One of the best parts of living in Colorado is our access to the Mountains. Today, my daughter and I hit the slopes at Winter Park, Mary Jane Ski Resort. The resort sits about 125 mile from Fort Collins and takes a little over 2 hours to drive; weather dependent.
I find the drive to be quite enjoyable as we rap up the mountains and over the pass. The views are expansive and beautiful, the mountains never disappoint.
This was our 1st day of skiing to kick off the season. Since it was early in the season, not all of the mountain was open to the public. The snow coverage was impressive on the terrain that was open and the snow quality was like skiing on marshmallows.
Winter Park, Mary Jane are actually two ski resorts that blend into one and access between the two is seamless. The ski resorts offer multiple lodging options for an overnight stay, food, and shopping. While on the mountain skiing, there are on mountain ski lodges for eating, drinking, resting, and warming up. When we are skiing we love stopping at The Sun Spot Lodge and The Lunch Rock, both are located up on the mountain.
The Resorts offer a variety of terrain for all levels to enjoy, from the beginning skier to the advanced skier, that is looking for more challenging options. The mountain sits at an elevation 9,000ft and summits at 12,060 ft. There are 21 lifts to take skiers to over 3,000 ski-able acreage with 166 designated trails.
Our family has been enjoying skiing at Winter Park, Mary Jane Resort for over 25 years. Our children have grown up on the mountain. They started going to the Day Care Center, then to the Ski School, and now to the double black diamond runs. Our experiences at the resort have always been positive and I would recommend the various programs to others.
As we have continued skiing over the years we have had the pleasure of enjoying all the resort has to offer. We love the all the challenges of the mountain from the numerous bumps runs to the back country shoots in the Cirque.
When Cassie and I completed our day of skiing, we ended with a walk around the Winter Park base. I have to admit that we did a little holiday shopping and enjoyed a bowl of soup together before we headed down the mountain.
If you are new to Colorado or new to skiing…I hope you have the opportunity to get out and explore our amazing ski areas. I would personally put Winter Park, Mary Jane Resort at the top of the list.
Personal Tips- Skiing can be an expensive recreational sport, however, there are a few key tips for keeping the cost down.
1st- Buy a Season Pass or a Packet of days to ski, the window ticket price is expensive and one should never pay it. The price of a season pass is typically paid off with 4 days of skiing.
2nd- Adult and Child year long rentals, if you do not have ski equipment this is a cost effective way to start and then you can pick up your equipment over time.
3rd- Pack a Lunch!!!
4th- Just drive up for the day instead of staying the night. It seems like a lot but is actually quite easy to do for a day of skiing.
Thank you for reading my Northern Colorado Lifestyle Blog!
by Tamara Suppes, Northern Colorado Real Estate Agent
Northern Colorado Homes for Sale | Fort Collins Realtor with RE/MAX Advanced
