Club Colorado  

In Europe, they ski as a means to eat. That is, you arrive early to the chairlift not because you want fresh tracks, but because you want the best table at the restaurant. Having skied (OK, eaten) at a handful of Swiss and Austrian resorts recently, I can personally attest to the fact that one looks forward to opening the menu as much as they do the trail map.

Here in the States? We’ll cram our jacket pockets full of PB&J’s if it means another lap on a powder day. Lunch? Not if there’s skiing to be done. For many, on-mountain dining carries about as much appeal and sophistication as the plastic tray on which it’s served. But that is all changing, and the American “Ski to Eat” movement is now taking reservations at Telluride.

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Sometimes, even Mountain Correspondents miss snow days. Yes, I missed the last powder day at Durango Mountain Resort, so my goal for today is to be the cruddiest skier on the mountain. I’m going to search high and low for crud, scour the slopes, and enlist the help of a highly trained professional in order to find the stuff. It’s not going to be easy, it’s not going to be glamorous, but I’m going to do everything I can to find Purgatory’s crud.

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Crested Butte has a reputation for steep, challenging terrain, plentiful snow, and a down-home atmosphere that core skiers love.  But I wouldn’t know, because I can’t seem to bring myself to actually go skiing.

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Usually when ski resorts promote improvements, it’s the fast new high-speed lift, luxurious gondola cars, or mountain top dining they talk about. At Monarch Mountain, they’re excited about their brand-new, shiny, custom-made…wait for it… caterpillar.

I’ve ridden quite a few contraptions to the top of ski hills, but never a caterpillar. Allow me to explain: the caterpillar is a new, state-of-the-art magic carpet surface lift. Ever been to an airport? You know the moving walkways that effortlessly transport you to your gate? Well the caterpillar is like one of those. What that means to you? Well, it means that people learning to ski don’t have to deal with the chairlift, with lift lines, or with pretty much anything other than having a good time on the slopes. (continue reading…)

Ever have one of those dreams where you’re surrounded by munchkins wearing bright colored clothes and helmets? And they’re all smiling so big you think they’re a little too happy? You haven’t!? Well I have, and it’s a lot like my first few minutes at Eldora Mountain Resort.

I wade through a sea of four-foot-tall racer grommets on my way to the chairlift where I meet my crew. I’m headed out for morning light with the pride of the Eldora Snowsports School to shoot some footage and take photos. The corduroy is primo, the weather is superb, and the stoke level is high. I just hope I can keep up. These are future Olympians; kids seemingly born and bred to ski. There are literally hundreds of them. I ask Rob Linde, Eldora’s Marketing Guru, why Eldora’s such a popular place for kids to ski.

“Let me show you.” he replies.

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It’s dark, cold, and the chairlifts aren’t running. Let’s go skiing.

I’m at Arapahoe Basin on a chilly December evening, putting on my boots in the parking lot by headlamp. Somewhere up on the dark monolith before me lies the Black Mountain Lodge, and in it, a decadent feast. So while I wonder what’s wrong with this group of people gathering around me, I’m motivated to beat them to the grub.

We’re here at the Moonlight Dinner Series’ Swiss Night, a creation of renowned Chef Rybak. The full moon we’ve been promised has not shown its face yet, but if it’s anything like me it’ll come running once it hears the dinner bell. Sufficiently layered and lit with headlamps, we begin our trek.

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Kids. Sure, they look innocent, but they’ll turn on you. I’m about two hours in to a day skiing with a couple of kids at Echo Mountain Resort, and I’m in trouble. I shot myself in the foot by failing to share my Hershey’s Kisses on the chairlift. As I swallow the last of my tasty chocolate morsels, I can feel the morale plummeting. I worry they can smell the my fear… (continue reading…)