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What Makes These The Top Ten Ski Resorts For Downhill Skiing

27Nov 2011
By admin

You can find what you want in a ski resort in one of these top ten places. Voted the best ten by readers of SKI magazine.

1. Vail, Colorado: This is a complex of three ski areas. Combined yet described as three distinct skiing areas. The Back Bowls is 3,017 acres. The frontside has 1,627 acres. The smallest, Blue Sky Basin is 645 acres. An exciting place to ski with a downhill run to thrill the most sophisticated tourist. The new Arrabelle Hotel Complex is opening this year. The popular Blue Moon restaurant is being renovated. This is an adult playground with skiing as a large part of it. If snow doesn’t fall there — they have a machine to make their own as many resorts now do. According to tourists the worst thing that can happen is your cell phone service doesn’t work at times. A dream vacation for you. The slopes in the daytime and clubs at night.

2. Deer Valley, Utah: Ski on a total of six mountains. Bald Eagle Mountain, Baldy, Little Baldy Peak, Flagstaff Mountain, Bald Mountain and Empire. There are slopes for every skill level. The ski lifts have heaters in them. Take your appetite to Snow Park Lodge for a fabulous sea food buffet. It is so large you are advised to skip lunch. This resort area is family-friendly and there are some great package deals, some with discounted lift tickets. Flagstaff Mountain is especially beginner-friendly. It offers children’s runs. There are play areas with names like Quincy’s Cabin, Bucky’s Backyard and other winsome names. The kids will love it.

3. Snow Mass, Colorado: This beautiful resort offers ski and snowboarding lessons for all ages. There are lessons for physically challenged to learn adaptive methods of skiing. The eight-passenger gondola takes skiiers to the slopes in record time. Many tourists are renting luxury homes instead of staying at a hotel in this luxurious area.

4. Whistler/Blackcomb, British Columbia: This resort features 8,171 acres. A thousand acres of high-alpine slopes are now available to intermediate skill skiiers. There is a charming European style town of 10,000. During the peak season for skiing the population will temporarily reach 30,000. Blackcomb Mountain is unique. You can ski there in June and July. It is the only place in North America that has glacier skiing available to the public.

5. Park City, Utah: The Wasach mountains 32 miles from Salt Lake City with three ski resorts withing minutes of the Park City. All beautiful locations with enough hotel rooms for 12,000 visitors. Be sure to go to the Bad Ass Coffee Company for some quiet time as well as great coffee.

6. Breckenridge, Colorado: This beautiful location features skiing lessons including private instruction. Recent Innovations include a new gondola to take you from parking lot to lifts. They feature a party honoring the Norse god of snow each year.

7. Aspen, Colorado: You might call this a resort for experienced skiiers only. There are no slopes designated for novices. There’s free bus service between the four mountains in Aspen. You may see a performance by Lyle Lovett at the Wheeler Opera House or classical violinist at Harris Concert Hall. Stop for coffee and breakfast at the Main Street Bakery where the locals eat. It must be great food.

8. Beaver Creek, Colorado: This resort is in a stunningly beautiful area. The slopes wind gently between walls of pine trees on either side. There are 180 new acres open to skiiers on the eastern edge of the mountain. The Allegria Spa at the Park Hyatt Hotel is a high-end pampering salon. This is a luxury resort but there are package deals at the Pines Lodge. Go over to Red Tail Camp for a burger. An experience for all tourists.

9. Steamboat, Colorado: Exciting resort for college students on break. Snowboarding is very popular here. Be sure to visit the Thunderhead and Rendezvous for dining in a luxurious setting on the mountain. If you book a stay between February 7 and February 11 you can attend the “Steamboat Springs Winter Carnival.” It is the oldest winter carnival West of Kansas.

10. Sun Valley, Idaho: Kids fifteen and younger can stay in Sun Valley Company hotels for free when with a parent. One event is a cross-country ski trip at night ending at the Galena Lodge for a five-course dinner.

The resorts are rated by readers of Ski Net. Presumably, the voters have skiing experience and have visited these resorts. Downhill skiing is a thrilling experience. Choose a slope appropriate for your skill level. Shop for designer ski jackets. Then after a day of skiing — you can explore the night life scene. There may be a show or concert. Any of these top rated resort towns will provide a special vacation with many fun activities including special skiing events for everyone to participate in…

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Colorado Winter Park Ski Vacations

27Sep 2011
By admin

Beautiful Colorado Ski Resorts & Vacations

Colorado boasts some of the finest skiing spots in the U.S. and all within a reasonable drive from the Denver airport. Each of the resorts in Colorado receives more than adequate snow to create award-winning ski areas. An online search will provide information about Winter Park Ski vacations, Vail Ski Packages and Breckenridge ski package.

Winter Park Ski Vacations

Winter Park ski vacations are perfect for all levels of skiers. It is one of Colorado’s largest ski resorts. There are many lodges, homes, condos and hotels providing ample lodging for Winter Park Ski vacations. Winter Park skiing statistics: The summit elevation is 10,700 feet, with a vertical drop of 1700 feet and has 2762 acres of beautiful skiing area. The park has 134 trails and 24 ski lifts.

