Winter is all too short and there is far too much fun to be had in Colorado, but we suggest you make it a priority to tick off our mandatory listicle at these resorts.
HIKE for free at Loveland. Ride the cat for free at Loveland. Just make sure you buy a ticket to ride the lifts. But get this: The $56 half-day ticket here gives you any four-hour block of time you want (no waiting until noon). skiloveland.com
BRING THE FAMILY to
Keystone. The resort is the shortest Summit County sojurn from the Front Range, the gondola is warm, School Marm is the best green in the state (yes, such a thing exists), it has the largest snow fort on the slopes … and in December it hosts Colorado Family Ski Month, with a plethora of free family-focused events (and a visit from Santa). keystoneresort.com
BOOZE IT UP AT BRECK Craft brew pubs? Every ski town’s got a handful these days. Distilleries are the new black when it comes to authentic spots to savor spirits and maybe catch a buzz. To that end, Breckenridge Distillery is expanding and opening a new barrel house and a farm-to-table restaurant, which is dedicated to a whole animal process and uses spent grains as feed. breckenridgedistillery.com
SKI FAKE SNOW? We can’t believe we are advocating for manmade snow, but the mad scientists at Beaver Creek’s snow surfaces team have spent the past two years developing the Snow Refresh project. According to the resort, when conditions are cold and dry but the heavens are not complying with the real stuff, the state-of-the-art machinery will billow a coat of continuous fresh stuff on the Red Tail, Gold Dust and Centennial trails. Now that’s better than free cookies on the lift line. beavercreek.com
CHANNEL THE GODDESS
Much like Vail’s Lindsay Vonn, the Norse goddess Skadi ripped far better than all the wannabe bros who were chasing her around the frozen Scandinavian countryside. In her honor, Vail Mountain kicks off its second annual Skadi Vail Women’s Ski Festival, December 14-16, 2016. The mountain will cater to women, with all-female guided laps with instructors, women-specific demos, evening events and more. vail.com
SOAK at Mount Princeton Hot Springs Spa and Resort. Is there a better way to wrap up a day hiking for freshies at Mirkwood Bowl at Monarch Mountain? Big bonus: If you have a 2016-17 lift ticket from any Colorado resort you get 20-percent off lodging with access to the springs included. That’s a far more soothing way to end a pow day than dropping f-bombs in traffic. mtprinceton.com
fly With a single heli drop at Sliverton Mountain for $179, or go all out and spend the day in the bird (six drops) for $999. If you have cash to burn, Colorado Heliskiing will even fly you in from Aspen or Telluride and have you back in time for happy hour. coloradoheliskiing.com
get schooled by the coaches at Woodward at Copper, who offer $75 one-hour private lessons to up your freestyle ski or snowboard game no matter your age. woodwardcopper.com
