Photo: Cooper | Chicago Ridge
If you’ve been biding your time on learning (or relearning) how to ski or ride, your timing couldn’t be better. With the Covid-19 pandemic receding and a new wave of outdoor recreation enthusiasts emerging, there’s never been a better time to learn. If you’re ready to take on an exhilarating new hobby, enjoy breathtaking Colorado mountain scenery, and spend quality time with your friends and family, then lace up your ski boots and we’ll see you on the slopes. If you’re not quite sure yet if this season is the right one for you, keep reading – because winter is here.
You’re ready to re-emerge from the pandemic with new outdoor hobbies. It’s no secret that the Covid-19 pandemic, and the resulting disruption to our daily lives, has inspired a surge in outdoor recreation. Folks are finding new ways to get outside, whether it’s as simple as a picnic in a local park, or a more ambitious outdoor outing, like hitting the slopes for the first time. Because let’s face it – After being locked inside all last year, who wants to be locked inside all winter?
If you’re ready to emerge from the pandemic with a new way to get outside, improve your mental health, get some exercise, and have fun, learning to ski or snowboard might be the perfect fit for you.
Colorado ski areas offer beginner deals that make learning affordable. If you’re new to winter snowsports, or returning to the slopes after a long break, you might be concerned about the start-up costs of learning to ski or ride. Luckily, Colorado ski areas offers a wide range of options to make sure learning to ski or ride doesn’t have to break the bank.
For brand-new participants to the sport, consider a lesson package. Many ski areas offer discounted packages that include the lessons, lift tickets, and gear rentals you need to get started. For example, Loveland Ski Area’s First-Timer 3-Class Pass includes three half-day lessons, with lift ticket and equipment rentals. Another great option is the Colorado Gems Card, which offers discounted chairlift access at some of the more off-the-beaten-path ski areas in the state, which are convenient and affordable places to learn.
No matter which ski area you choose, you’ll find affordable opportunities to get started or sharpen your skills. And stay tuned for January, when Learn to Ski and Ride Month deals will make it even easier and more affordable to get started skiing or snowboarding.
Learning to ski or ride in Colorado is easier and more convenient than ever before. Whether you’re getting to the slopes by plane, train, or car, there are a lot of ways to travel to Colorado’s ski areas. If you’re coming in from out of state, you can fly into major airports in Denver or Colorado Springs, or you can utilize a variety of regional airports that will give you easy access to the mountains. You can also take the Winter Park Express, which departs from Denver’s Union Station and drops you off at the base of Winter Park Resort.
If you’re driving from the Front Range, there are several ski areas that are only an hour or two away – don’t forget your snow tires. Or, consider a bus service, like the Snowstang that can take you from the heart of Denver to Loveland Ski Area, Arapahoe Basin, and Steamboat Resort. There are also carpool apps, rideshare services, and more. Figure out which method works best for you on our Traveling to Colorado page, and don’t let transportation be the thing that stands between you and a great winter of skiing or riding.
It’s time to prioritize you. In addition to a whole slew of public health lessons, the Covid-19 pandemic taught us that life is too short, and too unpredictable, to not spend it doing what you love. This has inspired a wide range of lifestyle changes, from the Great Resignation to a surge in destination travel. And if you’re ready to start prioritizing your health and happiness, there’s never been a better time to take on an exhilarating new outdoor hobby. Treat yourself.
Kathryn Robinson is a professional communicator at the intersection of the outdoor industry and higher education. After transplanting to Colorado from Florida, she learned to ski for the first time in her early twenties and never looked back. When she’s not on the slopes, she’s working with the Outdoor Recreation Economy program at CU Boulder, hiking, kayaking, or spending time with her family.
