Seeking CO ski trip advice

My wife and I (and possibly another couple) are heading to CO in FEB (presidents week (Yes, I know...she's a teacher so it's my only option...))  Found a good deal on flight @ $271 direct on SW Newark to Denver.

While my out west trips typically consist of a guys trip, she's never skied out west and I've been saying I will take her.  Secretly still planning last minute out west guys trip though .  That being said, I may not be getting as much serious skiing in as I'd like, but should be able to break away on my own or with the other guy that may be coming.

I also have never been to CO, but have skied many other western areas, with most trips out west being to UT due to a family friend living out there for 20+ years...so I really don't know much about the layout/proximity of resorts/expense etc of Colorado and I feel like I'm going to be shocked compared to my usual ski bum trips to SLC area with all the good deals that can be had out there.

This will be sort of road trip format, plan to rent a car at airport and hit a few different regions with a travel day in between (the non-skiing activity days)
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Based on fact I need to mix the combo of some good skiing with the fact that we're going to be doing some non-skiing stuff like spending a day in Denver and finding a hot springs and stuff like that...and trying to ski 3-4/7 days we'll be out there...I'm looking for all info such as:

-What mountains/towns to hit and what to steer clear of
-Where to stay esp if cheaper option is outside of resort town but reasonable driving distance
-Are there any lift ticket deals to be had?
-Is it unreasonable to think I can cover Denver down to Telluride and back in 7 days with a stop in between?
-Other good things to see/do in CO along these routes aside from skiing?

As of right now with my initial research, I am thinking something along the lines of Denver-->Aspen-->Telluride and back with maybe a stop at A-basin or Breck if it makes sense.  Or just do the Aspen/Telluride idea.  Part of this is influenced by the Mountain Collective pass having Aspen and Telluride, which I'm thinking about purchasing for this trip, with the added bonus of 2-days at Stowe back home to justify the cost.  Also, this would support previously mentioned secret guys trip plans for March to further utilize the pass, although her pass would only get the added benefit of the Stowe usage.

Thanks in advance for any comments

http://nyskiblog.com/ny-ski-magazine-skiing-southwest-colorado/

http://nyskiblog.com/mountains-less-traveled-monarch-co/

Aspen + Telluride in 7 days is too much driving for me.  Aspen is over 4 hours from DIA, and Telluride is over 4 hours from Aspen.  More with traffic or weather.
I could easily spend a week in Telluride, or the rest of my life in Aspen.  If your wife likes groomers, Snowmass is perfect, and there's plenty of great terrain to be found at Aspen Highlands and Ajax as well.  OTOH a day of shopping in Aspen could easily break the bank.  
OR a Monarch Mountain season pass gets you several days at Crested Butte, Copper and Loveland, plus a bunch of other smaller places.  
OR a Maxpass gets you 5 days at Steamboat, Copper, Eldora, Killington, Solitude and Big Sky and a bunch of other places.  You could do a couple of pretty good trips on that one and a lot of skiing in the East.

You could fly into somewhere else such as Montrose and do a more southern tour.

The classic Colorado ski towns imho are Telluride, Aspen, Breck, Crested Butte, and Steamboat (I'm not a huge fan of the Steamboat mountain tho). Steamboat is out of the way so I would skip it and it's a really low angle ski area. Breck will be a madhouse that week. I would steer clear of that shit show. The other three a little more out of the way and should be less of a crowded mess. I would do the southern tour but the snow can be iffy. February is generally safe but you can get a mid season mf cycle and then followed by weeks of below freezing temps that lock everything up in boiler plate. Still, even if that were the case the towns are super cool and between beer and groomer skiing you should still enjoy yourself.

Telluride has some of the best hike to and side country terrain in the lower 48. It's an awesome place and there are guided services that can take you into Bear Creek Canyon. BCC is an incredibly dangerous and I would even say scary place to tour but one of the most dramatic and awe inspiring places I have ever skied.

This is looking up into the upper reaches of Bear Creek Canyon form the See Forever trail in Telluride. The big coulior in the back ground is the San Joaquin, it's a classic and you can get to it skinning from the area in about an hour and 15 minutes. It's about 1000 vertical feet long to give you some perspective.


Overall my favorite Colorado ski town is Crested Butte. It still has a bit of a gritty edge where as Telluride feels more like an Aspen now. The mountain may not have the side country that Telluride has it does have imo the most technical and rowdy in bounds skiing in Colorado. It's a really fun mountain with cool and funky billy goating steep lines. The valley is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. It sort of looks like Alaska or something beyond typical Colorado.

If you have timed it right I would definitely hit up Silverton. It's a little pricey but if there is deep fresh snow the price is well worth it. Throw in one heli drop too, it's the poor mans heli experience, I feel like you sort of have to. The scene is completely different than anything in the US too. It's a total anti resort and the town has way more old miners than skiers. It really is #authenticcolorado.

I've never been to Aspen, it's expensive there but the skiing looks pretty darn good.

If you were really ambitious you could check out Taos as well but that might be a stretch. Wolf Creek is ok but it's mostly flat and nothing like those other places listed.

