and Aspen in the middle.

Breckenridge is an easy drive from Denver; half of the drive from Denver to Winter Park is over Berthoud Pass curvy mountain roads. When we've skied Aspen or Steamboat, we've flown right there, but the airports are smaller and flights get cancelled more often.

Home James is the shuttle from DIA to Winter Park; Colorado Mountain Express from DIA to Breckenridge. There are two shuttle companies from the Hayden airport to Steamboat. When we were in ASpen, we stayed at The Gant, which has it's own shuttle service.

I think Breckenridge is probably your best choice. The town has a lot to offer for the non-skier and is very kid-friendly. It's also in close vicinity to Copper Mountain and Keystone if the skiers in your family want to switch it up. The town of Silverthorne is also close - they've got a great selection of outlet stores.

Colorado Mountain Express will get you to the resort from the airport. But if you plan to explore outside of Breckenridge (other ski resorts and shopping in Silverthorne) you will need a car. Driving conditions can vary based on the weather. It's not too bad though. Snowpacked and icy at the worst.

I like Aspen - but stay at Snowmass. (Aspen consists of 4 close-by resorts: Apen Mtn, Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk & Snowmass - your lift ticket is good at all 4.) Most of the lodging in Snowmass is ski-in/ski-out, and Snowmass is huge and has a ton of great intermediate terrain. I think it is a perfect intermediate mountain (although it also has great terrain for all abilities).

You might try Buttermilk as well - more of a fun beginner & intermediate area.

If you stay in Aspen, you're right by Aspen Mountain, which ONLY has intermediate & above terrain, and frankly, I think has a poor mountain layout.

Shuttle service in the Aspen area is great, you won't need a car.

Your other options are good as well, but, Snowmass is probably my favorite mountain almost anywhere.

Breckenridge does get the most skier visits in Colorado, I believe, so it could have a tendency to be crowded. A lot of beginner & intermediate terrain, though.

Steamboat, because of the lower elevation, can get a bit soft at the base in late March, but I wouldn't completely discount it. I don't recall what the intermediate terrain was like there, but it is a huge mountain, so I'm pretty sure they have something for everyone. You do have a real town to explore in Steamboat as well.

Check the website of the various resorts; they should also list the 'other activities' available...they know non-skiers will be coming as well and want to entice them.

Keystone has skiing, ice skating, great lodgings, all kinds of food options, a great ski patrol that loves kids and deals on lift tickets at the supermarkets. Keystone also opens up A Basin (probably difficult for kids), Copper Mountain, Breckenridge (great shopping). Ski the Summit!

Thank you so much for all your input. Now we have a better idea what to expect at each place. With this information, we are leaning towards Breckenridge, given it seems easier to get to and has a little bit of everything for all of us. My husband prefers renting a car to give us a bit more freedom,so that will be the route we will take.

If you ski Breckenridge you will want a car. You can also ski Keystone or even Vail from that area. There is good outlet shopping near Breck and Keystone at Silverthorne.
Don't really count on light crowds then since it is spring break but they are nothing like what we put up with in NC, for example. Also, the snow in March is plentiful--great time to go. And even though your family has all levels of skiiers, do them ALL a favor and get at least one day of lessons. It will catapult their abilities. And the children will make friends in their classes.

Breckenridge sounds perfect for your needs. The terrain is varied (great for beginners and intermediates) and I have not found it to be crowded unless you plan on traveling around the holidays. An ice skating rink is centrally located.
There is a free shuttle throughout the town, and some of the resorts have their own private shuttle as well. We rent a car to travel from the airport to Breck, but rarely use it once we are there, unless we go to Vail or the towns further down the mountain. We would take the airport shuttle, but financially it works out better to rent a car. Driving is not treacherous with a four-wheel drive vehicle and plenty of caution.
We just returned and the snow and people of Breck are great!

