Breckenridge CO: The Perfect Mountain Town
Four huge peaks serving 27 lifts, 146 trails, 4 half-pipes, 4 terrain parks, and 2 high-speed six-passenger SuperChairs. And all this sits next to a genuine Colorado mountain town with a laid-back attitude, events galore, and legendary nightlife, including the oldest bar west of the Mississippi. At 9600 feet, Breckenridge is blessed with over 300 days of sunshine and an average of 300 inches of snowfall per year allowing for exceptional skiing and riding from November to mid-April. In 2003, the resort's Peak 7 expansion was completed offering an additional 165 acres of rolling intermediate terrain and spacious glade skiing. Additionally, a high-speed quad was added making getting from peak to peak easier than ever. With four terrain parks and four half-pipes to choose from, Breckenridge appeals to both the budding freestyle skier/rider and the seasoned expert. Breck's renowned Freeway Terrain Park and Pipe return for yet another season, once again attracting the world's best freeriders and top events. Also check out one of the resort's three smaller parks and pipes, including two small parks and one medium park, as well as two small pipes and a medium-sized pipe, each complete with features to help teach all levels of skier and rider. Unlike many ski resorts that get quiet at night, Breckenridge lights up when the sun sets. Sip on a Ghiradelli martini at The Crown, hear live music at Sherpa & Yeti's or put on some dancing shoes for a trip to Cecilias or the newly renovated Salt Creek Restaurant and Saloon. But, don't forget, lifts open at 8:30 am. Be sure to checkout the 5th Annual Spring Massive Festival, April 1-17, 2005 - a fusion of sport, music, incredible lodging specials and legendary spring conditions. Call (888) 859-8946 to get more information and please drop us a line on the web at www.breckenridge.com/college anytime!
Bridger Bowl: Celebrating 50 Years of Success (and not one dime of profit)
Bozeman's Nonprofit Community Ski Area Has Been a Mountain of Contradictions for a Half-Century
Bridger Bowl is located 16 miles northeast of Bozeman on MT Highway 86, and is a private, nonprofit ski area. Since there are no owners, all profits are invested back into the area for improvements and operational budgets, enabling Bridger Bowl to provide a high quality ski experience for a very low price. Bridger Bowl is primarily a community ski area that also caters to destination travelers, with Bozeman serving as the main bed base with most of the lodging and entertainment options. Bozeman is a university town and home to a very active sporting community. There are many excellent restaurants, shops, galleries, microbreweries and bars, and the community supports a strong cultural presence with a wide variety of music available ranging from country music to jazz. Montana State University offers Division I - AA sporting events and is home of the Museum of the Rockies. The museum has one of the finest dinosaur exhibits in the Rockies. Yellowstone National Park is only 90 miles from Bozeman, and winter recreation is available in and around the park. On the mountain, we have a lodge in the base area with a central reservations office, ski school, rental shop, cafeteria, and bar & grill. At mid-mountain there is another chalet offering excellent home baked goods, hot soups, sandwiches and beverages. Bridger Bowl has 1,500 skiable acres with over 2,600 vertical feet (2,000 lift-served). Nine hundred of those acres are lift accessed by 5 double chairs, 1 triple chair and 1 quad chair. There are 69 named runs with the longest one being 3.5 miles in length. The area is flanked by two large bowls to the North and South. Most of the area offers wide open terrain with a variety of landscapes including long slopes, glades, chutes, gullies in addition to other smaller bowls. Bridger Bowl offers a very diverse ski experience with the following ratings: 25% beginner, 35% intermediate, 30% advance and 10% extreme. Incredible expert only skiing is available on Bridger's infamous ridge. Skiers who wish to access this terrain must hike up 400 vertical feet above the Bridger Lift. Ridge skiing requires expert ability, an avalanche transceiver (457 khz), shovel, partner and knowledge of the terrain. The ridge has radical chutes, rock cliffs, and steep snowfields, providing some of the most challenging skiing found within any ski area boundary. Bridger Bowl's Adult Lift Tickets are only $37 per day. Multi-day tickets for 3 days or more are $34 per day. Multi-day lift and lodging packages are as low as $39/person/day ALL SEASON. Have fun this winter… make your Bridger Bowl reservations at (800) SKI-4-FUN or online at www.bridgerbowl.com!
