Mountains High, Après Low

If one of skiing and riding’s biggest draws is its inherent sense of community, there’s no better way to further the power of coming together than raising a collective glass after the lifts close. That could be a cold beer, a Dram sparkling water, or a craft cocktail. What’s in the glass hardly matters. What’s memorable is being together on the slopes and celebrating the conquests.

Of course, the key to après lies in its very definition: “after.” Imbibing after putting your skis or board up for the day still allows you to be in compliance with Point 9 of Your Responsibility Code: Do not use lifts or terrain when impaired by alcohol or drugs. And you’ll still want to be mindful of the altitude and getting home safely.

In this series, we’re exploring the many ways one can après, and especially the kinds of impromptu festivities that are low-key, casual, and on-a-budget. In many ways you could call these buzzy tailgate scenes mountain-high DIY.

Parking lot vibes

The Beach, Arapahoe Basin’s famous dirt lot at the resort’s base, is the king of the tailgate every day of the week, but on the weekends, Loveland Ski Area and Howelson Hill get in on the action too.

The way to do it right is to start the day off with the skier’s breakfast (scrambled eggs, potatoes, and a biscuit) at A-Basin, the stacked biscuits and gravy at Loveland Grill, or the breakfast sammy at Howelson’s Outrun Snack Bar. Add a pocket granola bar or PB&J, and you’ll be fueled until the end of the day. That’s when the tailgate comes down and the chips, snacks, and coolers come out. Bring a few chairs (just make sure cars can still pass by) and turn up the tunes. Soon you’ll be swapping stories and taking tailgate notes from neighboring parties (cue the charcuterski).

Bang for your buck

Should you choose to forgo the parking lot festivities (or want to bolster them), the resorts are full of ways to maximize your day without emptying your wallet. Check out these insider-y amenities:

• Nothing beats Howelsen Hill’s ski free Sundays. Every Sunday throughout the season, the oldest operating ski area in North America, opens its lifts and Nordic trails gratis just for the pure love of the sport.
• The best way to refuel at Monarch is either bring a sack lunch and buy a beverage or stop by the Fly by Burritos food truck parked right off the deck of the main lodge. The burritos (and bowls) are massive and easily shared, and they’ll keep you energized until the end of the day.
• Did you know that A-Basin’s legendary Bacon Bloody Mary comes with a $1 Coors sidecar? Talk about a steal! The brunch cocktail is the Basin’s most famous, and they sell more than 30,000 a season—some might even consider it Colorado’s signature drink. Also look for a hot chocolate and DIY cookie bar pop-up at Legends Cafe and an ice bar at Black Mountain Lodge in March.

• Loveland is also sporting a gourmet hot chocolate bar this season. Queue up for different cocoa flavors and toppings inside the Loveland Basin Lodge. Skiers and riders in the know make the most of the ski area’s slopeside cabins, which are free to use and are stocked with propane grills. Pack a picnic (hot dogs, brats, burger patties, you name it) and enjoy some high-alpine grilling. In case you don’t want to pack it all in, a couple of the huts have beverage and/or food service.

If you’re making the trek to Silverton, you’ll want to stuff your pack with snacks and sign up for a box lunch. The resort is famously no frills, and the same goes for the vittles. You can purchase drinks and a handful of candy and snacks but, given the demands of skiing this terrain (Silverton is the highest and steepest ski area in North American), you’re better off bringing your own.

Ski the Spirit of the West

Take a trip into the heart of Colorado, where stories of the West are wild—and written in snow.

Long before high-speed lifts and RFID access gates, skiers chased powder from pass to pass, linking small towns, backcountry routes, and ski hills into one long, rolling adventure. Today, that same idea lives on in a very Colorado way: pick a direction, watch the weather, and head toward wherever the snow is stacking up.

From the Divide to Durango: Ancient Paths, Mining Towns & Timeless Turns

This land has always been shaped by those who came before, a living reminder carried in every peak, pass, and trail.

