Eldora Ski Area 
 

By R. Scott Rappold

When I heard recently that a writer for the New York Times Travel section wanted to interview me, I was shocked. 

She was writing an article on money-saving tips for skiers for a global audience, folks who probably think of posh, mega-resorts like Aspen, Park City or Chamonix when it comes to skiing. Me, I live in tiny Del Norte, Colorado. I mostly ski smaller, mom-and-pop ski hills.  I've never used a ski valet, flown for a ski trip or stayed in a

Historic Monarch Photo from SkiMonarch.com 

By R. Scott Rappold

Eighty years ago this winter, something special was happening in Colorado. 

We were learning to love the sport of skiing. Colorado ski areas Monarch Mountain, Winter Park and Wolf Creek all trace their beginnings to the winter of 1939-40. 

The Great Depression was over and people had extra income again. The nation had yet to be drawn into the war in Europe. Optimism abounded and Americans were discovering the joy of the great outdoors. For many Colorado

If you live in ski country and live for winter, there is a goal that belongs on your bucket list.

Have a 100-day season on the slopes.

By R. Scott Rappold

It's that special time of year in Colorado.

The Broncos are playing again. The aspens in the high country are starting to turn. There's a chill in the air that whispers a promise of the coming of Colorado's best season.

Winter is coming.

But skiers and snowboarders shouldn't just sit around and wait for the snow to fall. You want to be ready - physically, mentally, financially - for

Photo Credit: Curtis DeVore, Copper Mountain

At most Colorado ski resorts, there's a place where you can find powder days after a storm - a place you can reach without hiking a half hour to the outer reaches of the mountain.

We're talking about the trees. 

The forests, of pine, spruce, aspen and fir, make up a large part of the terrain at many resorts. It's a special place to ski for many reasons: The shade keeps the snow softer. The challenge of skiing them keeps many other skiers out, leaving fresher

Photo Credit: Curtis Devore, Arapahoe Basin

March is upon us, and for millions of students, teachers and parents, that means one thing: SPRING BREAK!!!!! 

The days are getting longer, the air warmer and the end of another academic year is in sight. Sure, you could go to the beach, but you have all summer to do that. 

Did you know March just happens to be one of the best months of skiing in Colorado? The rocks and stumps are covered by four months worth of snow and the air

By R. Scott Rappold

PURGATORY RESORT - We're on a snowy mountainside practicing stepping from foot to foot while skiing, something instructor Terry Tavelli calls the "thousand-step turn."

Why? I have no idea.

"It teaches independent leg action. If I have someone who's got feet too close together, it helps to separate the feet," says Tavelli. "It helps, if we lose our balance on the bumps, so we can shift to the wrong

By R. Scott Rappold

Editor's note: Field correspondent R. Scott Rappold was assigned to write a story about this week's huge series of storms at his home mountain, Wolf Creek Ski Area in southern Colorado, which as of Thursday afternoon had dropped 60 inches of snow since Monday. After much pleading and urging, he was grudgingly convinced to come down off the hill. Several threatening references towards his editors have been deleted from the final version.

By R. Scott Rappold

Valentine's Day is nearly here, and by a happy coincidence, it happens to fall in the heart of Colorado's ski season.

Forget flowers, chocolates or dinner at a fancy restaurant. Why not take that special person in your life skiing or snowboarding? What's more romantic than sharing your love of the mountains in all their winter splendor?

In that spirit, here are ten

By R. Scott Rappold

Silverton, Colorado. It conjures an image in the minds of skiers, of deep powder in the jagged mountains known as the "American Alps," of terrain so steep that "double-diamond" doesn't do it justice, of bucket-list lines and helicopter drops off the top of the world.

In the shadow of famed Silverton Mountain - where everyone must wear avalanche gear and beginners need not apply - lies Kendall Mountain. Since 1963, the ski hill has