Information about road conditions for major highways in the state may be learned by calling 639-1234 or for those roads within a two-hour driving time from Denver by calling 639-1111. To find door-to-door directions between your home and any of these ski resorts or any place in the country for that matter, check out Mapquest. They'll find the safest, fastest, or easiest way to get wherever you're going.
HINT: to save money, buy your ski lift tickets at Safeway, King Soopers, or sporting good stores such as Gart Brothers before you go to the ski areas. Also rent your skis or snow boards in the Denver metro area instead of at the ski area, to save money. Look in the Interlink office for discount ski coupons. Costs listed are estimates, based on the 1994 season. BEGINNERS SHOULD TAKE A LESSON FROM THE EXPERTS instead of learning from your friends. You will learn faster and it will be safer. Look for special discount "packages" which include ski rental, lesson, and lift ticket; you can often get your lesson for very little money. Skis rent for about $6-8 in the metro area, about $10-15 at the ski resorts; snow boards are more costly. The ski season is usually from October through mid-April.
1. Loveland, about a one-hour drive. Take I-70 west, exit at the signs for the Loveland Basin ski area. 10 lifts. Ski lessons, ski rentals. Slopes appropriate for beginners to experts. Inexpensive (about $35 per day for the lift ticket). Loveland can be cold and windy. Call 800-736-3SKI for information or 303-571-5580. Advantage: closest to Golden, cheaper than most places.
2. Eldora, near Boulder. This is about a 1-1 1/2 hour drive from Golden but there are steep, two-lane roads to get there. Good for beginners; experts find it too easy. 9 lifts. Ski lessons, rentals available. Inexpensive; about $30 for lift ticket. Call 303-440-8700. Directions: Take Highway 93 north out of Golden , take highway 72 to Nederland. Before the town of Nederland, follow the signs and turn left toward the ski area. Advantage: not crowded, not a lot of tourists. Night skiing is available. Inexpensive (under $30). Good for beginners. RTD bus goes to Eldora from Boulder. "N" bus leaves Boulder Station, 14th and Walnut, at 8:10 a.m. on Sat. and Sun. and leaves Eldora at 3:15 or 5:05. 1994-95 price was $2.50 each way.
WITHIN 2 hours of GOLDEN: All these ski areas have ski rentals and lessons. All roads to these ski areas are well marked.
1. Arapahoe Basin: Phone 1-800-258-9553 5 lifts. Better known by local skiers than by tourists; often not as crowded as more popular areas. Beginning to advanced though only 10% of area is for beginners. Cost: about $35. Most A-Basin tickets can be used at Keystone too. A-Basin is one of the last ski areas to close in the spring, with the season often lasting until June. Directions: I-70 west to Dillon. Take Highway 6 south, go past the Keystone ski area.
2. Breckenridge: Phone 970-435-5000 for general information. The Breckenridge Ski area is outside the town of Breckenridge, which has hotels, condos, restaurants, and shopping. Ski area has 16 lifts, is suitable for beginners through advanced. Popular tourist area. Directions: Take I-70 west to the town of Frisco. Exit I-70 and head south on highway 9. Cost: about $40
3. Copper Mountain: skiing from beginner to advanced. Call 970-968-2882. Hotels, condos, restaurants, ski shop. Popular tourist area. Directions: follow I-70 west, past Frisco. Turn south on highway 91. Cost: about $40
4, Keystone:Call 1-800-258-9553. Beginner to advanced; 19 lifts. Popular tourist area, with hotels, condos, restaurants, shops. Night skiing. Directions: I-70 west to Dillon. Exit at Dillon and take Highway 6 south.
5. Winter Park/Mary Jane: Phone 970-726-5514. The town of Winter Park has hotels, condos, restaurants, shops, etc. 24 ski lifts. Popular tourist area. Directions: I-70 west past Idaho Springs. Take the Highway 40 exit to Winter Park, over Berthoud Pass.
A train goes from Denver to Winter Park. Leave Union Station in Denver, 17th and Wynkoop. Take Colfax east into Denver. Turn left on 17th, then right on Wynkoop. Call 296-4754. Reservations required: Sat. and Sun., may purchase food on train. 1994-95 train fares were $30-45 round trip. 7:15 a.m. departure, arrive 9:15. Leave Winter Park at 4:15, arriving about 6:30. Parking at station $3. Discount lift tickets available on train.
More than 2 hours from Golden:
1. Aspen. Very popular and well-known, full of tourists and celebrities, expensive. Cost $48. Aspen is an old mining town, with restaurants, condos, hotels, shops, etc. Take I-70 west, past Vail, exit at Glenwood Springs and take Highway 82 south to Aspen. Phone 970-925-9000. Aspen has four ski areas: Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands, Tiehack, and Snowmass. 3-4 hour drive.
2. Beaver Creek. Phone 970-949-5750. 10 ski lifts. Cost: about $45 a day. Take I-70 west, past Vail. 2 1/2-3 hour drive. This is a relatively new area. Limited shopping, hotels, condos, restaurants.
