Colorado skiing

Frisco, Dillon or Silverthorne puts you in great position to visit Keystone-Copper Mountain-Breckenridge and A-basin. We always considered those the majors, just maybe not as famous. The other two places, Vail and Aspen are a bit further away, and more expensive. Sorry, dont know about discount tickets.

Keystone has night skiing, one of the few in the area, at a reasonable rate. If you go to Keystone you’re also close to Breckenridge. I would say that Breck is much more one of the “big ones” than Keystone IMHO. Also be aware if you have never been to CO before it is VERY high altitude — Keystone and Breck has you skiing at 12-13,000 feet. Only place I’ve ever had effects from altitude and I’ve skied all over Utah, Wyoming, Montana.

See https://theknow.denverpost.com/2017/10/28/save-money-on-ski-lift-tickets/163168/ - I have bought tix from Liftopia before; they are reputable.

Steamboat has a “ski free on day of arrival” promo and it’s one of the big ones. https://thepointsguy.com/guide/how-to-ski-for-free-with-your-airline-boarding-pass/

But yes, skiing is an expensive sport and sometimes you just have to suck it up and pay the $$$$. I about had a heart attack at how much we paid for Big Sky last year!

I don't ski myself, at least not for many years, so can't answer your questions about discounted lift tickets. I do know that when I lived in CO for 6 years (2006-12) none of the skiers I knew ever went to Vail or Aspen - too rich for their blood and mostly non-locals. They all went to Copper Mtn, Keystone, A-Basin, or Cooper. Cheaper, less crowded, and they liked the vibe better.

Most ski areas have discounts on lift tickets bought online up to a week before the desired ski days. Check out the individual resort lift ticket pages for discounting information. If you book a single resort stay you can also get combined lodging/lift ticket discounted rates, and in March, as the season is winding down, you should keep an eye out for good deals resort by resort. Maybe spend your savings by heading to another resort for an expensive single day.

Regrettably Vail and Aspen are parts of competing corporations. Vail et.al. use the Epic Multi-resort pass (about $1000 when bought pre season, no longer available) which works out quite well even for a single ski week. Aspen is on the Ikon Multi-resort pass (about $700 when bought pre-season), also a great deal. For the future of course.

You might want to expand your horizons to Steamboat Springs and Winter Park resorts for additional (but not cheaper) possibilities.

Where you base yourself is usually very much a function of what your travel arrangements are - flying into/out of, Denver (?), are you renting a car, etc. as well as the resorts in which you are interested.

If you are planning to rent a car Colorado has updated its winter driving regulations, and major Spring snowstorms can be a significant limitation on access in March so watch the internet carefully.

https://www.codot.gov/travel/winter-driving/tractionlaw

I will be using my Ikon pass at Steamboat and Winter Park in February.

Have fun!

Yes, Aspen and Vail are on separate multi-area passes. Vail, Keystone, Breckenridge are on the Epic Pass. Aspen, Steamboat, Copper, Winter Park are on the Ikon Pass. Both of these are no longer for sale for the current ski season.

Stick to areas like Copper, Winter Park, Steamboat where you can find discounted late season lift tickets. Next year, plan ahead and get one of the multi area passes. The Ikon Pass is also valid at Tremblant and Blue MTN. The Epic Pass at Whistler-Blackcomb, and several NH and Vermont resorts.

I haven't skied the Colorado Rockies. (We've skied the Banff-Canmore Canadian Rockies a number of times). That said, the bargain skiing is cross country skiing. Check out: https://www.outtherecolorado.com/top-places-to-cross-country-ski-colorado/
Note that the link's prices are a bit out dated. Breckenridge's day passes are $25 USD, not $20, unless you are a Senior ($20). Adult ski rentals are $23 making a day pass plus gear a lot cheaper than lift assisted skiing.

Just be aware that Colorado skiing is high elevation skiing. Breckenridge is at 9600 ft ASL (almost 3000 masl). Canmore is at 4600 ft ASL (1400 masl).

Colorado tourist video: "Experience a side of Colorado few get to see. Learn more about Colorado Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4J--bkpjVb4

Thanks, everyone, for weighing in.

