25 tips for a smooth ski season

By Brian Metzler, Special to the Rocky

Published November 17, 2008 at 6 p.m.

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We know that every report of snow in the high country has you itching to head up to the slopes. We also know you're thinking back on last year and have a few concerns about this year's season. Whether you're stuck in a rut or dreading the long waits in lines or the bad traffic, we have a gift for you. Actually, we're going to give you five. Five categories of five ways to do everything from beating the traffic to learning new skills. And, of course, in these tough economic times, we offer five ways to save money.

5 NEW THINGS

1. Telluride's Revelation Bowl

The most anticipated new ski/snowboard terrain in Colorado this winter is Telluride's Revelation Bowl (tellurideskiresort.com). Located directly off the back side for Gold Hill and Chair 14, the wide-open, 800-vertical-foot bowl offers steep pitches, breathtaking features (including a massive 2,000-foot rock wall across the valley) and the potential for deep snow. It's part of a 400-acre expansion at Telluride that began last December with hike-to access in Black Iron Bowl.

2. More new terrain

Crested Butte boasts 40 acres of new terrain off the Headwall lift in the Teocalli Bowl area, with expert runs known as Teo-2 and Teo-2.5. Aspen Highlands is opening 18 new acres in the Deep Temerity terrain it unveiled last year. Echo Mountain, near Evergreen, has enhanced its tree skiing and added more terrain park features, and Powderhorn is adding two new expert runs.

3. Camp Woodward at Copper Mountain

The first-ever skiing and riding training facility solely dedicated to learning and progressing new half pipe and terrain park tricks will debut at Copper Mountain (coppercolorado.com) in January. Copper has teamed up with Camp Woodward (known for its skateboard training camps) to create an innovative instructional center that includes an indoor facility with trampolines, foam pits and loads of equipment for onsite video analysis. All-day programs will be offered for $199 ($159 for season pass holders).

4. New chairlifts

A new eight-passenger lift at Winter Park won't take you to your favorite powder stash on the mountain, but it will help you get there faster. The latest accoutrement in the transformation of Winter Park (skiwinterpark.com), the Village Cabriolet will shuttle 2,800 skiers and snowboarders per hour from the free parking lots at the Vintage hotel to the base of the resort's new village.

5. New lodging

The Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa, on the Eagle River below Beaver Creek, is arguably the most stunning of several new or refurnished lodging properties in ski country. Opened in September, it conveniently connects its visitors to the base of Beaver Creek via the Riverfront Express Gondola, and it has a 23,000-square-foot spa and fitness center.

5 WAYS TO SAVE MONEY

1. Free skiing

Steamboat ski area (steamboat.com) has borrowed a gimmick from Crested Butte's old book of magic by offering free skiing and snowboarding to anyone who books at least three days of lodging between its opening day (slated for Nov. 26) and Christmas. Most resorts have stay-and-ski packages during the year that include "free" incentives at other times during the year, but none as long as Steamboat's deal. If you're an expert skier or rider who's willing to help bootpack snow Nov. 29-30 or Dec. 6-7, you can earn free skiing later in the season at Silverton Mountain (silvertonmountain.com).

2. Ski smaller resorts

Sure, the big resorts have season- pass deals, but if you do the math, you still might be paying more per day with a $400 season pass than you would if you ski places like Eldora, Arapahoe Basin, Sol Vista, Monarch, Sunlight and Ski Cooper. Those smaller resorts are generally $20 to $30 less per day for a lift ticket than their big brothers, and even cheaper still when you consider the price of rentals, food and lodging. For $10 you can get a Colorado Gems card (shopcolorado ski.com), which offers significant discounts at nine of the state's smallest resorts, including $38 single-day adult lift tickets at Loveland.

3. Carpool to the mountains

OK, so fuel prices have thankfully gone down in recent weeks, but the cost of a tank of unleaded still isn't cheap and it doesn't help anyone if we're all driving ourselves to the mountains. It was along those lines that Boulder's Glenn Lieberman started skicarpool.org in 2002 and turned it into a non-profit two years ago. Simply plug in your preferences (where you want to ski, where you live, etc.) and you've got a pretty good shot at either finding a ride or finding someone to chip in a few bucks for gas.

4. Don't buy lunch

If you put a cheeseburger, fries, an apple and a soft drink on your cafeteria tray, the Andrew Jackson you pulled out of your pocket probably isn't going to cut it this winter. Carry lunch in a pack and eat on the chairlift or look for free apres ski eats (like the warm chocolate chip cookies at Beaver Creek or the assortment of appetizers at the Mountain Dragon in Snowmass).

5. Look for deals

Nobody is giving it away in the high country, but with the shaky economy and the fact that gear sales and reservations were down considerably in September and October, there are bound to be deals all winter. The more flexible you can be, the better off you'll be. Late November, early January and late March are usually chock full of deals. Become familiar with resort Web sites (that's where the deals are posted first) and sites like skinet.com, skiresorts.com and liftopia.com. And don't forget, discounted single-day tickets are available at local grocery stores and some ski and snowboard shops.

