Sorry, I wasn't sure of the best place to put this topic.

My wife and I are looking to go skiing in February. I have been skiing about ten times in my life, but only once in the last ten years. We went skiing when we visited my brother in Vegas last February. It was her first time and she loved it. My questions is, what are the best mountains that would have a wide range of slopes, best activities, but best value for a reasonable price. I was thinking Breckenridge or Winterpark, but I wanted to get some more feedback.

You might want to consider Keystone. It has a great location; plenty of space on the mountain; pretty good accommadations at the resort or in Dillon. You can also ski the summit: Keystone, Copper Mountain, Breckenridge, etc.

It wouldnt be the cheapest place, (however doable) but Crested Butte is my favorite place to go. The mountain is big and never really crowded and the town in great. Going the first week of February and can not wait. Crested Butte Mountain Resort (http://www.skicb.com)

If you go to Colorado, stay in the Dillon/Silverthorne area. It is within easy driving distance of Loveland, Arapahoe, Breckenridge, Keystone and Copper Mountain. YOu can also get to Vail and Beaver Creek within an hour. If you look into some of the local web sites you can get reasonable lodging at private condo's and houses. Look for discount lift ticket deals with your lodging or stop at a King Soopers grocery in Denver and get them.

If you're wanting to stay where you ski, I'd say Winter Park.

BUT...If you want to stay in Denver, go to Loveland. It's not far at all from Denver so you can have all there is to do in Denver while you're not skiing. Copper Mountain was my favorite ski place when I lived in Denver...But Loveland gets more snow if memory serves. Not that that'll be a problem in Feb though.

There are several questions that you need to ask before you start trying to determine where to go...

First (and most important), how much are you wanting to pay?
Second, stay at the resort or stay in a major nearby city and drive in?
Third, fly to the resort or drive?
Fourth, are you only going to ski or are you also looking for a good night life?

You should really ask your self all of this first. I have been to Breckenridge and the skiing is fantastic. The green slopes are very much green (soft rolling hills). The resort is about 2100 acres, so it is big enough for all skiing types. They also have great blues, blue/black, and blacks. The night life is GREAT as there are many great restaurants and bars and nightclubs to visit.

By far the best ski resort I have ever been to is Whistler in British Columbia. I just returned from there about 3 weeks ago. The cheapest way to go there is to fly into Seattle and drive to Whistler (about 3.5 hours north of Seattle, 1 hour north of Vancouver). This was the best skiing I have ever done. The moutain is just the best, there is no other way to put it. The resort is over 8200 acres (yes, almost 4 times bigger than Breckenridge). The night life is probably the best of any resort. Also, the olympics are being held there this year. So, not only will you be able to ski a world class mountain, you will be able to watch some olympic activities also. Don't let the fact that the olympics are there scare you away...the moutain is so big that you would never even know they are going on unless you happen to hear someone talking about it. They are only going to close about 5-10% of the mountain for the olympics, so there is still plenty of mountain to ski.

Answer the questions above and then pick the best resort in your budget.

Good point made above about the difficulty of the slopes. Winter Park greens are pretty tough while Breckenridge and Keystone have a lot of easier slopes so if you're not the best, go with Breck and Keystone. Then, if you want to do more, Breck and Keystone have a ton of tougher slopes, too. Breckenridge is a self-contained town so there is a decent amount to do in the evenings.

Regarding Whistler, the Olympics are there in like 5 weeks so I doubt you could get a place to stay during February. The mountain may be big but there will be thousands of people there.

I have skied many places in Colorado, Vermont, Penn., Maine, NY and N.M.. Taos N.M. is the best IMO.

Gen70, is Taos a resort town or is it just a small resort to ski at and that is it. My wife and I are always looking for new places to go also and you are not the first person to recommend Taos... Maybe I should look at going there!

If you go to Colorado and plan on only skiing, Copper Mountain is a great place. For a better deal, and if you don't mind a few minutes of driving, you can stay in Silverthorne. There are plenty of cheaper motels in that area and it's only about a 10-20 minute drive from Copper Mountain. Plus, by February, Copper is offering great deals on lift tickets. From Silverthorne, you are also relatively close to Vail and Keystone. I recommend buying lift tickets at any King Soopers in the Denver metro area, before you head into the mountains.

If you also want to enjoy Denver and spend some time in the city, then I recommend Loveland. Loveland has a decent selection of slopes and it's an easy 40-50 minutes from the city. This is where I used to go all the time in high school for day trips.

Winter Park is also a great ski area, but if there's any sort of snow, it becomes an extremely difficult drive because it's high and the road winds around a lot.