Hi ShelleyWilma,

Appreciated your ideas. If we fly into Denver, which supermarkets do we go to for deals on ski lift passes and how do we go about getting the ski lift deals at the market?

We're trying to figure out how to do a family ski trip as economically as possibly, and deals on the ski lift prices could be quite helpful!!!

Thanks!

Joy

King Sooper is the grocery store chain that has discount lift tickets; just go to the customer service desk. I would agree that Breck is a good choice for what you're looking for, and in late March, the Spring Break crowds should have died down.

Keep in mind that you're not likely to see lots of champagne powder in March - though you never know. March skiing ("Spring skiing") is known for warm weather, a bit of iciness in the morning until the snow warms up, then great skiing through the end of the day. You probably won't have any problem driving in the snow; even in the worst weather, the road crews are on the roads in a flash to keep them clear. I-70 is a trucker's route as well as a tourist route, so it's very important to the State to keep the roads open and driveable. You'll have a great time skiing!

Thanks LexMa90

....Breck sounds great...i'll call King Sooper & check out those discounts....

....will also see if we can find reasonably priced condos....

appreciate your help

Joy

If you choose Colorado, you can't go wrong with any of the Summit County areas or Vail/Beaver Creek. If the weather is good, you can easily hit A-Basin, Keystone, Breck, Copper, Vail and Beaver Creek in a week. If this is appealing, you can look at renting in Frisco or Dillon. The prices are lower and you are within 20-30 minutes of every resort. Aspen and Steamboat are much further away. They would be a seperate destination resort.

Since you don't ski you might want to consider being in Breck or Vail. Both will have more extensive non-ski diversions.

One caveat is that the new Denver airport is quite a distance from the city in the opposite direction from the mountains. The drive up through the tunnel is usually brutal. When weather doesn't come into play you still have to contend with the heavy traffic. For this reason, and quite honestly better snow, I prefer Salt Lake City. Within 45 minutes from leaving the airport you can be in your condo at Alta, Snowbird, Solitude/Brighton, Deer Vally, Park City, The Canyons. JMHO

Lia
We go to Breck quite a lot, mostly because we have a free place to stay there, occasionally. My family skis but I don't & I take my scrapbooking stuff & work on that. There is some shopping there, mostly tourist stores but some others. If the roads are dry, you can drive to Silverthorne which is a great outlet mall. There is also a good rec center in BReck & ice skating on Maggie Pond. Look at the rates for the Village, its in a great location & if it is in your price range, a good choice. I disagree with altojoe about the drive from Denver. It can vary tremendously & many times its not difficult. If you can avoid going up on Friday evening & coming home on Sunday afternoon/evening you will do a lot better. The snow conditions may not be the best that late in the season but the mountains have had a record year & spring skiing can be very warm. Bring the sunscreen & take it easy the first couple of days (altitude). Let me know if you have any questions.There's a great bakery, Clints, & even a Starbucks. Many good restaurants. Have fun, Betsy

Lia,

HAve you ever been to SLC? If you have, you'll have to admit that there is a night and day difference in the drive from the airport to the ski areas. If you haven't, do yourself as favor and give SLC a try.

Of course, a free palce to stay is worth a 3 hour traffic jam. I'd make that deal every chance I could. lol

If money matters, look into the E-Book which has eight two-for-one lift tickets for both Winter Park and Copper, and costs just $10.

You could easily ski Copper if you're staying near Breckenridge. The discounts may be blacked out during your March dates, but you can go-online and read the fine print. I don't have the URL handy, but if you can't find it via Google, ask again and I can research it for you here in Denver.

Have you looked into Beaver Creek? Easy drive from Eagle airport and once you get here the shuttle system is terrific. Free throughout Beaver Creek, Bachelor Gulch & Arrowhead. GREAT on mountain activities for kids. Vail is 10 min away with awesome on-mountain Adventure Ridge. Check out the links to all the fun family activities at www.snow.com. I live here so of course I am partial!!!