[y.funyuns]

My boyfriend and I are 19/20 yrs old and we want to travel to colorado this year in december, iv already tried doing some of my own research, but theres just so much different things that come up. "buttermilk mountain, snowshoeing, snowmass" basically we just want to stay in a decent resort hotel place and be near a place for snowboarding and some nature sights to go visit, i dont even know where to start so can someone point me in the right direction please.

[Mr Tonka]

Keystone is sweet, still pretty reasonable in price but you're still right in the mix of all the other resorts which will give you plenty of options for activities. It's still somewhat of a local mountain which has kept the prices down. When i say keep the prices down i mean you can still get a good pizza for under $20, unlike Breck. If you guys will have a car, don't be afraid of staying a little further away from the resorts to save some cash.

[passing]

jeez not even old enough to smoke a little of that legal stuff!

[bga23]

I'd prob go for Summit County mountains, use Google to find mountains and traveladvisor.com for hotels.

Stay away from Aspen/Snowmass/Buttermilk, awesome place (I used to live there) but not budget friendly.

[O-cha]

Boobs please.

[JasonCSU]

Have you ever been out to ski/snowboard in Colorado before? I would probably shy away from the Aspen resorts because not only will the skiing be expensive, so will the nearby lodging and restaurants. Any of the resorts along the I-70 corridor are going to run about $100/day for lift ticket prices unless you buy multi day passes. You also may get better deals with a lift ticket and lodging combo package. Are you going to be renting a car or taking a shuttle from the airport? If you rent a car, I'd suggest getting a hotel room in the middle of Summit county away from the resort hotels to save some cash. Then you could also drive to different resorts for some variety. If you plan on taking a shuttle and want to stay in a hotel at the base of a resort, I'd suggest looking at Vail. If you are going to stay at one resort for the whole trip, Vail is a good resort to pick because it is so large with a wide array of terrain.

The resorts in Summit county and the neighboring Vail Valley include: A-Basin, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Copper Mountain, Keystone, and Vail. Loveland is nearby as well. Both Breckenridge and Keystone can get pretty crowded with tourists, though there are places to avoid the crowds if you know where to look and have the skills for the terrain. I usually spend most of my time at Breckenridge and Vail.

Another option is to go down to Durango to ski Wolf Creek and Durango Mountain Resort (formerly Purgatory). Those resorts tend to get dumped on with snow, and are not terribly crowded due to their location. That location also makes it a long drive to get to though.

[y.funyuns]

Originally Posted by JasonCSU

Have you ever been out to ski/snowboard in Colorado before? I would probably shy away from the Aspen resorts because not only will the skiing be expensive, so will the nearby lodging and restaurants. Any of the resorts along the I-70 corridor are going to run about $100/day for lift ticket prices unless you buy multi day passes. You also may get better deals with a lift ticket and lodging combo package. Are you going to be renting a car or taking a shuttle from the airport? If you rent a car, I'd suggest getting a hotel room in the middle of Summit county away from the resort hotels to save some cash. Then you could also drive to different resorts for some variety. If you plan on taking a shuttle and want to stay in a hotel at the base of a resort, I'd suggest looking at Vail. If you are going to stay at one resort for the whole trip, Vail is a good resort to pick because it is so large with a wide array of terrain.

The resorts in Summit county and the neighboring Vail Valley include: A-Basin, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Copper Mountain, Keystone, and Vail. Loveland is nearby as well. Both Breckenridge and Keystone can get pretty crowded with tourists, though there are places to avoid the crowds if you know where to look and have the skills for the terrain. I usually spend most of my time at Breckenridge and Vail.

Another option is to go down to Durango to ski Wolf Creek and Durango Mountain Resort (formerly Purgatory). Those resorts tend to get dumped on with snow, and are not terribly crowded due to their location. That location also makes it a long drive to get to though.

So much information o_o so what are the resorts like? We want to stay somewhere we can leave our room and go explore the area. Kinda of
Like going to the San Antonio river walk. And since you seem to know a lot. What would we buy to take there? Houston is hot and humid and the warmest thing I have is a hoodie.

[JasonCSU]

Originally Posted by y.funyuns

So much information o_o so what are the resorts like? We want to stay somewhere we can leave our room and go explore the area. Kinda of
Like going to the San Antonio river walk. And since you seem to know a lot. What would we buy to take there? Houston is hot and humid and the warmest thing I have is a hoodie.

Since your warmest article of clothing is a hoodie, I'm guessing that you are probably a beginner skier/snowboarder? Each of the resorts all have good ski schools with some easy terrain for beginners to learn on. Knowing that you want to explore the nearby area, I would narrow it down between Breckenridge and Vail. Breckenridge is a vibrant little ski town with loads of restaurants and bars and some decent night life. Depending where you stay, the main street is either a short walk or shuttle ride away. Breck is an old mining town, and the main street has a very Victorian look to it. Check it out here: http://www.breckenridge.com/town/town.aspx

Vail has a large and very walkable base area that resembles European ski villages. It also has its own fair share of apres restaurants and bars, though will probably bit a little more expensive than Breck. http://www.vail.com/lodging-and-dini...ning-home.aspx

Regarding clothing, you will definitely want to pick up some snow pants, a ski jacket, gloves, warm socks, and some goggles (some places may rent goggles). Depending on the weather, some long underwear would be nice if it is really cold. I'd also recommend base layer clothing that wicks away sweat and moisture to help keep you dry (think Under Armour type clothing). Wherever you rent your skis/boards will supply the boots, and can also rent helmets, which I strongly recommend. Have fun planning the trip.

[JasonCSU]

I should also mention that the Dew Tour takes place in Breck between December 13th and 16th which is a cool event to watch. If you are thinking of going during those dates, hotel rooms may be a little harder to come by. http://www.breckenridge.com/eventdet...w=calendarview

If you happen to push your trip back into January, the International Snow Sculpture Championships takes place between the 22nd and 26th. It is also a very cool event to check out. http://www.breckenridge.com/eventdet...w=calendarview

[y.funyuns]

Originally Posted by JasonCSU

Since your warmest article of clothing is a hoodie, I'm guessing that you are probably a beginner skier/snowboarder? Each of the resorts all have good ski schools with some easy terrain for beginners to learn on. Knowing that you want to explore the nearby area, I would narrow it down between Breckenridge and Vail. Breckenridge is a vibrant little ski town with loads of restaurants and bars and some decent night life. Depending where you stay, the main street is either a short walk or shuttle ride away. Breck is an old mining town, and the main street has a very Victorian look to it. Check it out here: http://www.breckenridge.com/town/town.aspx

Vail has a large and very walkable base area that resembles European ski villages. It also has its own fair share of apres restaurants and bars, though will probably bit a little more expensive than Breck. http://www.vail.com/lodging-and-dini...ning-home.aspx

Regarding clothing, you will definitely want to pick up some snow pants, a ski jacket, gloves, warm socks, and some goggles (some places may rent goggles). Depending on the weather, some long underwear would be nice if it is really cold. I'd also recommend base layer clothing that wicks away sweat and moisture to help keep you dry (think Under Armour type clothing). Wherever you rent your skis/boards will supply the boots, and can also rent helmets, which I strongly recommend. Have fun planning the trip.

Thanks. I guess this trip might end up being more expensive then I thought. Better be worth it.