If you plan on renting skis and really want to save money, there's a great little ski shop in Idaho Springs (right off I-70 before the Eisenhower Tunnel) that has cheap deals. Skis/boots are only about $14 a day. It's called Maison de Ski and if you reserve in advance, you get a discount. The skis are a little older, but still work great.

Personally, I think CO has the best slopes, but I'm biased because I grew up there!

Theres a lot of great suggestions above, and Whistler is someplace I've always wanted to go but due to distance and expense haven't made it there yet.

Taos can be very intimidating for a beginer...trust me...thats where I learned to ski, and theres not much night life or resteraunt choices there....but it is close.

Our favorite places to go are Aspen/Snowmass and Breckenridge.... snowmass for the size of the mountain and the variety of terrain, plus if you stay in snowmass you avoid the crowds of downtown Aspen. The downside to Aspen/Snowmass is the driving distance.....it's easily a two day drive....and thats in good weather. I-70 is often closed west of the tunnel due to weather and avalanches.

By far MY favorite is Breckenridge. It has it all. Small town atmosphere, hisoric downtown with all its victorian charm, lots of nightlife, restaraunts, lots of terain variety and easy to get to. (just about an hour or two out of Denver) and its abundance of places to stay and their rates. We have stayed at Beaver Run Resort many times....and if you like ski in ski out its perfect. Its a large Resort....but doesn't feel that way. Lots of activities in the resort itself with multiple indoor/outdoor heated pools, hottubs, restaraunts, withing waking distance to the downtown shopping....plus being slopeside you actually walk out of your room and ski down to the lifts. Very nice if you don't like lugging skis and boots all over town. Plus they have private lockers for each unit. Not to mention being on the mountain itself you get a great view of the slopes and the town. Breathtaking at night.



There website: Main (http://www.beaverrun.com/index.php)

They have a great website and a variety of room/condo floorplans which you can see on their website.

http://www.executivetraveler.net/gui/content/execdestinations/18-01.jpg

http://www.colorado.com/ai/b/1488-219785.jpg

We've also stayed at many vacation homes at Breck. Theres hundreds to choose from on vrbo. VRBO is Vacation Rentals By Owner (http://www.vrbo.com/)

Gen70, is Taos a resort town or is it just a small resort to ski at and that is it. My wife and I are always looking for new places to go also and you are not the first person to recommend Taos... Maybe I should look at going there! Taos is a small resort town. It is a very cool place. I like that it doesn't seem as commercial as the bigger ski towns. Also, Wolf Creek Colorado is nice.

Wholeheartedly agree with Westsidesooner...

Toas is crazy skiing. I skied there when I was a kid. Not many trails to have fun on. More black/diamond trails than anything. Check out Red River, Wolf Creek, or Ski Durango if all you plan on doing is skiing...

There are several questions that you need to ask before you start trying to determine where to go...

First (and most important), how much are you wanting to pay?
Second, stay at the resort or stay in a major nearby city and drive in?
Third, fly to the resort or drive?
Fourth, are you only going to ski or are you also looking for a good night life?


Great questions:
1. We are looking to spend about $150-$200 a night for the hotel and then the equipment rental and lift tickets.

2. We will be driving, but I would prefer to stay on the mountain.

3. Drive

4. We are probably going to do three days/ four nights so we would like some nightlife as well.


You should really ask your self all of this first. I have been to Breckenridge and the skiing is fantastic. The green slopes are very much green (soft rolling hills). The resort is about 2100 acres, so it is big enough for all skiing types. They also have great blues, blue/black, and blacks. The night life is GREAT as there are many great restaurants and bars and nightclubs to visit.

This is what we have been leaning towards. I have skied Breck several times, but that was ten years ago in high school.


By far the best ski resort I have ever been to is Whistler in British Columbia. I just returned from there about 3 weeks ago. The cheapest way to go there is to fly into Seattle and drive to Whistler (about 3.5 hours north of Seattle, 1 hour north of Vancouver). This was the best skiing I have ever done. The moutain is just the best, there is no other way to put it. The resort is over 8200 acres (yes, almost 4 times bigger than Breckenridge). The night life is probably the best of any resort. Also, the olympics are being held there this year. So, not only will you be able to ski a world class mountain, you will be able to watch some olympic activities also. Don't let the fact that the olympics are there scare you away...the mountain is so big that you would never even know they are going on unless you happen to hear someone talking about it. They are only going to close about 5-10% of the mountain for the olympics, so there is still plenty of mountain to ski.

We were hoping to stay in the US because again my wife has never been skiing. So I would prefer to go to Colorado which would most likely be cheaper and if she didn't like it as much, we wouldn't be thousands of miles away, have to wait for our plane and be miserable waiting.

