 Poster: A snowHead
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We have Been to Colorado several times but only to main resorts. We are no longer restricted to employed holiday leave and want to plan a 4 week trip around the smaller resorts of Colorado in 2024, Some places maybe 1 day and others 2- 4days skiing each. I have googled ski resort maps but interested if anyone has already looked into or already done a similar trip and found a good map for planning this type of trip.
I had a link for epic ski.com which was my Colorado go to but this no longer works and web site seems to have vanished.
I was planning on hiring a car for the duration(pretty sure this is needed) but if anyone had done this without a hire car I would be interested to hear.
Thanks
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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MogulMonkey, We just use google maps to plan our roadtrips, easily done - sorting the passes can be interesting though. We were down that way in 2019
Some good B+B places to saty around the smaller ski areas - if you drop down to Wolf Creek, go a little further into New Merxico to Taos. Around a 2 hr drive and easily done. forecast is for a good season there in 2024, as well as southern CO.
Purgatory is 'interesting' but Durango is a great little town 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Interesting..didn’t know about the gems card or cooper card. This is the type of info I was hoping for so thank you.. I plan to add this to a large print out of the area.. I like military style planning  ..
Also hoping someone has some good tips on hotels etc @Kenzie, I will check out the tourist office as well which I hadn’t thought about.
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@MogulMonkey, I like to stay in the towns as opposed to resorts. I quite like Glenwood Springs. A good spot if skiing Sunlight. Also good if you want to lash out with a ski day in Aspen or just a tourist day checking out the rich people.
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That's an unbelievable deal
Some great hills on that pass
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Spent the Winter of 2005/06 instructing at Keystone and had the opportunity to ski a lot of the Colorado areas
Cooper
Sunlight
Monarch
Loveland
Were all great fun and would gladly return
There's a massive geographical spread to consider along with vastly different weather patterns and micro-climates
Might be worth grouping resorts and ski areas into mini-loops and decide closer to the time where you're going to play
It's always about the snow for me so I'd rather have better ski days in a smaller number of resorts over knocking off as many as I can in a month
Your take may be different
Also combining a geographical area like Southern Colorado and Northern New Mexico might work out better
Monarch
Crested Butte
Silverton
Telluride
Durango Springs
Wolf Creek
Red River
Taos
Angel Fire
Sipapu
Pajarito
Ski Santa Fe
Sandia Peak
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MogulMonkey,
We've done a Colorado road trip 3 times now and would recommend it strongly, particularly the smaller, off the beaten track, ski resorts.
You may be interested in my report of our 2020 trip, which includes some lesser known resorts:-
https://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?p=4575755&highlight=colorado#4575755
Silverton is our favourite "resort" in Colorado and should be on anybody's to do list! 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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No such place. Durango is a town, the local ski area is Purgatory about 30 minutes north. Purgatory does have "interesting" terrain but has great views, a friendly vibe, and decent prices.
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Red River
Taos
Angel Fire
Sipapu
Pajarito
Ski Santa Fe
Sandia Peak
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Sandia Peak has not operated the past two winters. Pajarito, Red River, and Sipapu are very small resorts. Pajarito is not open every day, and has limited if any snowmaking.
Gems card is the way to go!
Smaller resorts:
Ski Cooper
Monarch
Ski Sunlight
Powderhorn (further west but truly a hidden gem)
Wolf Creek
Purgatory
Bigger resorts but must visits if you haven't already (both on Epic Pass):
Crested Butte
Telluride
If you like hot springs you are in luck!
Glenwood Springs: Glenwood Hot Springs
Glenwood Springs: Iron Mountain Hot Springs
Ouray: Ouray Hot Springs
Ouray: Wiesbaden Hotel
Durango: Durango Hot Springs Resort and Spa (recently renovated and expanded to 32 pools!)
Pagosa Springs: The Springs Resort
Buena Vista: Cottonwood Hot Springs
There are others, here is the complete list:
https://www.colorado.com/articles/colorado-hot-springs-quick-guide
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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To follow up on what is listed above... you could do something in Southwest Colorado that includes Purgatory, Telluride, Hesperus (if open... small local's hill near Durango, night skiing though), Silverton (if you are an experienced advanced/expert off piste skier... think CO's version of La Grave), Wolf Creek (best snow record in CO) and you could possibly pair that with a jaunt to Taos which is known for its steep terrain.
I'm also a massive fan of Crested Butte and it offers a lot to someone with off piste experience as inbounds advanced/expert terrain is probably the best in Colorado. It is also a bit more challenging to get to than the traditional I-70 resorts so it is less crowded. Snow record is not as pristine... better around February/March. The main town (not the slopeside town) is fantastic.
Our two scheduled trips this year are to Taos and Crested Butte.
If I were to look for "smaller" mountains closer to Denver, I would look into Loveland and Arapahoe Basin. Loveland and A-Basin have no lodging. Just great mountains that steer towards advanced skiers and above treeline skiing like you would see in Europe. Altitude is higher. The base elevation at A-Basin is about 3,300 meters. Has exceptional lift-served terrain and some hike to chutes and couloirs. I have not skied Loveland but I hear good things. Not frequented by tourists. Eldora is a front range mountain that is more frequented by people from Boulder and Denver... not touristy. Winter Park is not far from Denver... big mountain... great skiing. You have to driver over Berthoud Pass to get to Winter Park and the area is famous for backcountry although avalanche prone skiing. There used to be a small lift operation there but it shut down in the 1990s. If you like backcountry skiing, you might like the area. You'll see skiers hitchhiking on the road on the way to Winter Park. Further down that same valley is Granby Ranch which is popular with families but looks exceedingly boring to me.
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Oh... if you go to Crested Butte, you can also ski Monarch Mountain. You pass it when coming from the east towards Gunnison to then go to Crested Butte. Smaller high elevation mountain with back bowls and pretty good snow record.
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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| MogulMonkey wrote: |
I had a link for epic ski.com which was my Colorado go to but this no longer works and web site seems to have vanished.
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Not really. The heart (the members) mostly re-convened on Ski Talk: https://www.skitalk.com/forums/
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| wiigman wrote: |
Ski Cooper not so much.
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Catch it on a mid-week powder day and you'll have it all to yourself
Mellow but very enjoyable
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| Mike Pow wrote: |
| wiigman wrote: |
Ski Cooper not so much.
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Catch it on a mid-week powder day and you'll have it all to yourself
Mellow but very enjoyable |
Might be a bit busier on $30 Thursdays (Jan/Feb if you book more than two days in advance), but surely that's the cheapest in Colo?!
Whaaaaaaat! 
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