…THE DOWNHILL!
With wild, ungroomed, “local” Monarch 45 minutes up the Pass, and the more formal and formidable Crested Butte 45 minutes up the Valley, you have your choice of terrain and atmosphere!
Our group was partial to Monarch… they leave mounds (and mounds!) of snow on the hill, and that doesn’t even count the hike to off-piste, snow-filled Mirkwood! We loved the tree glades! (well, me and my snowboard got swallowed by tree wells a few times, but our more advanced riders were fine!)
Crested Butte had more challenging runs, which made up for the more challenging crowds! But it also offered much-enjoyed amenities – you can learn to drive a snowcat, take a guided mountain snowshoe, sleighride, tube, or race! To hear about our “Last Tracks”… read on!
…THE BACKCOUNTRY!
We felt like pioneers! Skiing out to our own rustic cabin, hours off the road and tucked into a remote cleft of the valley, we chose this area because it was:
remote (far from cars and public),
pristine (check out the photos…http://picasaweb.google.com/toughlovetravel/ColoradoSnowyFun#),
and only moderately challenging (which pleased my teenagers!)
If it were up to me? I’d pick the 5-day, over-the-pass-to Aspen! … but both offer that complete escape and- more importantly – the perfect venue for family bonding. What is better than hot cinnamon rolls and scrabble in front of a wood fire in a snowstorm?
To make this backcountry adventure super-easy, hire a guide! They will organize your gear, plan your meals (and shop!), know the directions, and even cook for you. They take care of all the details, so you just show up and have fun! It’s worth the investment!
They even found us a guide for our dog, Patrick, who’s a good little Nordic skier, but who wasn’t allowed to stay overnight in the protected BioReserve of the cabin.
I like to sum up our backcountry experience as “4* at 4am in 4’ of snow… The Outhouse”… but it’s really not that forbidding. It’s FABULOUS!
…THE NASCAR OF WINTER (SNOWMOBILING)
If you’re under 30 and male, it is irresistible… you’re “called” to race in the snow. But even if you’re not a risktaker, snowmobiling is super!
The guides gear you up so you stay warm. They know “the ropes” for the snowy warren of mountain trails, so you’re safe. And, yes, there’s a faint odor of diesel and it’s a bit hard on your lower back… but it’s also stunningly, magically beautiful! See for yourself:
…THE NIGHTLIFE
They call it “Last Tracks’!
The lift was closing for the day, and everyone was being turned away.. except for us few, who had reserved “Last Tracks”.
In the dimming weak winter light, we gondola-ed up to mid-mountain, and took a last run, down to a mountain chalet, where the chef had rack of lamb and a roaring fire waiting for us! We had a wine at the Ice Bar for starters, and finished up hours later with chocolate torte and espresso, all under the cozy rafters of this alpine lodge while the snow swirled and whipped the windows just inches away.
At the end of our impossibly lavish wilderness meal, the guides gave us each a headlamp, and we bundled up, braved the freeze outside, stepped into our skis and by the flame of the torch, sluiced with our guides, in our last tracks down to the village.
We spent 7 days here, but could have stayed 7 weeks!
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