Thanks for all the great suggestions. I think Breck is where we are looking the most. I know there were several lodging suggestions, but if you all have more, or know of great restaurants, let me hear them.

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Thanks for all the great suggestions. I think Breck is where we are looking the most. I know there were several lodging suggestions, but if you all have more, or know of great restaurants, let me hear them.

You can't go wrong with Breck....and if your wife doesn't enjoy skiing theres tons of art gallerys and shopping. Not to mention (again) the beautiful victorian charm of the town....plus the transit system there can't be beat. Plus some of the slopes there have night skiing.

As far as restaurants, here's some of our favorites.

For Breakfast you can't beat the Blue Moose cafe. http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://content.nileguide.com/user/nile/pois_copy/280/3/166c6067-be4c-43af-96f4-6d070854352e/details/24650.jpeg&imgrefurl=http://www.nileguide.com/destination/breckenridge/restaurants/blue-moose-cafe/335736&usg=__VMNdGbPCmNyLLfopoJCDxXJTCco=&h=90&w=134&sz=13&hl=en&start=2&um=1&tbnid=RT3_umN3eXihiM:&tbnh=62&tbnw=92&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dblue%2Bmoose%2Bcafevbreckenridge%26hl %3Den%26rlz%3D1W1GPEA_en%26um%3D1

For lunch theres always Downstairs at erics (great Pizza) plus it's more of a sports bar type atmoshere....so you can keep up on the olympics if thats when you go. Also a great after ski hangout. Downstairs At Eric's | Breckenridge Colorado. Food Sports Fun Beer (http://www.downstairsaterics.com/)

For Dinner....depending on what you want there are endless possibilities.

"The Dredge" shouldn't be missed. Its on an old dredge boat right in the lake in the middle of town. :: Dredge Restaurant :: (http://www.dredgerestaurant.com/)

http://cdn.travelmuse.com/docs/artwork/destination-page/us/co/breckenridge-page-dredge-night-header.jpg

"Whales Tail" to get our fill of seafood. Great lobster, and a capecod/new england type atmosphere. Whale's Tail Menu - Breckenridge, CO (http://www.menusfirst.com/summit/whalestail.htm)

Also there Spencers and the coppertop at Beaver run. Spencers has great steaks and Coppertop is a great apres ski stop with live bands and entertainment when you need a break from the skiing and shopping.

If you want a real cool adventure try the sleigh ride dinner. Breckenridge Stables Sleigh Rides - Sleigh Rides (http://www.breckstables.com/Breckenridge_Sleigh_Rides.php)


I just checked on hotel rooms at Beaver run (about $175-$200) and depending on when you go they fill up quickly....the rooms are average, but you get all the amenities of the resort and the "hotel rooms are very near the pool and hottubs.

Sorry for the long post...you got me jealous. This is the first winter I haven't made it to Breckenridge in years. Have a great trip!!!

By far the best ski resort I have ever been to is Whistler in British Columbia. I just returned from there about 3 weeks ago.

Did you take the new gondola that goes from peak to peak? That thing looks looks sweet, and it can take you from one mountain to a completely different mountain in minutes.

Crested Butte, Breck, Steamboat, Aspen, they are all good. Just do some internet research for deals on rooms, rentals, and lift tickets.

Did you take the new gondola that goes from peak to peak? That thing looks looks sweet, and it can take you from one mountain to a completely different mountain in minutes.

We did ride the new Peak2Peak Gondola. IT WAS AWESOME! It is actually kinda nerve racking as I am not a fan of heights. It has the longest unsupported span (almost a mile and a half) and is almost 1500 feet off the ground in the middle. This gondola made a world of difference being able to move from mountain to mountain without having to ski down to the base and ride the lift up the other mountain. I have some great pics from the gondola if I can remember to post them tonight when I get home.

Red River, NM is a great little town. It's part of the area referred to as "The Enchanted Circle"...the towns of Red River, Angel Fire, & Eagle Nest are clustered very close together. Taos is on the other side of Red River, about a 30-40 minute drive away.

Is it Breckenridge or Keystone that you can ski at night? I still haven't been to either of those places and I'd love to go one day! I mean, night...

Night skiing sounds awesome in theory, but remember, IT GETS REALLY COLD AT NIGHT! I have night skied once and it was neat, but boy was it cold! Remember that the temp drops like a rock at night in the mountains... =)

Is it Breckenridge or Keystone that you can ski at night? I still haven't been to either of those places and I'd love to go one day! I mean, night...

Keystone has night skiing.....I've never tried it mainly because I enjoy the early morning skiing too much. And after a full day of skiing I'm too tired to do anything much more than sit in front of a fireplace and enjoy a beverage.