5 EVENTS TO CHECK OUT

1. Snow Daze, Dec. 8-14, Vail

Like a massive party to celebrate the coming of the season, Snow Daze (vailsnowdaze.com) has emerged as one of the biggest events in the mountains. Events include a gear demo, a rail jam, the Dummy Gelunde World Championships and concerts from Big Head Todd & the Monsters and Leftover Salmon.

2. Birds of Prey World Cup Race Week, Dec. 2-7, (races Dec. 4-7) Beaver Creek

From a spectator's point of view, there is no greater thrill in skiing than to watch World Cup racers sail over the Harrier Jump at 70 mph on the Birds of Prey course at Beaver Creek. This year's racing schedule (bcworldcup .com) includes two days of training and four days of racing.

3. Cowboy Downhill, Jan. 20, Steamboat

(steamboat.com) This winter marks the 35th annual event that sends more than 100 professional rodeo cowboys wearing chaps and cowboy hats down a barrel-strewn ski slope. If you think it's fun to watch the highlights on TV, watching it in person is a real hoot.

4. ESPN Winter X Games, Jan. 22-25, Buttermilk

(expn.com) X Marks the spot where a generation gets its thrills. While you'll definitely feel a bit out of place if you don't fall between the ages of 12 and 24, you'll be amazed (and maybe mortified) by what you witness in the superpipe, no matter what your age.

5. Talons Challenge, Jan. 24, Beaver Creek

(talonschallenge.com) Challenge a friend or another family to try to out-ski you on the 13 bumped-out black-diamond and double-black-diamond runs on Grouse Mountain, Larkspur Bowl and the Birds of Prey downhill course.

5 WAYS TO ADVANCE YOUR SKILLS

1. SKImmersion program, Vail

This five-day program for fledgling beginners to advanced intermediates includes eight-hour days with classroom teaching, specialized on-mountain instruction, boot fitting and alignment consultations, personalized video analysis and a small-group learning atmosphere. ($1,315, vail.snow.com)

2. Kahunas Parent Program, Winter Park

This four-lesson program was created for parents who have children in the resort's Competition Center and want to improve their own skills on the mountain and get first-hand knowledge of what their kids are learning. ($575; skiwinterpark.com)

3. Ski/Snowboard Trek, Eldora

A program that includes six or 12 consecutive weekend days of instruction, this program is designed to help kids take it to the next level. ($519; eldora.com)

4. Women's Skiing Seminars, Steamboat

Olympic gold medalist Deb Armstrong hosts Steamboat's three-day women's clinics with emphasis on camaraderie, fun, and skill improvement. ($479, steamboat.com)

5. Three-Class Pass, Loveland

One of the best deals for first-timers in Colorado, those who sign up and complete a three-lesson package get a free season pass. ($259-$270; skiloveland.com)

5 WAYS TO AVOID THE TRAFFIC BLUES

1. Leave early

Want to be sure to beat the traffic on I-70? Pack your gear the night before and leave town before breakfast. You miss the traffic, you can get primo parking spots and usually you can find good, inexpensive breakfast at the base of your favorite mountain. (Try the Coffee & Tea Market at Winter Park or Covered Bridge Coffee in Vail.) On a day trip, you can ski or ride until your heart's content and get off the mountain by 1:30 p.m. to avoid the traffic snarls.

2. Stay close

Eldora, Loveland and Echo Mountain offer three options within 90 minutes or less from most places in the metro area. Echo is an ideal place for kids and beginners; Eldora has a great variety and a challenging Nordic ski center; and Loveland offers big-mountain skiing in a friendly, subdued atmosphere.

3. Join the club

The Up the Creek Ski and Social Club (upthecreek.org), Boulder Freeride (boulderfreeride .com) and the Slalom Gates Ski Club (gatesski .org) are a few of the several Front Range organizations that have regular ski-bus trips planned to various Colorado resorts. Riding a bus with friends and peers can take the pain out of the drive, plus most clubs offer discounts at local shops and plenty of other benefits.

4. Take the train

Now in its 69th season, the 17-car orange and silver streamliner winds its way from Denver's Union Station to Winter Park Resort on weekends from late December to late March (some Thursdays and Fridays in February and March). Coach fares are $49-$59, but the scenery is spectacular and the relaxation factor is priceless.

5. Stop at Kermitt's

Yes, that little roadhouse on U.S. 6 just east of Idaho Springs is the consummate biker bar, but it's a welcome respite from the traffic, and it has great chili, yummy grilled cheese sandwiches, cold beverages and friendly service (even if you're not wearing black leather). Plus, you can sign your name to a dollar bill and staple it to the wall or ceiling.

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