Stan: Can you recommend anywhere in particular to stay in Frisco, Dillon or Silverthorne?

Kelly: Thanks for the tip about the night skiing at Keystone. That is definitely a plus. Thanks so much for the link to the Denver Post re: saving on lift tickets! Ultimately, we will just suck it up, and liken it to going all the way to Rome and not seeing the Vatican or Coliseum. I am just learning about altitude sickness. Hoping that having been in Denver for 4 days prior to hitting the slopes will help.

NickB: thanks for the tip and link about winter driving.

Sam: I had been eyeing the IKON pass earlier in the year, but didn’t find out we’d be in Colorado until this week. I am kicking myself now for not getting one, as we’re headed to Tremblant next month.
Edgar: we were in Canmore/Banff in October and recall my ears popping. I am going to ask my MD about having Diamox on hand in case we need it. I do enjoy cross country skiing too, but can do that closer to home. I can’t pass up what might be my only opportunity to downhill in CO, but thanks for the suggestion.

If you can go for older hotel with a skiers theme and budget price, the Summit Inn in Dillon is fine. Owned by a couple who are skiers from Poland.

The Ptarmigan Inn in Lake Dillon is a little newer, owned by couple from, wait for it, Poland. Arapahoe Cafe and Pug Ryan's Brew Pub walking distance.

Just a couple of places I have stayed at on ski trips. Endless possibilities for hotels, condos through AirB&B etc.

I hesitate to mention this and thus spoil it for us locals, but Ski Cooper is a hidden little gem and would be a cost-effective alternative for you if you can do without the glitz of Breckenridge, etc. It offers cheap, multi-day lift tickets with discounted prices for seniors, military, etc. And unless you show up on a major holiday there will be no lift lines to speak of. It's a low key, family friendly kind of place with a completely different vibe than any of the biggies - it's really a throwback to a gentler era.
The nearby town of Leadville has a few good restaurants and relatively cheap accommodations.

In about five visits, we stayed in basic low-end chain hotels (Dillon-Frisco-Silvethorne) and once at the lodge at Copper Mountain. So no great recommendations. Its all about location, although a covered parking garage is a huge plus. We liked staying close to the ski slopes because of potential traffic problems in heavy snow. Its bad enough getting over the pass in a snowstorm. But in case you're starting in Denver, Winter Park is a perfectly fine underrated place too, accessible by train from Denver right to the slopes.

Although I have now become mostly a snowshoer, in the past, I used to ski a lot! I think staying in Glenwood is a great idea if you don't really care too much about actually downhill skiing. It is a neat little town to explore and not too far from Aspen. However, March is one of our snowiest months and I for one wouldn't care to bank on an easy trip over Vail Pass to some of the other areas you mention. I would encourage you to look at staying in Frisco (this would be my choice), Dillon, Silverthorne, Breckenridge or at one of the other resorts, like Keystone or Copper Mountain. There are lots of non-ski activities at all these places. There is also a mountain ski shuttle that you can used to get to these areas if you are staying in one of those towns. Winter Park is actually one of my favorite places but again, you must be able to get there easily over Berthoud Pass, which is not a fun trip in dicey winter driving conditions. We also have new safety requirements for car travel through the mountains on I70 so be aware of that if you are going to rent a car. I am not really trying to discourage you from coming to my home state, but just want you to be aware of what you might be facing and make your decision after weighing all your options! We so far have had a pretty good snow season....lots of snow over Thanksgiving and since then even more mountain snows. I hear from my younger family members the skiing is great!

I've pretty much quit skiing due to bad ankles and ticket costs. I don't know anywhere you can get in for less than $100/day (US). It's further out of Denver, but don't overlook Crested Butte.

Thanks again to all who replied.

Sam: thanks for the hotel suggestions. We aren’t fancy, just want a clean, comfortable place to stay. I think I may be the only person left on the planet who hasn’t stayed in an AirBnB.

Robert: I promise I won’t breathe a word about Cooper to anyone  It looks ideal for our abilities and budget.

Andi: thanks for the driving tips. Being from Canada, we are pretty used to and comfortable with winter driving conditions. Not saying it’s the same as mountain driving at all and we will definitely choose an appropriate vehicle.