keystone, vail, copper, bc, breck are prob best for that.Thanks for the suggestions. Any more are appreciated.
Like I said, we're complete newbs (neither of us have been to Colorado or ANY ski resort). We're mostly concerned with just playing in the snow and having a good time, not necesarily the biggest mountain or whatever.
Somewhat important. I think Keystone was the one that my wife was eyeing up when she did some preliminary research. I think we both want the town/community/village to be relatively close (walking distance) to where we are staying. It would be nice to not have to rent a car and just get a shuttle or cab to and from the airport.How important is the town to you? ie - nightlife, shopping, etc. If it's important, do Summit County. If a smaller town but better mountain and surrounding area is tops, then go with Steamboat Springs. I'm assuming you don't want to spend the dow or travel time for Aspen and travel time x2 for Telluride.
Definitely not ski nerds here.Big difference between skinerd vacation and colorado winter vacation with some skiing/boarding
Is one of the primary reasons for choosing Colorado over other Rocky Mountain states - legalized weed?Somewhat important. I think Keystone was the one that my wife was eyeing up when she did some preliminary research. I think we both want the town/community/village to be relatively close (walking distance) to where we are staying. It would be nice to not have to rent a car and just get a shuttle or cab to and from the airport.How important is the town to you? ie - nightlife, shopping, etc. If it's important, do Summit County. If a smaller town but better mountain and surrounding area is tops, then go with Steamboat Springs. I'm assuming you don't want to spend the dow or travel time for Aspen and travel time x2 for Telluride.
We're not huge partiers who plan on staying out to 2 AM clubbing, by the way.
You want a car if you want to do some of the other things available (like cross country skiing or snow mobiling). It will also give you more flexibility in going out to eat and shopping. I think Breck is the best self contained little town, and while Keystone is a better mountain, for you guys, it wouldn't matter much. Still, I'd be aiming for seeing if you can get a condo and a car.Somewhat important. I think Keystone was the one that my wife was eyeing up when she did some preliminary research. I think we both want the town/community/village to be relatively close (walking distance) to where we are staying. It would be nice to not have to rent a car and just get a shuttle or cab to and from the airport.How important is the town to you? ie - nightlife, shopping, etc. If it's important, do Summit County. If a smaller town but better mountain and surrounding area is tops, then go with Steamboat Springs. I'm assuming you don't want to spend the dow or travel time for Aspen and travel time x2 for Telluride.
We're not huge partiers who plan on staying out to 2 AM clubbing, by the way.
many other things to do than ski/board:Definitely not ski nerds here.Big difference between skinerd vacation and colorado winter vacation with some skiing/boarding
No, we don't smoke weed.Is one of the primary reasons for choosing Colorado over other Rocky Mountain states - legalized weed?Somewhat important. I think Keystone was the one that my wife was eyeing up when she did some preliminary research. I think we both want the town/community/village to be relatively close (walking distance) to where we are staying. It would be nice to not have to rent a car and just get a shuttle or cab to and from the airport.How important is the town to you? ie - nightlife, shopping, etc. If it's important, do Summit County. If a smaller town but better mountain and surrounding area is tops, then go with Steamboat Springs. I'm assuming you don't want to spend the dow or travel time for Aspen and travel time x2 for Telluride.
We're not huge partiers who plan on staying out to 2 AM clubbing, by the way.
http://cdn.memegenerator.net/instances/250x250/31380191.jpgNo, we don't smoke weed.Is one of the primary reasons for choosing Colorado over other Rocky Mountain states - legalized weed?Somewhat important. I think Keystone was the one that my wife was eyeing up when she did some preliminary research. I think we both want the town/community/village to be relatively close (walking distance) to where we are staying. It would be nice to not have to rent a car and just get a shuttle or cab to and from the airport.How important is the town to you? ie - nightlife, shopping, etc. If it's important, do Summit County. If a smaller town but better mountain and surrounding area is tops, then go with Steamboat Springs. I'm assuming you don't want to spend the dow or travel time for Aspen and travel time x2 for Telluride.
We're not huge partiers who plan on staying out to 2 AM clubbing, by the way.
Not to throw a wrench in your plans (and Colorado is AWESOME), but because you don't smoke and for what you want - why not consider a place like Jackson Hole.No, we don't smoke weed.Is one of the primary reasons for choosing Colorado over other Rocky Mountain states - legalized weed?Somewhat important. I think Keystone was the one that my wife was eyeing up when she did some preliminary research. I think we both want the town/community/village to be relatively close (walking distance) to where we are staying. It would be nice to not have to rent a car and just get a shuttle or cab to and from the airport.How important is the town to you? ie - nightlife, shopping, etc. If it's important, do Summit County. If a smaller town but better mountain and surrounding area is tops, then go with Steamboat Springs. I'm assuming you don't want to spend the dow or travel time for Aspen and travel time x2 for Telluride.
