 Poster: A snowHead
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I have flights to Denver but am undecided on what resort to go to thought I would post on here for some ideas.
I went to WinterPark last year and happy to go back, keen on Breckenridge but not sure where to stay any help on Breckenridge or other Colorado resorts would be great.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Aspen for complimentary sunscreen, coffee and biscuits at the lift queue .... oh and some fantastic tree skiing ! Well worth the longer transfer.
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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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The wife and I hired a car this March and skied
Loveland
Arapahoe Basin
Keystone
Breckenridge
Copper Mountains
Vail
Breaver Creek
Aspen Highlands
Aspen Mountain
Snowmass
Buttermilk
We stayed in Vail, then Carbondale and finally at Silverthore to cut down the daily travel.
We also visited WinterPark but didn't ski there.
For a short stay buying Epic ski pass is cheaper and it automatically cover Keystone, Arapahoe Basic, Brenkenridge, Vail and Beaver Creek.
Every resort has its own attraction. Keystone is compact, Arapahoe is high, Brenkenridge is big, Vail/Beaver Creek are up market (with out TV channel) and Aspen is exclusive. The Epic ski pass entitles the holder a significant discount for Copper Mountains. Aspen 4 resorts have a common ski pass.
Except Winter Park and Steamboat the Colorado resorts are close together along the successive junctions of i70. Loveland is the one before the long tunnel. Next junction is Silverthorne for access Keystone and Arapahoe. Next junction is for Breckenridge, then Copper Mountains. Vail and Beaver Creek are also junctions next to i70. Aspen is a bit out of the way but its 4 resorts are close together. Apart from Vail all the above resorts have public car parks with free buses to take you to the lift stations. To ski the 4 resorts of Aspen Buttermilk is the best starting point.
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Fri 3-09-10 18:26; edited 1 time in total
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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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Without knowing what you like, it's a little hard to say much. Each resort is different and has its own longs and shorts.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Other Colorado resorts such as Telluride or Crested Butte are also well worth a visit. 
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Thanks so far. We are there for a week, 1 of the party has only ever skied indoors, so will have lessons, for at least 3 days. So taking in two resorts may be an option. More interested in good quality accommodation as in a week there will be plenty to ski anywhere.
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For beginners I'd recommend staying in Breckenridge - accommodation to suit all budgets and local free bus network to Keystone amd A-basin. Copper, Beaver Creek and Vail less than an hour away.
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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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jtobin03, buttermilk is probaly the best biginners mountain(more like hill) in the world, and the little nell in aspen is definatly quality accomadation 
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Distance wise Arapahoe is high and a bit challenging for a starter but it is close to Keystone which will suit most beginner. Keystone is linked to Breckenridge via a small country road but we are still talking about 15 miles away. One can see Brenkenridge slopes from the rear end of Keystone..
For beginner Breckenridge is the one to go for as it has extensive terrain to cover all abilities. In term of sizes I prepared the following table in my last trip
Resort - Pists in acres
Loveland - 1365
Araphoe Baisn - 900
Breckenridge - 2208
Keystone - 1861
Copper Mountain - 2433
Vail - 5289
Breaver Creek - 1625
Aspen - 4805
Winter Park - 2886
Steamboat - 2939
In term of size Vail is by far the biggest and well served by free ski buses. It is big enough to spend the whole week there. However a significant portion of the Vail area in the back in Back Bowls and Blue Sky Basin are unsuitable for early intermediates so don't be fooled by the size alone. Breckenridge on the other hand has a distinct flat area toward the central area while at the same time offering the highest chairlift that can only be skied down in double black and extreme terrain. The Internet information also suggests Breckenridge is a lot more affordable than other Colorado resorts.
If money is no objection I think Aspen could be the best choice. Everything in Buttermilk is easy including the black runs. Snowmass has the best ambience and one does feel special to ski there (so is some part of Vail and Beaver Creek). For the ski junkies the Highlands and Aspen Mountains have some scary runs to satisfy them. The 4 unlinked resorts are close by enough that one can do two in a day.
Distances in miles starting linearly from the Denver airport is approximately
Dever airport (100) Loveland (17.9) Keystone (15) Breckenridge (18.1) Copper Mountain (21) Vail (17) Beaver Creek (87) Snowmass (4) Buttermilk (3) Aspen Highland (3.3) Aspen Mountains.