• Monarch – On the drive from Denver to the southwest, the ski resort with the majestic name is Colorado through and through: independent, soulful, and perched atop the Continental Divide. Its new No Name Basin expansion adds 377 acres of high-alpine terrain, with lift and run names that honor the prehistoric and historic stories of the land, including the Tomichi Lift, a Ute word believed to mean “of rocks and water.”
• Telluride – A mountain town carved out of mining heritage, where Old West storefronts sit beneath towering peaks. Ski terrain that drops into a National Historic Landmark district and soak in stories of gold rush grit that still shapes the San Juans today.
• Silverton – Once a mining outpost, now a proving ground for experts, where one lift opens access to some of the most rugged, backcountry-style skiing in Colorado.
• Powderhorn Mountain Resort – Tucked on the Grand Mesa above Grand Junction, Powderhorn is an easygoing mountain with big-sky vibes and a strong connection to Colorado’s Western Slope.
• Purgatory – Closer to heaven, fun as hell, and right down the road from Mesa Verde’s ancient cliff dwellings, Purgatory is where wide-open skiing meets the ancient history of the Southwest.

Echoes of Silver & the Skiing Soldiers Who Helped Win WWII

Only in Colorado do streets built by silver booms and slopes first carved by soldiers come together in one journey.

• Aspen Snowmass – While it’s known worldwide for luxury, at its heart, Aspen is a historic mining town, with Victorian streets, a legendary après scene, and a mountain culture shaped by dreamers who saw metaphorical gold in its snow-capped peaks.
• Sunlight Mountain Resort – Down the road in Glenwood Springs, Sunlight offers a hometown vibe with sprawling trails and a family-friendly spirit. It’s classic Colorado skiing at its best: unassuming, soulful, and true to its roots.
• Ski Cooper – One of Colorado’s most historic ski areas, where the famed 10th Mountain Division trained for alpine warfare before heading to Europe in WWII, today Cooper is a laid-back local fave, with soft snow, affordable turns, and history carved into every run.

A Western Welcome

Just west of Denver, the Continental Divide opens into familiar passes, hometown hills, and mountains that feel like old friends. These are the slopes where locals learn, return, and carry the spirit of snowsports forward.

• Arapahoe Basin – Known as The Legend, A-Basin is pure Colorado skiing: high-alpine, no-frills, and fiercely beloved by locals. With steep chutes, expansive bowls, and an enviable tailgate culture (See you at The Beach!), it’s a backyard mountain with outsized character.
• Loveland Ski Area – High above the Eisenhower Tunnel, Loveland feels like skiing on the roof of the Rockies, and visitors can look forward to deep snow, quick access, and a familiar warmth that keeps them coming back.
• Winter Park Resort – A mountain of many moods, from Mary Jane’s legendary bumps to sweeping alpine bowls and cruiser runs, Winter Park has been the place where Colorado skiers have carved their stories for over 80 years.
• Granby Ranch – A valley favorite with approachable terrain and a neighborly spirit, Granby is the kind of place where kids learn to ski and ride and families grow together on snow.
• Eldora – Right outside Boulder, Eldora is a Front Range mainstay with a loyal local following. Weekday turns fit between workdays, and familiar faces make the mountain feel like home.
• Echo – Just west of Denver, Echo is a favorite for quick laps, night skiing, tubing, and the warmest welcome for skiers and riders of all—or no—abilities.

Where the West Raises Champions

Generations have grown up on these slopes, from first turns to Olympic podiums, grounded in a deep connection to the high country and a long tradition of training and community.

• Copper Mountain – Copper is known as the Athlete’s Mountain, and it’s where the sport’s best come to test themselves. With naturally divided terrain, elite training facilities, and a calendar full of World Cup races and Olympic qualifiers, this member resort is a home base for top competitors and rising stars alike.
• Steamboat Resort – Steamboat is where ranching roots and cowboy grit meet Olympic legacy, and it’s produced more winter Olympians than any other town in America.
• Howelsen Hill – North America’s oldest continuously operating ski area, Howelsen has been open for business since 1915, and to this day, it’s the literal jumping off point for world-class snowsport stories.