Milo Maltbie wrote

I could easily spend a week in Telluride, or the rest of my life in Aspen.

Could you elaborate on this?  What's the pros/cons of each

Being that Telluride is way off the path of many of the other CO resorts - does it have a much different feel than the rest of CO?  Is it one of those "have to go to" type destinations, or are there plenty of other places in CO that have everything it can offer.  I guess what I'm asking is if it's worth the extra drive in my case.

It's going to be crowded at all the i70 resortsGet off the beaten path but that is a lot of driving plus lodging is going to be pricey especially any where near aspenUtah is much less crowded that week as their school break is the week before in Utah Powder Mt is basically deserted that mid week

Steamboat over winter break treated me well.  I definitely recommend anyone to go there.

I would not get bored in Salida, Crested Butte, Silverton, Ouray.

edit to add: Telluride. Yes, it's an amazing town in all seasons. The most expensive place to ski in besides Aspen of your list, but worth it. What a mountain.

raisingarizona wrote

Breck will be a madhouse that week. I would steer clear of that shit show.

Thanks for the detailed post RA...yeh I'm very scared of the Summit County resorts during this week...I can maybe tolerate one day of that but not a whole trip worth, which will be tough given our dates of course.

What you've described sounds pretty sweet, like what I would want to hit - however I can't see getting the girls involved in much of that.

Coach Z wrote

It's going to be crowded at all the i70 resortsGet off the beaten path but that is a lot of driving plus lodging is going to be pricey especially any where near aspenUtah is much less crowded that week as their school break is the week before in Utah Powder Mt is basically deserted that mid week

If not going with any of the multi-mountain type pass products - are there any lift ticket deals in CO to be had?

And yeh, I wanted to go to Utah because I know it well...but we were also trying to go somewhere we've both never been to.

Utah is great but the classic ski towns of Colorado are a whole different experience than Utah. I prefer Colorado honestly. The snow pack can be tricky or thin but the ambiance beats the snot out of SLC.

Telluride with side trips to Silverton and Ouray would be doable and there is plenty for a family trip. Telluride has heli skiing too and there is a few cat skiing ops in the San Juans as well.

If you have to fly into Denver I would probably go for the Aspen option and as you mentioned stopping in A-Basin for a day. That's four ski areas, 3 off the I-70 shit show zone and not a ridiculous amount of driving from Denver.

So Aspen is not considered a I70 shit-show resort?

Ya it's just out of reach and with so many places closer to Denver it helps. I read your original post now and since you are locked into DIA I would go for Aspen. It's classic and highlands from what I hear is really bad ass.

Steamboat is far away from Denver, so that cuts down on the crowds.  When I was there, only the gondola, Sundown, and Sunshine had significant lines, and the gondola was only busy in the morning.

Haven't looked at tix prices yet but I'm anticipating it to be horrifying.  Especially since I skied 4 days in UT last year for $44 total.

Consider Loveland.  Close, not crowded, and believe you can still get the 4 day pass for something like $129 per person.  Not sure if transfers b/t family but could always use a couple and sell a couple.

Loveland Pass has a bunch of awesome FREE skiing with short to long hikes/skins and is some what hitch hiking assisted. If there is any stability it might be worth your time, if you have no bc experience I wouldn't just go f--king with the Colorado continental snow pack. The Loveland - A-Basin combo is pretty legit and super close to Denver.

Mike - a trip my wife and I have done several times is to fly into DIA, then drive to Winter Park - ski there for two days and at the end of day two continue on to Steamboat and ski three days there.  Or do it in the opposite order.

Pros are that it breaks up at least one of the long drives to/from Steamboat (about 3.5 hours iirc), you get to ski two mountains, and if you pick up the Route 40 4 Pack (see Winter Park website) for $259 right now, you can add the extra day at Steamboat and your total skiing cost will be about $400 per person or $80 a day...not too bad.

The two have totally different feel. IIMO there is a lot of fun stuff at WP once you find your way, and the view from the top the Panoramic Express / Parsen Bowl is pretty awesome.  There is some really superb tree skiing at WP too - and of course at Steamboat.

Steamboat is a fun town to walk around, the Strawberry Hot Springs are a must do on a day off if you have one or in the evening if you don't (never been but hear it's clothign optional in the evenings). Not really a town at WP, but you won't be  there as long.

If you decide to head that way let me know and I can give you some tips on food and lodging from our experience.

Winter Park is actually really underrated.  It will be crowded on the blue groomer sections but it has some great high elevation pods particularly the tree skiing in the Eagle wind section is uncrowned and outstanding.

Have you considered the southern interior of BC that week.  I think Whilstler would be crowded but  Fernie or Red might be good then.  Really cool authentic towns and great uncrowded skiing.  Also lower elevation to sleep as those first days in CO can really suck.  The Loonie is really favorable right now too.

Coach Z wrote

Have you considered the southern interior of BC that week.  

I really want to do a powder highway trip so I've been saving that for a more appropriate group when just my main ski buds can go...would like to get it in while the exchange rate is in our favor as you mentioned.

We already have the tickets for Denver...bought them because they were cheap, filling in the plan afterwards