Colorado What about Glenwood Springs

[fatbob]

Avoid the Vail crowds. And you can park close and get away quick. And Grouse is basically a private mountain for those that can ski bumps, not many tourists last more than a lap or so.

 

[tball]

^^ We (my 19 yo daughter and I) looked around and selected this. It's on man, don't harsh the buzz. Every year is a new opportunity now. I've been to most ski areas in Colorado but none past Vail. I don't mind skipping MLK, not a fan of crowds anywhere.

Glenwood is fantastic and you'll have a blast! Let me try to help the stoke by giving you some pass ideas.

I'd lean toward a combo something like this that would give you the option to ski at least half the days in the month and not break the bank:

• Buy the full IKON Pass with 7 days at Aspen, plus it gets you unlimited Copper Mountain which is a relatively easy 1.5-hour drive, and 7 days at A-basin which 30 minutes further.
• Buy a Sunlight 6 Day Pass.
• Pick up a couple of $20 Gems of the Rockies card that gives you 2 for 1 at Sunlight and Powderhorn.

7 + 6 + 2 = 15 days, not counting Copper and A-basin. Those are backup if you need more days or Sunlight is having a rough season. Sounds like a super fun month to me!

 

[pipestem]

Winter's getting closer.... @tball agree that is the sort of thing that is most reasonable. The best alternative I can see is a Mountain Collective pass with a Sunlight pass. MC gets you 2 Aspen days + 50% on additional days. Lets say Aspen day pass will be $225 this winter. Pair with a Sunlight 10 pass at $399. Keep this local and you get....

Icon: 7 aspen + 10 sunlight = $1448 / 17 = $85 per day. not bad
M.C.: 7 aspen + 10 sunlight = $1451 / 17 = $85 per day. same ! Fairly remarkable how the market sorts out these propositions. But this is more flexible in that I can get more or less at Aspen as needed.

otoh, I like to be able to pop out for a few hours every now and then - that is the benefit of a pass. In that case I might want a Sunlight Unlimited at $529... (lets just pretend its a good snow year)

MC+: 7 aspen + full sunlight = $1581 / 17 = $93 per day. small difference, but no cost for additional Sunlights. Nice if it works out.

In all cases, 2 extra shoulder days at Abasin are in the mix.

You might guess, I luv me some spreadsheet.

 

[martyg]

I'd go a little more up valley. Carbondale.

Keep in mind... there are a lot of people in your shoes. The real-estate market is uber competitive in small mtn towns right now.

We settled on Durango. Same weather / geographic deal - town at 6,500' in high desert. Rarerly snow in town. Ride a bike year round. Crazy cycling culture / talent pool. Surrounded by the San Juan and Laplata mtns. 25 minutes to Purg on wide well maintained road with light traffic. Hour to Silverton. Better than average fly fishing. WW park in town.

 

[LowPressureKarl]

If you have a driver’s license with a RFV address, you can purchase an unlimited Aspen midweek pass for -$999.

 

[pipestem]

If you have a driver’s license with a RFV address, you can purchase an unlimited Aspen midweek pass for -$999.

Yep. Unfortunately you have to actually live in the RFV. If someone can help me with that let me know
If this works out, I'll just have to do that for next season

Otherwise, Aspen has clear descriptions of all their passes and there is a hole that omits long term visitors. But, as you know, downhill skiing is not cheap no matter how you cut it. I do plan to spend some time at Spring Gulch.

 

[pipestem]

I'd go a little more up valley. Carbondale.

Keep in mind... there are a lot of people in your shoes. The real-estate market is uber competitive in small mtn towns right now.

We settled on Durango. Same weather / geographic deal - town at 6,500' in high desert. Rarerly snow in town. Ride a bike year round. Crazy cycling culture / talent pool. Surrounded by the San Juan and Laplata mtns. 25 minutes to Purg on wide well maintained road with light traffic. Hour to Silverton. Better than average fly fishing. WW park in town.

A Loooong time ago, a good friend who was clearly off his rocker called me and said he wanted us to buy an old hotel in Ouray, where we had been before. Would have been interesting.

 

[martyg]

A Loooong time ago, a good friend who was clearly off his rocker called me and said he wanted us to buy an old hotel in Ouray, where we had been before. Would have been interesting.

Never been a fan of Ouray. Cool to visit. You can't really ride a bike / walk from the town center and be on trails. Due to geography most things are a drive - even if only a few miles.

Now if they had pedestrian infrastructure.... That would be interesting. Due to geography and geology, it would be wicked expensive. I've ridden the Million Dollar HWY a few times on a bike. Most drivers are courteous. However if one driver isn't it could end badly for the cyclist.

 

[SBrown]

Winter's getting closer.... @tball agree that is the sort of thing that is most reasonable. The best alternative I can see is a Mountain Collective pass with a Sunlight pass. MC gets you 2 Aspen days + 50% on additional days. Lets say Aspen day pass will be $225 this winter. Pair with a Sunlight 10 pass at $399. Keep this local and you get....

Icon: 7 aspen + 10 sunlight = $1448 / 17 = $85 per day. not bad
M.C.: 7 aspen + 10 sunlight = $1451 / 17 = $85 per day. same ! Fairly remarkable how the market sorts out these propositions. But this is more flexible in that I can get more or less at Aspen as needed.

otoh, I like to be able to pop out for a few hours every now and then - that is the benefit of a pass. In that case I might want a Sunlight Unlimited at $529... (lets just pretend its a good snow year)

MC+: 7 aspen + full sunlight = $1581 / 17 = $93 per day. small difference, but no cost for additional Sunlights. Nice if it works out.

In all cases, 2 extra shoulder days at Abasin are in the mix.

You might guess, I luv me some spreadsheet.

The Sunlight pass also would give you days at other areas if you want to explore, Powderhorn being the nearest. The midweek pass is only $299, which is pretty good for the "popping in and out" times. They used to sell transferable three-packs for $99 at the Snow Expo, best deal going, but of course I have no idea what is up with that this year.

 

[pipestem]

A little obsessive here..... Aspen posted their daily pass rates and they are surprisingly not that bad (yes I cannot believe saying that about ~$180). Updating the spreadsheet reveals the winner is ...... Mountain Collective + Sunlight Mid (good idea @SBrown ) ..... That wins every simulation from 4 to 21 days at Aspen

 

[raisingarizona]

I’ve been there half a dozen times or so when staying at Vail. We loved our time there and will certainly return. Sunlight isn’t Vail or Aspen but is a great place imo. We had a blast when we skied there.

Sunlight not being a Vail or Aspen may be its most attractive attribute imho.

 

[Ken_R]

A Loooong time ago, a good friend who was clearly off his rocker called me and said he wanted us to buy an old hotel in Ouray, where we had been before. Would have been interesting.

You probably would have made a ton of money. Or not. But most likely, yes.

Ouray is a mecca for 4x4's and ice climbing. Superb backcountry skiing around Red Mtn Pass too.

 

[James]

Sunlight is fun. I think we were there the day Denver was in the Super Bowl. 2016