Vegas to Colorado

This winter, my family and I will be driving to Colorado to visit family.  They live in Eirie so between Denver and Boulder.  The vacation is the trip, not the destination, and we are planning a week with multiple stops.  I've never been to Colorado so I'm looking for 2 spots for my and my 8 year old daughter to go boarding...1 on the way in and 1 on the way out.  It's gotta be kid friendly and not ridiculously priced for lift and lodging.  

I'd recommend either A-Basin or Loveland as they are both much cheaper than the other resorts along I-70.

Originally posted by killclimbz In all I don't think I'd recommend A-Basin for an 8 year old.  Too crowded and too little terrain that would fit the bill for his child.  I mentioned it because it's there. Loveland is fine for kids.  It also happens to be the closest decent sized ski area to Denver.

I think A-Basin has terrain for smaller kids, and is less crowded than places like Breck and Keystone.  They don't have lodging on site though so that could be a problem.

Originally posted by rzero Originally posted by letourneau41 I'd recommend either A-Basin or Loveland as they are both much cheaper than the other resorts along I-70. Neither of these mountains are anything close to being good for kids.... If you are making a stop closer to the front range you have a few options that might be easier on the wallet.  Keystone has a section tailored to kids called "Kidtopia" where there are lot of kid/family related events included with your ticket. Winterpark is also a very family friendly resort. I would avoid Vail, Breck, Abasin, Loveland & Copper mtn.

Wow you really don't think Copper is a good kids resort?  I highly disagree with that assessment.

I don't see how Loveland isn't good for kids either.  Pretty much all of chair six is fine for kids at that skill level.  The Valley is pretty much dedicated to beginners and is a separate area.  The run back down to the base is nothing harsh.  I've seen plenty of kids going down that over the years.  In all, it does not have as much terrain for the kids as the bigger guys mentioned.  In that respect you can knock it down a notch.  Still, plenty of kids cut their teeth at Loveland.

Vail and Breck, I'll leave it to you guys.  I don't remember either one being a bad place, maybe not as good as the above mentioned spots.

Winterpark could be mentioned, but it is a bit of a drive off of I70.  About 20 miles North on 40.  It does have a good kid area for sure. 

Originally posted by killclimbz Out of all the spots, Copper is probably the best.  The whole Western side of the mountain is a dedicated beginners area.  600 or more acres?  With it's own base.  No need to download to get back to the base.  Plus that area is naturally separated from those of more advanced skills.  You'll hardly find an intermediate riding there unless they are hanging out with a buddy who is learning.

I always feel like a pro when I ride with my wife and kid on that side of the mtn.  Doing a 180 makes you god to most of the people on that side

you guys rock!  
I'll look into powderhorn, winterpark, keystone and copper.  
out of those, which ones have lodging, are on or near i-70 and is the FURTHEST from Denver?

Powderhorn would be the furthest West of Denver, by a long shot.  I am not sure what the lodging options are around the ski area.  I believe there are some.  It's probably 20 minutes or so, south of I70 just out of Palisade.  You could also stay in Palisade as an option.

CoMtnRider, you've been hanging out in Denver too much this summer evidently.  Copper is right off of I70.  It's the furthest West in Summit county but closer than Vail. Super easy to find and it is right next to the highway.  It does have a village and plenty of places to stay right at the resort.

Winterpark also has about the same options, but it's about 20 miles north of I70 on the other side of Berthoud pass.

Keystone is around 9 miles south of I70 and is just off of the Loveland Pass road which rejoins I70 on the other side of the Eisenhower tunnel.  So it's a slight detour at worst. 

http://www.powderhorn.com/

I believe the Gart family just bought it from the previous owners.  It is definitely not as nice as Copper, Keystone, Winterpark, Vail, etc.  Still, I've had a few friends hit it up and have a pretty good time there.  The setting on Grand Mesa is pretty stellar.  It is also a good choice for kiddo's, not very crowded, and plenty to challenge them, with no crowds.  So that is why I dropped it as a recommendation.  The sidecountry out of the area is supposed to be pretty good.  You basically cruise along the top of the Grand Mesa and pick a spot you want to drop in outside of the ski area.  It does have it's dangers of course.  The owner of Loki gear got jacked up back there in an avalanche last year or the year before. 

I'll agree Vail is a great mountain for all ages and skill levels but if you don't get a deal of the internet Vail ticket prices at the window are usually pretty prices $10-$15 more per person per day than at Breck or Keystone. You can get even cheaper by going to A-Basin or Loveland. Copper I'll agree is a great mountain, probably my favorite. It's in the same price range as Breck and Keystone are.

Originally posted by md548 I think vail is the best personally, i've skied at breck and keystone as a beginner and found vail had the most runs to be able to move from easy greens to slighter harder ones.

IMHO, Vail is quite possibly the most over-rated mountain in Colorado and way too hyped. Travel a little farther west and go to Beaver Creek.

I always assumed veil was more of a ski spot, but I don't know how I'm going to justify driving to co and not going to Breckenridge!  I've seen so many awesome video spots there...

I'm going to have to vote for Breck. I brought my sister there last season who has never been on skies before, and is not at all to be considered athletic, or even coordinated, and there was ample green terrain for her to learn on. The green runs on Peak 9 (if I remember right) are easier than the runs on Peak 8, so its a good transition before blues. Also, if you avoid the weekends, the crowd is actually quite small. Vail is mice but seemed to be a bit ritzy and ski oriented for my tastes. Also the town of Breckenridge is pretty cozy and is a nice place to hang out for those not skiing. Just my opinions here, but I think no matter where you go, if you're on a board, and with your family, you'll have a great time! Good luck!

Before you cancel cause Brian Head would be to much on NYE I would look around for some lodging deals there. We used to go to Brian Head all the time and always found great deals through craigslist. Most of the time we paid way less for lodging when renting a condo from an owner than we would have through a hotel or company. 

Originally posted by MrMeaty Originally posted by NickinChicago Don't give up yet. And if you can't get it to work just remember 3 days riding in Brian Head is better than none in the desert. LOL!  Thanks bro.  We actually found a great little condo on site and it makes more sense for this trip (my daughter's first real trip) to go someplace we know for a few more days then having to many firsts in one trip.  And we actually do have a hill here in the desert, Lee Canyon.  It's less then an hour outside of Vegas, but super small.  Only 2 real lifts.

Looks like Colorado is a no go this year.  This being our second out of town snow trip, we are going to try to keep it a little closer to home, so we are looking now at southern utah, northern utah, souther cali and northern cali.  My wife also does not want to be out of town on new years day, so we are making it a 4 day trip, which is not enough time for colorado.