Strategically Aspen offers the best week of variety but it is the further most from Denver. Its remoteness and relatively high cost also guarantee no crowd.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Quote: |
Strategically Aspen offers the best week of variety but it is the further most from Denver. Its remoteness and relatively high cost also guarantee no crowd. |
Once you skied Aspen, you'll become so spoiled and jaded you won't want to ski elsewhere (in Colorado anyway).
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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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Thanks for the help I think the Mrs is keen for Aspen but not sure my credit card is!
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jtobin03, worth every penny 
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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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To ski a resort is different to staying in the resort.
We chose Carbondale which is some 25 miles from Aspen at a cost of $100 approximately for a hotel room of B&B for two. Several countries of the disabled Olympic teams also stayed there. They had buses and we had a hired car. Didn't find Aspen any more expensive than the rest of Colorado resorts as the ski pass and mountain lunches were comparable. We did plan to spend an evening or two to have dinner in Aspen but considered not properly dressed in skiing outfit for the occasion.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Hello Everyone,
Myself and Geordie mate + Mrs briand6868 have finally given in to temptation and are avidly researching a trip to Aspen having found a good deal with a major T.O - however a 5 hr road trip after a Dublin- Heathrow- Denver flight is not filling us with joy and further searching came up with flights from Denver to Aspen !!! Has anyone done this, is it worth the money,does Aspen airport have closure problems and any other info would be gratefully recieved- bug the recession- the boys at MBNA will get big bonusses on the interest I'll end up paying.Ta.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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briand6868, Last trip we did to Aspen, we took the option of flying into Aspen airport as its only 15mins away 
Unfortunately the flight was cancelled from Denver along with most of the ones after due to snow storms and high winds. The only one that went was fully booked and so no room. we and around 40 other people spent the night in Denver airport  as we couldnt be bothered to try and get to a hotel at 11pm local time, after the long haul flight.
Next morning there was a flight laid on for us at 7.45am, our luggage had already gone on ahead, we landed at Aspen collected or gear and was in the chalet by 9am. Gear sorted and breakfasted( great chalet hosts ) we hit the slopes by 10.30 am. Had a full day of powder and blue skies but knackered in the evening 
We have never adjusted so quickly to the time difference as we did that year getting full nights sleep each night. Will still joke about it now as the best way to adjust, but you forget how you felt at the time.
So basically you are gambling if you opt to fly into Aspen, ours didnt cost us any extra, its mainly due tio the airports location, and can be closed for days on end. You could try looking at flying into Eagle which if IIRC is only an hour and half away, plus you can get CME/RME transfers, as you dont need a vehicle in Aspen
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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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briand6868, I've flown into Aspen. It was a prop job and we had a very nervous flyer on the trip.
The flight was so rough that the stewardesses gave up serving and had to strap themselves in. The nervous flyer vowed she would never fly again.
I enjoyed it though and it's a much bigger airport than you might imagine, with row upon row of private jets. The reason it can be such a rough flight is that it crosses the Continental divide above the Rockies.
I thought it was worthwhile for the shorter transfer. I'm not sure of costs because it was part of a package.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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One can Google Aspen airport with Google map. The airport is well used. From memory it is next to the main road between Snowmass and Buttermilk.
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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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| saikee wrote: |
| For a short stay buying Epic ski pass is cheaper and it automatically cover Keystone, Arapahoe Basic, Brenkenridge, Vail and Beaver Creek. |
If you're only going for a week and want to ski those resorts the cheapest I could find is to buy an A-Basin Bonus Pass Season ticket.
This year USD359. It's an a-basin season ticket that gives you 5 days to use at Breck and Keystone of which 1 you can substitute for a day at Vail or Beaver.
So for a 6 riding day trip this is perfect and I couldn't find a cheaper way than doing it, certainyl cheaper than the epic pass. If you're staying longer then the epic is probably better value.
We stayed in Frisco and did 1 day at A Basin, 3 at Breck and 2 at keystone. Worked well.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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MMMMmmm that's just reminded me, eating Beaver Tails after a day on the slopes at Keystone.