3. Vail, phone 1-800-525-2257 for reservations. Many hotels, condos, restaurants, shops. Popular area for tourists and some celebrities. The ski area has 25 lifts. The back bowls are for advanced skiers. Vail is well known for hosting ski competitions. Rated as among the best ski areas in the world.
4. Sunlight, Glenwood Springs. Phone 1-800-445-7931. Inexpensive, good for beginners. 4 lifts. Take I-70 west, exit at the town of Glenwood Springs and follow signs. Glenwood Springs has a world famous hot springs (two pools); its cost is about $6. Town has hotels, condos, restaurants, shops. 3 or 3 1/2 hour drive.
Other areas of the state:
1. Steamboat Springs 1-800-922-2722. I-70 west; exit at Empire north onto Highway 40, go past Winter Park; turn west staying on highway 40 at Granby, heading northwest. About a 4 hour drive. Steamboat Springs is an old western town with shops, restaurants, hotels, condos. (Fun to visit in the summer too.) About $40 for skiing.
2. Telluride, 5-6 hour drive minimum. Take I-70 west to Grand Junction, take highway 50 south through Delta and Montrose, and before Ouray take highway 62 to Placerville, turning east and south on highway 145 to Telluride. Not a good trip for a weekend; too far. Telluride is becoming well known and popular for celebrities. It is an old mining town with lots of history, plus hotels, condos, restaurants, shops. Visitor information: 970-728-3041.
3. Purgatory Ski Area: near the town of Durango. 970-247-9000. 9 lifts. Out of the way place, few tourists. I-25 south. Turn east at Walsenburg, highway 160. approximately 6 hour drive.
4. Monarch: south central Colorado. 970-539-3573. 4 lifts. About 4 hours from Denver. Not well known; few tourists. Good powder. I-70 west; south on highway 24 at Dowd or Minturn. Go south to Poncha Springs; turn west on highway 50 to Garfield.
5. Wolf Creek: 6 lifts. 970-264-5629. I-70 east, exit onto I-25 south; west on 160 at Walsenberg; past Monte Vista, exit south at town of Wolf Creek. 5-6 hrs
6. Crested Butte 1-800-544-8448. 13 lifts. C. Butte is a small mountain town, with shopping, hotels, condos. restaurants, At least a 5 hour drive from Golden. I-70 east, exit to I-25; south to Colorado Springs. Head southwest on highway 50 to Gunnison, then turn north on Hwy. 135 to Crested Butte.
Telemark or cross country skiing. Available at most alpine ski areas. Colorado has a "hut" system, where the skier skis in to a cabin, spends the night, and skis back out or on to another cabin. Example: Never Summer Nordic Yurts, Yvonne Brodzinski, PO Box 1983, Fort Collins, CO 80522. 970-482-9411.
Ice fishing: South Park (Eleven Mile Reservoir), Lake Granby, Taylor Reservoir, Cherry Creek and Chatfield State Parks and Palmer Lake in Douglas county, Pueblo, Dillon and Green Mountain Reservoirs in Summit county and Dowdy and Twin Lakes in Larimer county. Call 291-7525 for conditions in the Denver metro area. Special equipment, warm clothes, fishing licenses needed.
Other winter activities:
1. National Western Stock Show, 12 days in mid January every year. Rodeo and stock show; 90 year tradition in Denver. Held at the Denver Coliseum and Stock Show Complex. Fees charged; rodeo tickets from about $7-$14; admission to show is about $5. Stock Show Complex is east on I-70, past the intersection with I-25. Exit just after Washington Street; exit is well marked. BUS: transfer from #16 to #38 and head north to Brighton Blvd. at 38th.
2. Denver Nuggets Basketball: professional basketball team plays at McNichols Sports Arena. Call 893-DUNK for ticket information. Nov.-April season. I-70 east, exit onto I-25. Exit off I-25 is well marked; it is before Colfax. Weekdays, take #16 to Federal, the Arena is a block north, on 16th St. (Watch the departure time of the final bus heading west.) Week ends: bus #44 to Federal, then transfer to #50 going south.
3. Denver Avalanche Hockey: international hockey league.
Prices range $9-15. Call 1-800-444-SEAT (7328) or King Soopers stores. Or buy in Avalanche/McNichols Arena box office. The season is from October through mid-April. Games are played at McNichols Sports Arena. I-70 east, exit onto I-25. Exit off I-25 is well marked; it is before Colfax. See above for bus directions.
The following are annual happenings; check the newspapers for dates and details.
4. Breckenridge International Snow Sculpture Championships, January.
5. International Sled Dog Pull, Estes Park, February
6. Denver: Parade of Lights, early December, lighting of Christmas decorations on the Denver City Hall steps, outdoor evening parade.
7. First Night celebration, downtown Denver, Dec. 31.
8. March: Denver Pow Wow, gathering of Native Americans
Most ski resorts have special activities, such as snow sculptures and
winter carnivals. Check the Friday editions of both the Denver
Post and the Rocky Mountain News
at any time of the year to see what is happening.