Any skiers here?

[AngelaS]

My dh is an awesome skier and a winter is not complete unless he gets to go skiing. Normally we go to Montana, see his folks and ski at Big Sky or Schweitzer, ID or somewhere. But...this year we don't necessarily want to go visit his folks (the memories of last year are a bit too fresh....)

So....anybody ski in Colorado or places that are closer to home for us (Iowa)? We've skied Crested Butte, but dh did that for a week last year and said it's not big enough.

He's an expert, I'm a wimpy intermediate and we need ski school for the almost 6 yo. Not overpriced or snooty would be good too. Any recommendations??

[kfcboston]

I don't ski, but I have a lot of skiing in-laws in Colorado and Montana. Through them, I would highly recommend Purgatory near Durango, CO.

HTH!

[newbelly2002]

Utah, Park City for the more expert, Deer Park nearby for the intermediate. Just a thought. DH and his family grew up on a slope in NH, picked colleges based on skiing potential, and all skiied competitevly. They all love Utah.

Paula
Mama to Dante, 8/1/02

[mabuckles]

I love Breckenridge CO. It has a nice town. The skiing is good for all skill levels and it is not super expensive. You can also use your Breckenridge ski pass at Keystone. I don't know much about ski school though because my dd is still too little. I do know that daycare is about $100 a day which is why she stayed home with Grandma.

[khakismom]

BIG skier here--my fam always went skiing 2-3x a year. In Colorado, my favorite place is Steamboat Springs. Excellent runs and fun apres-ski bars and such. Second is Winter Park (which is also adjacent to Mary Jane, which would have some tougher runs for the hubby). Next is Keystone--again, wonderful ski runs, and fun after-life and great ski school for the kids (I took a few lessons there myself when I was 6 :)). Also good are A-Basin and Breckinridge.

Boyne Mountain in Michigan has pretty good skiing for the midwest, but might be not enough of a challenge for your DH. I learned to ski at Kissing Bridge in Buffalo, NY and from what I remember it was not too bad.

There's good places in Vermont too, like SugarBush.

Good luck and have fun!! :) Totally jealous!

[smilequeen]

I'm jealous! No skiing for us this year, definitely worth it but I miss skiing :(

Anyway, I've pretty much always done Colorado since I have had family/friends out there to visit at the same time. I've never been disappointed...been to Vail, Breckenridge, Keystone, A Basin, Winter Park, and Steamboat. No complaints about anything. We go to Breckenridge and Keystone most often, they seem to have a good variety of runs. I know they have ski schools too. Those kids ALWAYS make me look bad :) A Basin may not be too great if you are bringing the kids along...it seems to be more of a party atmosphere up there, but you can ski into the early summer up there...it's the highest elevation.

[JulieL]

Um, I have to politely disagree. I have stayed in Vail several times off season. That area is extremely exspensive to visit during skiing season. If you are well off you could swing it, but don't expect it to be a bargen! The food market's are expensive if you decide to cook in, but a heck of a lot cheaper than eating at the pricey restraunts. I bet they increase the food prices during peak seasons as well. Vail and Breckenridge are only a bus ride away from each other. Although you may be able to buy a ski pass that would incorporate both resorts. Not sure if that's a possibility but would be worth looking into. Vail is my absolutely favorite place to go. I have never been in the winter, but my sister lived there for a while, not cheap!!! Both resorts are fab though!

[JulieL]

I second the Steamboat Springs and Winter Park. I think both are cheaper than Vail/Breckenridge. We have a lot of youth groups that go there on trips with pretty decent group rates.

[McQ]

We're big skiers too. DH grew up in New England and was a ski instructor and part of the ski patrol. He's phenomenal. I'll do the single blacks with him but prefer the hard blues. We usually go some place twice a year. For the states, we love Utah. Park City is our favorite. Good runs for all levels. And good restaurants (go to Grappa but not with the kids). We were there right before the Olympics and the Canyons was getting a lot of attention. Deer Valley is good (no snowboarders). Another plus about the Park City area is that it's so close to the airport.

Colorado: Breckenridge/Keystone are good too. I did NOT like Vail. Too pricey and the food was blah. A Basin was okay. Out of all of them I like Keystone the best. Crested Butte was last year (I was preggers so DH went with the guys) and didn't like it (skiing or the town).

Wyoming: DH loves Jackson Hole because it's so steep.

If you can go a little farther in North America then go to Whistler/Blackcomb. The BEST skiing we've ever done was there (and that includes all the places in Italy, France & Switzerland that we've skied). Whistler/Blackcomb has a glacier that's to die for. And the other runs are long & nice. The town is great too.

I'd love to ski Montana. Love to. So please tell us about the resorts there. Thanks!

Allison
~ mommy to Declan 3.24.03

[NancyJ_redo]

Another vote for Utah - I love it there and the snow is so nice and light. Lots of options too - Deer Valley for the upscale skiing experience and Alta for the cheaper, powder-intense day, as well as many resorts that offer experiences somewhere in between. Different travel companies offer package deals where you can get hotel, airfare, lift tickets and shuttle rides or a rental car for really good prices.

I also love Blackcomb/Whistler, and depending upon what the exchange rate is now it might be a good deal in terms of $$$.