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briand6868, we flew into aspen via chicago and it was a great experience, felt like you could have walked to the hotel from the arrivals lounge, but did get delayed going home due to bad weather in chicago, not an irregular occurance 
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Thanks for all the advice, Can do an alternative Dublin/Chicago/Aspen route for not much more but appreciate it's a gamble with the weather- this is going to be an expensive (by my standards) 10 day trip of a lifetime so would not like to forfeit 2/3 days of it stuck in Chicago- Bottom line is - Is it a safer option to fly to Denver and use CME or similar despite the 4hr odd transfer ? Anyone stayed at either of the following places -Chalet Lupine or Molly Gibson Hotel- which gets the nod, price similar for both
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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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| briand6868 wrote: |
| Thanks for all the advice, Can do an alternative Dublin/Chicago/Aspen route for not much more but appreciate it's a gamble with the weather- this is going to be an expensive (by my standards) 10 day trip of a lifetime so would not like to forfeit 2/3 days of it stuck in Chicago- Bottom line is - Is it a safer option to fly to Denver and use CME or similar despite the 4hr odd transfer ? |
When the weather cooperate, the flight into Aspen works like a charm, fast and efficient. But when the weather is bad, everything igrinds to a halt.
I'd do the Chicago->Aspen route. It's a jet instead of the prop plane from Denver. So chance is slightly better it'll make it at marginal weather. But if it looks like a multi-day wait (could happen), you can ask to be changed to Denver and take CME in by road. (well, I guess it depends on which airline you're flying, that is)
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Breck is a good option. Easy cruisers for beginners. Nice town. Lots of options to ski nearby resorts. You can buy a 6 of 9 day pass, and that gives you access to 3 days at Vail and Beaver Creek as well as Keyston and A-Basin. Check the Breck main website for ski and stay packages as well. There are lots of options for condo rentals that are typically cheaper than what you would find in Vail and certainly Aspen.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| geepee wrote: |
briand6868, I've flown into Aspen. It was a prop job and we had a very nervous flyer on the trip.
The flight was so rough that the stewardesses gave up serving and had to strap themselves in. The nervous flyer vowed she would never fly again.
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I,ve flown into Aspen a number of times , I have had two aborted landings & two redirects to Rifle Airport which is about 1hr 30mins down valley west of Glenwood Springs.
Aborted landings & Redirects are very common in Aspen.
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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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If you want to stick close to the member of your group who is doing the ski lessons I would recommend Vail. IIRC they do a beginners group lesson package that includes three days tuition and ski pass for pretty much the same price a three days ski pass! You will get the opportunity to ski the back bowls and still meet up for apres at the end of the day and you won't get bored with three or four days of Vail. You are ideally placed for a day trip to beaver creek and breckenridge or keystone then.
Vail probably has the best apres scene although we didn't really experience much of their late night scene when I went as our chalet was quite a way from the centre. Breckenridge has the reputation for being the best late night party townalthough its apres scene was fairly tame. All of the resorts will be very quiet Monday thru Wednesday and then start to get busier with weekend visitors from Thursday.
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I'd certainly echo the Aspen recommendations.
We spent all of last season storm chasing in Canada/USA, and skied everywhere from the smallest locals' hills to the biggest (and supposedly best) resorts. Not only was Aspen by far our favourite of the Colorado resorts, it was probably our best week of the whole season. Admittedly that was slightly skewed by having great snow there, but still it is a fantastic place.
If the credit card is wincing at the thought of Aspen, the Annabelle Inn is a decent B&B. And given the high prices there it's relatively affordable. About 5-10 mins walk to town for the bars & restaurants. 2 hot tubs.
Cheers and have fun....
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You know it makes sense.
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Aspen is great, but expensive and I would be more worried about problems with the Aspen Airport as it doesn't take much there to have flights diverted or cancelled.
The best deal for Aspen lift tickets is the Classic pass (5 days for $259), but you have to purchase in person. One thing to remember there is that it is 4 ski areas w/in 10 miles that are NOT interconnected. There is no beginner terrain at Ajax (resort in town). I have never skied the beginner mountain, Buttermilk, because it is not the best for experts. Snowmass has something for everyone. There is local transit, but if I was you, I would pick a place that has something for everyone without having to get on a bus.
What time of year were you thinking about? For 100s of Colorado lodging properties check out http://www.skilodgingrental.com/ I could give you more specific recommendations if I knew exactly what you were looking for.
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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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| Alexandra wrote: |
| For beginners I'd recommend staying in Breckenridge - accommodation to suit all budgets and local free bus network to Keystone amd A-basin. Copper, Beaver Creek and Vail less than an hour away. |
Stay in Dillon or Silverthorne... much less expensive and a bigger choice of eating/drinking options...
