Photo Credit: Helen Olsson

Here was the devastating part of my recent trip to Purgatory. The snowfall report was 24 inches in 24 hours. A tally like that promises the kind of over-the-head blower powder shots that you’ll be telling your grandkids about. But I was in a car with another mom driving away from a ski-in-ski-out condo at the base of Purgatory towards the town of Durango. We were like fish swimming upstream against the traffic of rabid powderhounds heading to the resort. What gives, you ask?

I had come to Purgatory to watch my 18-year-old

Photo Credit: 10 Barrel Brewing Co.

The ultimate mashup is coming to Colorado this week. With stops in Aspen and Eldora, the 10 Barrell Brewing Co. Beercat is one part brewpub, one part snowcat. Pro snowboarder Mike Basich crafted the Beercat out of a vintage 1987 Spryte snowcat on top of which he custom-built a tiny brewpub with walls that fold down, transforming into decks for the ultimate slopeside happy hour.

The 10 Barrell Beercat will be at Aspen on March 15

My ski tips hung over the pitch of Steeplechase at Aspen Highlands. One little push, and I’d be ripping turns and playing with gravity on the elevator-shaft pitch. That’s my favorite thing to do on skis. (Well, aside from powder). I love me some steeps.

“I am not skiing that,” my daughter announced. “No way.”

My husband, Jeff, and my 18-year-old

The January 31 deadline for the 5th and 6th Grade Passport is rapidly approaching! Here’s how our family used the Passport when our kids were of Passport age.

By Helen Olsson

If it weren’t for the last minute, nothing would ever get done. That’s what savvy procrastinators like to say. And, people, the last minute to get a Colorado Ski Country USA  5th and 6th Grade Passport is upon us. The deadline to get the Passport is January 31. And why

When you ski with the family most weekends of the season, it’s a treat to have an adult only day on the slopes.

By Helen Olsson

My three kids are teenagers now, which means the family ski trip has been our modus operandi for some 16 years. (Our 18 year old started skiing at two at Steamboat in corduroy pants and little red boots.) It’s what we do. Pack all the kids, skis, boots, poles,

Finding the right ski boots can mean the difference between a productive, fun day of runs and a day of discomfort and potential injury. Whether you’re renting for the day, for the season or purchasing your gear, it’s essential to get the right fit. Luckily, Christy Sports offers some tips for finding ski boots that are a perfect fit.

According to Christy Sports, the most

There’s a new high-speed detachable quad chairlift at Loveland, and it’s a game changer. On a weekend in October, I rode the new Chet’s Dream along with ski racers and coaches up for early training and diehard skiers and riders itching for that first day on snow. Replacing Lift 1, the new Leitner-Poma lift is the first (ever!) high-speed lift at Loveland, which ushers the resort firmly into modern times.

If you ever rode the old Lift 1, you may remember it crept uphill at the speed of molasses. Because it was a fixed-grip chairlift, there

As skiers trade skis and snowboards for mountain bikes and hiking boots, it's time to store all that snowsports gear. There is an art to properly storing and maintaining your equipment over the summer, from storage wax on the boards to buckling up your boots properly. When the snow starts to fly next season, you don't want to spend opening day catching your turns on rusty edges.

Follow these tips to prolong the life of your gear and make for a smooth transition next fall from

Here's a short list of what I recently pulled from the pockets of my kids ski jackets: two Lifesavers (loose and sticky), a rumpled trail map, some loose change, one large screw (really no explanation there), crumpled tissues, lift ticket stubs, a pocketknife, a small rubber ball, a half-eaten gluten-free energy bar and some orange peels. There's little on this list that I would like to be pulling out next fall.

I've left this pocket-purging ritual till October, and I can tell you it's supremely unwise. Last

Alpine Coasters at Colorado ski resorts offer another way to get your downhill adrenaline fix.

For our family, one of the traditions of spring break in the mountains is to choose an alternate method for sliding downhill rather than on our usual skis and snowboards. Some years it’s been snow tubing; sometimes it’s old-fashioned sledding. This year, we treated the kids to Copper Mountain’s