# Smaller Resort Skiing?



## nicho (Mar 18, 2009)

Looking to avoid the crowds of Summit County big resorts and need a change from Loveland and A-Basin. Any recommendations on smaller less expensive resorts. Did Sunlight last year and it was sweet. Any thoughts are appreciated. Nicho


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## teletoes (Apr 16, 2005)

Wolf Creek
Monarch
Sunlight


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## feats of strength (Oct 23, 2009)

Sol Vista...can't imagine that's very busy.


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## adgeiser (May 26, 2009)

depends on how steep you want it. 
2 of my best days last season (i had over 60 days) were at ski cooper. with that said we did a "black" run there that would have been green, maybe....maybe blue at a-basin. but still powder both days and NO crowds.

monarch is also pretty sweet.

oh yeah and ski cooper has a tele fest.


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## Andy H. (Oct 13, 2003)

The little family areas are great because the convenience and laid back nature more than make up for anything they lack in glamour or rad terrain. Check out the Colorado Gems card for discounts (they're charging $10 for them nowadays).

For one of the best small areas, next time you're in Utah, check out Powder Mountain near Provo. Its the only place I've had a ski patroller say "follow me" and then drop into a tuck. We had to cross the flats to get over to a snowmobile tow that took us to where we could ski untracked glades down to the road and ride back in an old schoolbus chugging up the hill to the base area. You could almost hear that old Bluebird saying "I think I can..."

Ski Cooper would be a great place for that first day on teles, or your first day on anything, for that matter. Monarch and Wolf Creek are great on powder days, and the Basin just plain rocks. There's also a lot to be said for parking a stone's throw from the lifts.

Have fun out there,

-AH


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## fids11 (Nov 26, 2009)

*Monarch is the bomb, always seems to be snow there. Got some nice steep too.

Sunlight is rad, no lines and all the snow you could ever want is visible from the lifts going up on pow days.

My personal fav for small resorts is powderhorn - has some awesome glade skiing, and has some of the most boulder fields/pillow drops of any of the resorts out there. Had my best day of the year there last year by far! Have fun!
*


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## twitch (Oct 16, 2003)

Buy a Monarch pass and it comes with 3 free days at something like 10-11 resorts including Powderhorn, Sunlight, and others. It also includes some sweet lodging / free ski deals to Grand Targhee & Revelstoke, half price deals to Taos & Alta, and one free day at Silverton. 

But Monarch itself sucks, big time. You should not ski there ever. Super crowded, horrible conditions, crappy tree skiing, and even worse junk hidden over in Mirkwood. I repeat, if you enjoy Loveland, A-Basin, and other smallish resorts - do not go to Monarch...I hear that they have police pat-downs at every lift too!


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## Canada (Oct 24, 2006)

Try powder horn if you are in the vicinity. No crowds and decent terrain.


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## LineDawg (Oct 18, 2009)

Snowy Range is a small resort. Pretty cheap too. Although you run the chance that at least one lift will be closed/broken down.


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## yetigonecrazy (May 23, 2005)

i agree, monarch is terrible, no one should ever go there. ever. especially midweek in february after a storm when you can have two + feet of pow to yourself and thirty of your closest friends. just awful.

but seriously though, monarch is great as long as you avoid the holidays and weekends in january. during those times it becomes a zoo as all the bargain busters from Co Spgs who are too cheap to take the family to Breck instead drag the whole family to monarch. while the terrain and snow never get hectic, the lift lines and some of the more condensed runs can get exciting.

powderhorn is a gem. pillows, pillows, and more pillows. good aspen tree skiing too. but its all about the pillows at pillowhorn.

sunlight is ok too.


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## Ture (Apr 12, 2004)

My dad is ski patrol at Powderhorn. I make it out there at least once a year. Mostly intermediate skiing but there is some good stuff if you look. I like to go there with the family. For sure a small old fashioned Colorado ski area feel.

You're in Denver... what about Eldora? Their steep stuff is scarce but it fits my criteria for low-key, small, and cool places to ski. Our office used to do an annual company ski day with a free lunch and an open bar for the non-skiers until a huge software company bought us out and took away everything, and I mean everything, and left us standing naked with less pay and saying, "Thank you sir, may I have another."


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## F.A.A.C. Slim (Jan 14, 2010)

Powderhorn for sure...my daughter and I skinned up from the parking lot last Friday and found super powder. Also Silverton but it really is more out of the way.


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## El Flaco (Nov 5, 2003)

Taos during the spring. They still cut off the number of lift tickets they sell each day, so the mountain is never busy. Incredible steeps (as far as the southern Rockies go) and endless bumps. Totally different vibe versus CO mountains.

As far as CO goes, definite ups for Monarch& Wolf Creek.


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## watermonkey (Aug 11, 2009)

After living in breck and leadville and countless days at Summit areas, we moved to BV and discovered Monarch. One day there and I decided I would never do a major resort again. Then we moved to CDale, passed on the Aspen areas and rode Sunlight. The smaller areas are true gems. If you have to stand in line to get on a bus to get to the lifts, then something has gone wrong in your world.


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## Ture (Apr 12, 2004)

watermonkey said:


> ... If you have to stand in line to get on a bus to get to the lifts, then something has gone wrong in your world.


Amen. I ski at one of the major resorts once in a blue moon. As I am standing in a 10 minute lift line for the 2nd or 3rd time I swear I'll never ski at a major resort again.

I've got my place... an OK mountain and a dumpy lodge... I don't stand in lines. I ski up to the lift and catch my breath on the way up.

It's just like surfing for me. I'd rather surf a mediocre wave all day long with just me and a buddy in the water than surf a world class break with a hundred people jostling for position.


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