Skiers wanting to experience beautiful and natural Colorado skiing, complete with an abundance of powder, Winter Park Ski Vacations will not disappoint. Located in the Rockies, it is less than a 2 hour drive from the Denver Airport and features lots of great activities for all ages. It is located near the Continental Divide. As a result of it’s location, it is subject to almost every winter storm that passes through and sees an average of 365 inches of snow pile up there each season. Winter Park is considered “Colorado’s Favorite” among the locals that live in this picturesque part of the western Rockies. It has over 3,000 acres and according to most who have visited, they are almost perfect ski areas, with lots of the hoped for ridges, bowls, ski trails, terrain parks, trees, bumps and steeps.

Vail Ski Packages

Vail ski packages are some of the most sought after deals by skiing enthusiasts. Located in Vail, Colorado, the Vail Ski Resort boast of 200 trails, 32 lifts and world famous powder skiing. At its summit of 11,570 feet it has a vertical drop of 3,450 feet and over 5,000 skiable acres. Also located in the Colorado Rockies is Vail. Because of its location it has an average snowfall of 348 inches. One of the best features is its seven natural bowls stretching six miles wide.

Vail ski packages are listed online and includes information about pricing, dates, airport departure cities, lodging type and location, transportation, lift tickets and ski rentals.

Breckenridge Skiing Package

Breckenridge is located in Summit County which is host to several world class accommodations. This area offers some of the best value for serious skiers on a budget. It is near four other areas that offer limitless winter recreational activities. A Breckenridge Ski package will provide any level skier with ample ski areas, ski trails, steeps and of course, deeps.

When looking for a Breckenridge ski package online be watching for special deals and discounts on ski rentals, lift tickets, car rentals etc.

Fun Year Round

A Colorado trip at any time of year can include golfing, music festivals, biking, whitewater rafting, horseback riding etc. In the spring, Winter Park holds the annual Winter Park Ski-Music Festival. It is the ultimate musical experience and some of the top spring snow skiing anywhere.

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Top Ski Resorts for Beginners

14Aug 2011
By admin

Ski Resorts for Beginners

Breckenridge

Breckenridge’s Peak Nine training area is one of the best in Colorado for novices and those with intermediate skiing skills. The very smooth, dry snow makes perfecting parallel turns easy, and the high-speed quad chair life means more time to practice and less time traveling. Breckenridge also provides challenging ski slopes for advanced skiers. Many local hotels provide ski-in and ski-out access to Breckenridge’s trails.

Buttermilk

Buttermilk took top honors last year in SKI Magazine’s ranking of ski schools nationwide. Buttermilk is part of the Aspen ski resort network, and is ranked second (after Snowmass) as the nation’s best ski destination for families. Classes are small, and the 200 instructors offer personalized instruction designed to get novices on the slopes quickly and safely. All 43 runs are easy enough for beginners, and once you get out of the glut of beginners at the bottom of the slopes, the well-kept trails offer scenic beauty and excellent skiing.

Copper Mountain

Copper Mountain is a perennial favorite, also located in Colorado, and offers some of the lowest-priced packages to be had in the Rockies. Long, wide novice trails occupy the west portion of the resort, and progressively more difficult skiing can be found in the eastern half. Located near Vail, Copper Mountain shares the high country’s superb snow conditions and provides adequate if not spectacular lift access.

Crested Butte

Crested Butte Another superb Colorado beginner’s venue, features long, smooth, well-groomed runs on which to practice parallel turns and other skiing techniques. Crested Butte, recently the host of the U.S. Extreme Skiing Championship, offers advanced skiing and 150 acres of novice terrain. You can find discount accommodations and even free skiing at specified times. A popular resort for skiing holidays.

Deer Valley

Deer Valley Utah is another location that features smooth, well-groomed, open ski slopes and runs that offer beginners a lot of choice without pushing them past their limits. First-time skiers will delight in Wild West, a beginner’s-only area, free from the unexpected assaults of hot-dog professionals. Deer Valley reportedly offers the best food and customer service in the Rockies.

Mount Snow Vermont

Mount Snow Vermont is reportedly the best Eastern venue for skiers who want to move up from novice to professional skill level. With a wide choice of rapid lifts on its gentler trails, Mount Snow clearly values the beginning skier, and the excellent cruising runs will keep more advanced skiers happy as well

Northstar-at-Tahoe

Northstar-at-Tahoe California offers a wide range of ski slopes for the novice and intermediate skier. The terrain is primarily intermediate, and the lower runs are as good as any in the West. For novices who still fear lifts, Tahoe offers a conveyor belt modeled after airport conveyors, called the Magic Carpet, that will whisk them up the slopes without causing a panic attack. Tahoe also has slopes for more advanced skiers.

Park City Utah

Park City Utah is large enough to offer an opportunity to all levels of skiers, from the first-timer to the advanced. The 3,100 feet of vertical drop makes it seem like an advanced skier’s resort; the large network of open intermediate runs provides a venue for the intermediate skier, and the addition of several new lifts make even the central runs accessible to beginners. Other good beginner’s resorts include Snowmass, in Colorado, which features a Treehouse Kid’s Adventure Center and the Elk Camp Meadows training center. Or visit Steamboat, high in the Colorado Rockies, famed for its welcoming, down-home atmosphere and 164 trails which cater to everything from the novice to the professional. For Vermonters, Timberline features 1,000 vertical feet of runs and one long beginner’s trail. Upper Midwesterners can ski Welch or Afton, in Minnesota. Afton is reported as less pricey, but Welch offers better beginner’s slopes. The lifts at Welch are a little slow and cranky, but the slopes are groomed more often.

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