We're not huge partiers who plan on staying out to 2 AM clubbing, by the way.
I fully agree with this. I frequent Summit and Eagle Counties on a dozen or so weekends a year, and while we end up skiing Keystone or Vail more often than Breck, we spend more time in the town of Breckenridge. IMO, Breckenridge is the best ski town in Colorado if you aren't looking to spend a lot of money. Dozens of restaurants and bars (and Breckenridge Distillery which they claim is the highest in the world), some decent shopping, and pretty much everything is within walking distance.You want a car if you want to do some of the other things available (like cross country skiing or snow mobiling). It will also give you more flexibility in going out to eat and shopping. I think Breck is the best self contained little town, and while Keystone is a better mountain, for you guys, it wouldn't matter much. Still, I'd be aiming for seeing if you can get a condo and a car.Somewhat important. I think Keystone was the one that my wife was eyeing up when she did some preliminary research. I think we both want the town/community/village to be relatively close (walking distance) to where we are staying. It would be nice to not have to rent a car and just get a shuttle or cab to and from the airport.How important is the town to you? ie - nightlife, shopping, etc. If it's important, do Summit County. If a smaller town but better mountain and surrounding area is tops, then go with Steamboat Springs. I'm assuming you don't want to spend the dow or travel time for Aspen and travel time x2 for Telluride.
We're not huge partiers who plan on staying out to 2 AM clubbing, by the way.
I'll second that for Keystone. Was there about 5 years ago. Great place. Winterpark isn't too bad either, but there are some spots that aren't fun for boarders. I remember this one traverse where I was on my toe edge for over a minute crossing a big expanse...f-ing killed my toes.Keystone is a fun mountain that's not ridiculously expensive. Lots of other options nearby too.
If you want to have a great time at Keystone River Run - grab a beer at the end of the day(maybe smoke a bowl) and watch people come down the icy face under the gondola. Tons of beginners are coming down real slow and wiping out and sliding down the hill and they take out other skiers - it's like bowling and it is hilarious. You get a Warren Miller movie live.I'll second that for Keystone. Was there about 5 years ago. Great place. Winterpark isn't too bad either, but there are some spots that aren't fun for boarders. I remember this one traverse where I was on my toe edge for over a minute crossing a big expanse...f-ing killed my toes.Keystone is a fun mountain that's not ridiculously expensive. Lots of other options nearby too.
I'm a total skinerd now but 2 years ago I had never done it before and went to Breckenridge. I can see now why major skinerds aren't usually huge fans of the mountain but it was perfect for us as noobs. The village is expensive to stay at but you can find plenty of really nice alternatives on VRBO for cheap that are walkable both to the slopes and the town (bars, restaurants, etc). At the time we could've given two ####s about the skiing part of it but we just loved being in the town during winter. And the skiing ended up awesome as Breckenridge has some really great terrain for never-evers. My sister in law still gets frustrated whenever she comes out here to Utah because the terrain is too difficult for her, but she was floating around and having a good time on the gentle terrain at the bottom of Breck her first time out.
I don't really know much about the snowmachine, snow-shoeing, and cross country options there though. I will say that visually it's not as spectacular as some places might be. I mean, for an east coaster it's still going to be awesome but the mountains are a little more rounded towards the top there and there aren't really the jagged, super sharp looking rocky peaks.
Another quick note about snowboarding vs. skiing. If you're only going to spend 1 or 2 days on the slopes I would strongly advise skiing over boarding. Unless you're a 15 year old kid that enjoys falling hard on your face, the first couple days of snowboarding are very much putting in work to get to the fun part. If you're only going to do it for 2 days then you'll probably be getting to the fun part right when you're getting ready to leave. Meanwhile, on skis you can probably progress far enough to have fun cruising down a green run within a couple hours of your first day out there.
I'll also second the recommendation of Jackson if you would really put the skiing part of the trip down towards the bottom of the list. The scenery there is incredible with the Tetons and the town of Jackson is a great spot. You can't go wrong with either there or Breckenridge.