Keystone has night skiing.....I've never tried it mainly because I enjoy the early morning skiing too much. And after a full day of skiing I'm too tired to do anything much more than sit in front of a fireplace and enjoy a beverage.

Agreed. Of the many ski trips Ive been on Ive never gone night skiing. Basically because of the reasons already stated, it gets way cold and already tired from day skiing. Plus, the evenings in the mountains are for eating and drinking.

CB is one of the last few remaining great ski towns in Colorado, but it might be tough to find lodging at that price range - at least on the mountain. Don't let that deter you - downtown is great and they run a free shuttle up to the ski area all day and into the night that's very convenient. Most resorts are hurting right now, so it will pay off to research the internet regularly - I get emails about great deals almost daily.

Lift lines will be pretty short in February with the exception of the President's Day holiday, so I wouldn't worry too much about picking a place to avoid crowds. From your description it sounds like you'll be spending time on groomers - that being said, be aware the CB only grooms at night and the terrain can be challenging. Many of the blues at CB would be blacks at other resorts. Places like Beaver Creek groom all day every day, and have fantastic dining opportunities. It can be pricey, but again, watch for specials on the internet.

Lift tickets have gotten ridiculously expensive, so be sure and look for deals there as well. Buying passes online in advance can often result in a discount. Also, if you go to the Summit County resorts several of the properties have passes that work on multiple areas.

You might consider Utah. You can find great flight specials to Salt Lake, and there are a ton of great ski areas within a 45 minute drive. Utah also gets dumped on regularly (snow), which typically means great conditions.

All that being said, I don't think you can go wrong with the major ski properties in Colorado. From your description, I would second the recommendations for Breck. Lots of things to do, great dining options, and a good variety of terrain. They also offer a great ski school, which I highly recommend for the first few trips.

My other two cents: not a big fan of New Mexico areas (I've found the conditions, lodging, and dining options pale in comparison to other areas); Telluride, CO is fantastic, but not the best place for beginning skiers (same goes for Big Sky, Montana and Jackson Hole, Wyoming); and finally, there are some great forums out there that discuss the ski areas - try EpicSki.com.

Enjoy your trip!

as positano said, dont forget about utah...best snow on earth!

I'll second Taos. Just got back from there last week. We have been going there since the early 80's and we love it. Not just the skiing but the whole cool, funky atmosphere of the town. Lots of great art galleries and some great people watching, from the wealthy artsy types, to the old hippies, who don't realize it's not the 60's anymore. We've been to Vail, Durango, and other areas, but we always return to Taos. There are virtually no crowds, ever. I didn't ski this trip, but my husband and sons said they never had to wait in line for a lift. They said it was like they had the mountain to themselves. It is some pretty intense skiing, but it also has one of the best rated ski schools in the country. We have a friend who was a ski instructor in Red River, but when he finished working, he always drove to Taos to ski. Our kids learned to ski there, and can now as teens/early twenties, can ski just about any black diamond, anywhere.
As far as lodging goes, there are lodges and condos right in on the slopes and in the ski valley, but not much in the way of dining options. We always stay down in town due to both cost and altitude sickness issues, which some of us suffer from. The base of the ski mountain is over 9,000 feet, but town is only around 7,000 feet, I think. In the past we've stayed in hotels, but this year we decided to rent a home. For only about $10 more a night than a room at the Comfort Suites, we were able to rent a beautiful adobe 2 bed/2 bath home with a hot tub, home theatre system, washer/dryer and covered parking on a mesa between town and the ski valley. It was great. We'll never do the hotel thing again.
There a some really good places to eat in town. There are not really many chain type places, mostly only small local places with some amazing New Mexican style food. There are a few bars that seem to be pretty busy all the time, but thats not really our thing since we always have our kids with us. Mainly, for us, after a full day of skiing, all we want is a nice meal and maybe a soak in the hot tub to ease our aching bodies.

I like Crested Butte (long way to get there, though), Keystone and Winterpark. I seem to be the minority on Breckenridge - I alwyas found it way overcrowded with short runs and felt like I was in the lift line all the time. But maybe that has changed in the past few years since I went. I notice that people are writing about all the other things you can do there - restaurants, etc. I always went to ski and was too tired to want to go out at the end of the day so that part never interested me - you might feel differently. I also thought it was more expensive. But it had a nice ski school. I love Taos in the summer but have heard it is often icy in the winter. My best girlfriend used to go there with her kids who liked it, but she always complained of ice. I do so love Taos and agree on the atmosphere but have never been in the winter so consider the source. The Aspen area is nice but pricey.