Telluride: Fantasy Mountain Does Exist
Climb on out of that rabbit hole because the Wonderland you've been searching for… it's real. Telluride is the land where people come to play and it's no wonder why. The mountain paradise is miles away from the day-to-day hustle and bustle; free from the chaos of city life; and surrounded by spectacular views. It's a picture-perfect, Victorian town with skiing and snowboarding you thought only happened behind closed eyes. Best of all, while you're off the beaten path, tucked away at almost 9,000 vertical feet, you're virtually right around the corner… as the airplane flies. With new nonstop flights to Telluride (and nearby Montrose, just over an hour away), your dream ski vacation is now easier to get to than ever before. Telluride is perched comfortably at 8,750 feet, deep in southwest Colorado's San Juan Mountains. It is a community rich in charm, history and character; one established by the miners but carried on with a legacy of so much more. Revived in the early 1970s, from a post-mining slump, by the start of the ski resort, Telluride came back as a hard-core ski town. Hippies and metropolitan runaways migrated from all directions, some transient, others permanent. They skied a lot, worked a little and no matter what, always made sure to have a grand old time. Today, Telluride maintains its persona as a quintessential ski town, but has simultaneously matured into a world-class, sophisticated mountain community. Don't worry, those grand old times… they're still available in colossal proportions. Come visit Telluride and see for yourself.
Transportation
Getting to this remote resort is surprisingly effortless. With direct flights to Montrose (just over an hour away) from major hubs, and Telluride's local airport offering nonstop service from Denver and Phoenix. Once in town, moving around is an utter breeze as Telluride and Mountain Village are connected via the only free gondola system on the continent. Providing environmentally friendly transportation in 13 minutes, the gondola eliminates the need for a car. Add Telluride's compact infrastructure making virtually everything ski-in/ski-out, and all your dreams will have come true.
Lifts
One of the best things about this fantasy resort is there's rarely a lift line, leaving guests to feel as if they have the mountain to themselves. Telluride's total 16 lifts includes two high-speed gondolas; seven high-speed quads, two triples, two doubles, two surface lifts and one magic carpet.
Terrain
Telluride has tons of terrain to explore and there's something for every level of skier or snowboarder. And, with the 733-acre Prospect Bowl expansion, which officially opened in January 2002, the resort almost doubled in size. From gentle bunny hills to corduroy cruisers, precipitous mogul runs to gladed trees, narrow chutes to wide open bowls, guests stay entertained day after day. Views are phenomenal and never ending. On a clear day (of which there are many), you can see all the way to Utah's La Sal Mountains.
Backcountry
Nothing sends you deeper into Wonderland than skiing untracked Colorado powder in the beauty of the backcountry. In Telluride, backcountry enthusiasts have numerous options for indulging in fresh tracks. The resort features in-bounds and out-of-bounds hike-to terrain. In-bounds skiers and snowboarders can hike Prospect Ridge (from Confidence to Genevieve) and Bald Mountain, both accessible from the Prospect Bowl chair lift. Prospect Bowl also brings the backcountry experience to skiers and snowboarders of all levels with its abundance of pristine terrain, that doesn't involve hiking.
Terrain Parks
Telluride's jib scene rivals resorts across the country. First of all, there's the new Superpipe, created by the state-of-the-art Pipe Monster. Add that to the redesigned Big Hit park, featuring everything from tabletops to rainbows (all constructed out of dirt), and an awesome Rail Yard and you're in for the ultimate airborne experience. For the novice, the Pocket Park, off the Ute Park lift, is a perfect beginner park. Its mini hits and rails are unintimidating and far away from the scrutinizing spectator scene.
Accommodations
After a long day on the slopes, there's nothing better than returning to a cozy room and drifting off to sleep in a comfortable bed. From the Victorian charm of small inns and bed & breakfasts, to the spacious grandeur of luxury condominiums and hotels, Telluride has it all. Best part… there's no commuting at this fantasy resort as just about every lodging locale is ski-in/ski-out.
Stats
Telluride has 1,700 skiable acres; 84 trails; a total vertical drop of 3,530 feet; a run that's over three miles long; an average annual snowfall of 309 inches; a trail ability breakdown of 24 percent beginner, 38 percent intermediate and 38 percent expert; and over 300 days of sunshine.
Don't Miss College Ski Week at Telluride! Enjoy a fun filled week on the slopes of Telluride for next to nothing! From January 9th to 15th, 2005 college students will be able to ski Telluride Ski Resort for just $29/day. All week long Telluride will be featuring live music, parties, and our new super pipe. www.tellurideskiresort.com/party |
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