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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]As an avid skiier and Ikon pass holder, I agree with the above advice with one caveat, Steamboat has gotten stupid expensive since the pandemic.  We went Christmas 2019 and then Christmas 2022 and last month.  We reserved our AirBnB in July or August to get a decent price and they raised the prices over 200 per day over last year for ski school/camp for our munchkin.

That said, Colorado is fantastic.  You might want to look at places like Frisco, which are close to Copper, Keystone, A-Basin, and Breckenridge.  You will need to rent an AWD car to drive to the different mountains.  You will also want to research where you want to go.  Lots of the Front Range are Vail owned, which means Epic.  All of the Aspen mountains, Steamboat, Winter Park, Copper and A-Basin are Ikon.

You might also want to try Utah.  Park City is fun, but it is expensive too.  PC and Canyons are Epic, Deer Valley is Ikon as are Alta, Snowbird, Solitude and Brighton.  I like Solitude as a mountain for first time out west skiiers. There isn't a town to speak of, just the village. The AirBnB type lodging there is more reasonable than in other places.  I wouldn't recommend Alta-Snowbird for first time out west skiiers. They are amazing mountains but some of the toughest out there. (Snowbird more than Alta but Alta is no slouch) Also, there is no town to speak of and lodging is limited.

Either way, decide where you want to go and then buy one of the passes next spring when they go on sale.  I know there may be sticker shock but you have to remember that day passes for most of the mountains are 200+ a day. I know Steamboat over Christmas is 275 per day.  
[/quote]

As someone who learned to ski at Solitude (at 40 yrs old) and went there for a decade or so over winter break, I strongly agree with this.  Excellent ski school, plenty of beginner/intermediate terrain, some very challenging terrain if you have experts in your party, cheaper than other places (slightly), better likelihood of good snow if you go early in the season, and best of all, nowhere near the crowds you'll see at PC/Canyons.  We never rented a car - it's stupid expensive, and I didn't want to get caught having to drive there or back in a blizzard.  There are plenty of shuttles from the airport (to Solitude, and all other resorts).

Drawbacks:

- there is no night life.  A few restaurants, one "bar" - sort of - and a crappy pizza place.  We ate lunch on the mountain, and out once or twice in a week, but stopped on the way out and picked up a big grocery order (and at the liquor store!), and made dinner most nights.  
- If you take the shuttle, you're really confined to the village.  When the kids are little that's fine, but as they get older it began to chafe a but, and we switched to PC (for a lot more money!).  
- If you stay in a house off property, traffic can be a nightmare in the morning.  Highly recommend staying in a condo in the village.  
- You have to keep an eye in the weather, and you may need to leave early to make your return flight if a big storm threatens to close Big Cottonwood Canyon.

Some of my best memories are first tracks on Christmas day with my family and friends.  [/quote]

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