Anonymous wrote:We traveled at night with the three kids. Saved us so much money that we used to afford suites.

You mean you drove?

We traveled at night with the three kids. Saved us so much money that we used to afford suites.

Not sure if this applies to you, but 5th and 6th graders can ski for FREE at many Colorado resorts! We participated in this and it was fantastic. You do need to plan in advance since you have to send in proof of their grade level (such as report card) and they will receive a ski passport in the mail. 5th graders get 3 free days at each resort and 6th graders get 4! http://www.coloradoski.com/passport

Look into booking through VRBO. Ask the owner if they can tell you how to get deals/coupons. They will have all the inside info. and will be happy to share it with you.

You will save lots if you decide to stay offsite. I have never stayed at the base of the mountain and it's never bothered me at all.

fly into Denver and stop at a grocery store before heading into the mountains. Stock up on stuff to cook meals and pack lunches for the slopes. The food at the ski resorts is so expensive, not very good, and the lines are usually long.

Look into smaller resorts in CO. We have never checked them out, but have decided we will look into it next time. We know lots of people who have done this and say it's plenty of skiing for beginner/intermediate.

Consider inviting another family to join you. Splitting the lodging expense helps a lot!

Anonymous wrote:If you want to save money you could rent a house in Sandy and then drive to Alta/Snowbird. I think that would be cheaper than the Park City side.

We actually did this. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express (free breakfast) and drove to the Cottonwood Canyons each day. The downside is there's traffic in the AM (not as bad as a rush hour like here, but still slow going) and depending if it snows that night then some of the passes are closed which wouldn't be a problem if we had stayed slope side at the resort (toured downtown SLC instead).

Overall, worked out great though.

If you want to save money you could rent a house in Sandy and then drive to Alta/Snowbird. I think that would be cheaper than the Park City side.

I recommend going to Utah. That way you don't have to travel a long way from the airport. You can fly into Salt Lake City and be at a resort in less than an hour. Plus, if you go in the spring, you can come down from the slopes and hike or otherwise explore the area around SLC, which is beautiful. We have had a great time at Solitude and Alta, which are quiet and very family friendly. And totally fine for beginning skiers -- Alta doesn't have snowboarding though, which I like, since it cuts down on teenage hotdogging.

Isn't Utah lower? Less altitude issues than CO.

Well, for families, Vail is great. Alta has a great ski school. As several have mentioned, snow conditions in the far west are the worst in years. I would not book ahead, and simply save, and then pay, a bit more. Nothing can make skiing on no snow any fun. Utah seems almost a sure bet for a ton of snow. Park City is one resort where you could stay for a week, since it is huge. But you can access other resorts nearby if you so choose. When the west HAS snow, Squaw is incredible, and massive.

OP here. Wow, thanks for all the feedback. I really appreciate it.

I appreciate the concern expressed by some that it would be foolish to spend a lot of cash on a big ski trip until we are more experienced skiers. By the time we go (spring break 2016), we won't be total beginners, as we are skiing at all the local options this winter. My point was that we won't need the most challenging terrain when we do go out west.

Thanks again.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree...if you're a beginner there's no reason to dump a lot of cash to ski out west. Timberline in Davis, WV is a great local option as is Canaan Valley. Both offer great skiing, lots of natural snowfall, and are affordable. Also, every winter is different, but I believe the New England resorts actually have better skiing than a lot of the resorts out west this year. If you're set on going out west Durango Mountain Resort (formally Purgatory) is good for beginners to intermediates. The only minus is it's expensive to fly into unless you fly into Albuquerque, but then you have a 4 hour drive to Durango.

Why do this instead of just flying to Denver?

Durango is 5 hours from Denver in perfect weather

Go to Ski Liberty, the bunny slope is really wide and it will be a good way to learn how to ski. 90 minutes from DC.

My first ski trip a few years ago was out west, and we are returning this spring break. I have no desire to ski in frigid New England when I can ski in a light jacket out west.

I once started on thread on here about a week long trip to Park City and another poster broke down the expense - with 2 kids in ski camp, lift tix and rentals for us, 7 nights at a condo, rental car and airfare it would have cost something like $7000 (not the 3 to 4000 I was shooting for.) Utah is where Californians go for really great snow.
You could look into Lake Tahoe. Variety of flight choices (Reno, Sacramento, Oakland, SFO, San Jose) and lots of accomodations (somewhere like Squaw Valley?) There are family friendly slopes at Soda Springs, Sugar Bowl, and of course the scenery is nice.
They usually offer a multi-mountain pass for resorts along the Colorado Route 70 corridor (Keystone, Arapahoe, Loveland). A big place like Breckenridge or Beaver Creek will have everything you need and you can take a shuttle bus from Denver. Personally I like to mix a little hot springs and sight seeing into my ski week so I've been researching places like The Avalanche Ranch.
My friend recommended Snowmass for family skiing and lessons, you can still do Aspen for shopping and lunch but the slopes at Aspen are not for beginners. The Obamas just went to Buttermilk.

Check out Breckenridge - there are tons of places to stay and lots of beginner runs.

Weather is better during spring break...bring the sun tan lotion and sun glasses.

Agree wi5h all the othet PPs, i dobt think going west for 1st timers is well thought out. Why not try some east coast skiing first - "fun" resorts with amenities like 7 Springs.

I would plunk down a ton of cash (sounds like youre on a budget) for airlines, rentals, lodging, lift tix, for something you (and the kids) may not fully appreciate.