Club Colorado  

This post was written by Guest Blogger Kristen Lummis who blogs at BraveSkiMom.com

All photos taken on October 27, 2011.

Ever ski in October? Until last week, I hadn’t. Despite living in Colorado, where Loveland and Arapahoe Basin vie annually for “First in the Nation” status (an honor which Wolf Creek took out of nowhere in early October), I’ve been skeptical. Having heard rumors of “the white ribbon of death,” I’ve never been sure I want to subject my skis and body to early season snow.

My opinion changed last week. Thursday dawned crystal clear and brilliant after two days of snow. At 8:30 on a perfect morning, I clicked into my skis at Copper Mountain. Ski season 2011-2012 was underway. (continue reading…)

Skiing Solo with Kids at SolVista

My husband was out of town for the weekend and I decided to take the kids skiing by myself. I don’t get a lot of time with them on my own and this seemed like a good way to get to know them again and make sure I still like them.
I thought of where to go and decided on SolVista Basin. SolVista is like a mini Colorado ski Disney. They know what kids like and they cater to them. They just make it too easy to visit. You can almost hear Its a Small World After All when you get out of the car. (continue reading…)

Loveland’s Cinderella Story

Post courtesy of Kristin Lummis who blogs at TheBraveskiMom.com

It was 2:30 in the afternoon and snowing hard. Much as I hated to admit it, my chariot was on the verge of becoming a pumpkin. I needed to be home for dinner and unlike most Loveland skiers, I had to drive west.

I’d already tried to click into the giveaway Icelantic skis, but like one of the ugly step sisters, my boot was too big for the binding and they were not to be mine. Still, after my first day of skiing at Loveland, on a powder day no less, I felt like Cinderella at the ball: “Is this really me? Am I having this much fun on a workday?”

One of the super cool benefits of blogging this winter has been the ability to ski with media guides and resort insiders when I visit a new ski area. If you read my post on Snowmass two weeks ago, you know how helpful it can be to have a long-time local show you the mountain. Well, the same thing happened when I was at Loveland in late February for a Colorado Ski Country USA media day. I was put into a group led by Pip, the Assistant Director of the Loveland Ski Patrol. There was a lot of new snow and he knew where to find it. I’ll share some of his secrets.

Photo courtesy Loveland Ski Area

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Four Resorts, Three Days, Two Kids, One Good Time
The Aspen/Snowmass family of resorts includes Aspen, Snowmass, Buttermilk and Highlands. On the first day we skied at Buttermilk with the kids. The locals say that Buttermilk is the learning mountain, but I don’t recall ever being in a school this fun or beautiful.

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Article written by and shared with the permission of: Amber Johnson

The only bad thing about Purgatory at Durango Mountain Resort is the long haul to get there.

That’s also why it is so great.

Make the seven-hour drive from Denver to Durango’s remote enclave in southwestern Colorado and you’ll feel like you’re in the frosty equivalent of Shangri-La. With 1,325 acres of snow-dusted terrain, the San Juan Mountains are arguably Colorado’s most beautiful range.

I skied Purgatory 10 years ago and my only memory is a jarring wipe-out that had me seeing snow.

And a lot of stars.

Much has changed at this premier family-friendly resort since then. If you look at Purgatory’s marketing materials, there is a common theme: new. The new Purgatory Village base facilities include a new village plaza, gorgeous new Purgatory Lodge, new and improved retail shops and a new mountain Activities Center. (continue reading…)

Article written by and shared with the permission of Amber Johnson.

The stakes were high for my 3-year-old son Bode’s first time on skis at Loveland Ski Area. The child was, after all, named after World Cup skiing sensation Bode Miller.

Better to live up to that than my namesake Forever Amber, a novel about a 17th-century prostitute. (continue reading…)

Slippery Slope for Women’s World Cup While we were all busy stuffing our faces with Thanksgiving dinner, Ski Country had seven resorts open over the holiday weekend; Telluride, Crested Butte, Purgatory at Durango Mountain Resort, Snowmass, Steamboat, Monarch and Aspen. Aspen pulled a double whammy with opening day and hosting the 16th Women’s World Cup Winternational.

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