Amen to this...I never did winter sports. When I first started dating my now-wife, she invited me to go snowboarding with her family up in NY. I was 29 at the time. Why not...always good to learn something new. I fell...over and over and over and over...My knees were black and blue, as was my ###, and my arms and shoulders ached. I think I probably got a concussion too b/c I was stupid and had no helmet. I lived on the bunny slope at Lake Placid and survived. I went again the next year to Okemo, VT...horrible conditions. All ice. I was worse than I was the 1st time. I almost gave up...then we went out west and I found good snow and it just clicked. I've been going every year since then and always have a blast.Another quick note about snowboarding vs. skiing. If you're only going to spend 1 or 2 days on the slopes I would strongly advise skiing over boarding. Unless you're a 15 year old kid that enjoys falling hard on your face, the first couple days of snowboarding are very much putting in work to get to the fun part. If you're only going to do it for 2 days then you'll probably be getting to the fun part right when you're getting ready to leave. Meanwhile, on skis you can probably progress far enough to have fun cruising down a green run within a couple hours of your first day out there.
How close is snowboarding to wakeboarding? I've wakeboarded a lot, but never snowboard.Another quick note about snowboarding vs. skiing. If you're only going to spend 1 or 2 days on the slopes I would strongly advise skiing over boarding. Unless you're a 15 year old kid that enjoys falling hard on your face, the first couple days of snowboarding are very much putting in work to get to the fun part. If you're only going to do it for 2 days then you'll probably be getting to the fun part right when you're getting ready to leave. Meanwhile, on skis you can probably progress far enough to have fun cruising down a green run within a couple hours of your first day out there.
No idea, I've never wakeboarded.How close is snowboarding to wakeboarding? I've wakeboarded a lot, but never snowboard.Another quick note about snowboarding vs. skiing. If you're only going to spend 1 or 2 days on the slopes I would strongly advise skiing over boarding. Unless you're a 15 year old kid that enjoys falling hard on your face, the first couple days of snowboarding are very much putting in work to get to the fun part. If you're only going to do it for 2 days then you'll probably be getting to the fun part right when you're getting ready to leave. Meanwhile, on skis you can probably progress far enough to have fun cruising down a green run within a couple hours of your first day out there.
Depends on how much snow is out there - I like a Merrell pull on - either high or low. I hate tying laces with snow on them.What kind of shoes / boots are normal for wearing around town on a ski trip?
This will help a lot, but will depend mostly on the condition of the snow. If it's icy, you will probably struggle. If you're lucky to get on some fresh snow you should be able to tear it up fairly quickly.How close is snowboarding to wakeboarding? I've wakeboarded a lot, but never snowboard.Another quick note about snowboarding vs. skiing. If you're only going to spend 1 or 2 days on the slopes I would strongly advise skiing over boarding. Unless you're a 15 year old kid that enjoys falling hard on your face, the first couple days of snowboarding are very much putting in work to get to the fun part. If you're only going to do it for 2 days then you'll probably be getting to the fun part right when you're getting ready to leave. Meanwhile, on skis you can probably progress far enough to have fun cruising down a green run within a couple hours of your first day out there.
Doesn't really matter for a guy. Just make sure you get your wife some UGGs - and do NOT buy her a knock-off brand. Unless you want to get shut down the whole trip.What kind of shoes / boots are normal for wearing around town on a ski trip?
Snowboarding = long boarding (skateboard)How close is snowboarding to wakeboarding? I've wakeboarded a lot, but never snowboard.Another quick note about snowboarding vs. skiing. If you're only going to spend 1 or 2 days on the slopes I would strongly advise skiing over boarding. Unless you're a 15 year old kid that enjoys falling hard on your face, the first couple days of snowboarding are very much putting in work to get to the fun part. If you're only going to do it for 2 days then you'll probably be getting to the fun part right when you're getting ready to leave. Meanwhile, on skis you can probably progress far enough to have fun cruising down a green run within a couple hours of your first day out there.
There won't be a lot of snow on sidewalks or parking lots. I wear slippers (I'm classy like that) to and from skiing and usually just wear whatever shoes I feel comfortable in around town. I'm up in the Keystone/Breck area 15-20 weekends a year and I don't even own a pair of boots.Joe T said:What kind of shoes / boots are normal for wearing around town on a ski trip?
This was genius advice.Depends on how much snow is out there - I like a Merrell pull on - either high or low. I hate tying laces with snow on them.What kind of shoes / boots are normal for wearing around town on a ski trip?
http://www.merrell.com/US/en-US/Product.mvc.aspx/35400M/88056/Mens/Polarand-Rove-Pull-Waterproof?dimensions=0