With a bunch of you hiring a car may be cheaper than CME
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Poster: A snowHead
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Try VRBO for direct rental from owners, might save a few bob.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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We went to Aspen this year, I rate it very highly, lots going on in town, four very different ski hills to explore. You need to commute to the ski areas but free public transport was very good. We got flights to Aspen via Chicago which avoids the long transfer but not the immigration hassle. We had a catered chalet, it was remarkable value for Aspen and the T.O. organised a heavily discounted lift pass available to property renters.
The previous year we did a D.I.Y. trip, Flights to Denver, 4X4 hire and b&b in Frisco - it was a great trip with the Vail resorts pass covering Breckenridge, A-Basin, Keystone, Beaver Creek and Vail. Every day was an adventure. The Epic pass is great value if you are going for more than a week, I think the cheapest price deadline has passed. Car hire is cheap and gives convenient access to several resorts with a short drive if you base at Frisco, Dillon, Silverthorne,Copper or Breckenridge. With a poorer exchange rate this year I had difficulty finding accomodation at a good price and could not better a T.O. package but if you have 4 poeple you can do it more economically. You should have a great time with a good chance of great snow and sun.
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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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courtesy of http://blog.skilodgingrental.com/
Just spoke with someone at Vail Resorts who said their season pass prices are scheduled to go up Monday, October 18, 2010 for the 2010-11 ski season. If you have kids who have a birthday before the start of your ski season (at any resort), it might make sense to buy their next pass before their birthday. A friend whose son turns 13 later this month just saved a butch of $ getting the 12 year old price Epic pass for $319 today instead of the adult pass for $619.
Go to our Summit County Info page for more Colorado Lift Ticket information.
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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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i'm also thinking of visiting one of the colorado resorts for the first time - i'm in the states in early december and thought I may as well sqeeze in an early season long weekend.
I've seen that keystone is adversting to open on 5 November and I've seen that tipped somewhere to be a good pre christmas bet.
Has anyone skied any of the early opening resorts in december? What were conditions like? much of the mountain open?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Quote: |
If the credit card is wincing at the thought of Aspen, the Annabelle Inn is a decent B&B and it's relatively affordable.
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I've just had a look at the Annabelle Inn website and it's £150 a night for a standard double room I'm afraid to say I'd expect a bit more than "a decent B & B" for that price...
We stayed in a decent B & B in Winter Park for about £40 a room - a bit more like it IMHO.
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| MEfree30 wrote: |
Aspen is great, but expensive and I would be more worried about problems with the Aspen Airport as it doesn't take much there to have flights diverted or cancelled.
The best deal for Aspen lift tickets is the Classic pass (5 days for $259), but you have to purchase in person. . |
Is that 10/11 season? I don't see it on their web site
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Bergmeister, I'm looking to go to winter park this eason - whats the skiing like?
Is it as mogully as they say?
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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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We flew into Denver and hired a 4x4 for a one way trip. We drove to Vail, did 4 days there then on to Aspen and did 8 days there. Denver to Vail was just over 2 hours and a doddle on the freeway. Vail to Aspen was about 2hrs 15mins and was also real easy to drive (although the road had been closed for over week from a rock slide and was only just cleared before we drove!).
Budget rent a car dont charge extra for one way rentals so we dropped it off at Aspen airport and then got a courtesy bus into Aspen.
We flew back from Aspen and it was fine, a big decent jet plane, however United run it like a shuttle service, so the flight was actually cheap ( I think it was only like $60) but then you have to pay $25 per bag, which put $100 extra at the check in desk 
I wished we'd stayed a bit longer in Vail, exploring the back bowls and ski-ing the trees was fantastic and the whole town is really compact and well designed (although Lionshead as like a seperate mini town centre).
Aspen was fantastic and like anywhere there are cheaper options to eat, but in general its is more expensive but I've paid way more in mediocre restaurants in France and Switzerland.
The highlands bowl is amazing and well worth the hike, I personally wouldn't bother with Buttermilk, but Snowmass is cool, and there are places where you can store your skis and boots there overnight so you can come back on the bus the next day without carting all your gear around.
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FAQ
it was a winning gamble unlike my aborted flights to and from Chambery.
