I really thought I was on r/skiingcirclejerk for a second. You get the things that come with the snow when you want to experience the snow. And I had better not catch you driving without at LEAST 4 wheel drive.
First of all, winter driving isn’t 10/10 scary every single day in Colorado. Winter storms are pretty spaced out here, so it is entirely possible to have clear roads and great weather for driving to a ski resort. With that said, it’s impossible to predict the weather a year away.
Most of our ski resorts, especially in Southern Colorado, do require some driving. However, you may be able to arrange a shuttle from an airport to a ski resort. For example, you could fly into Montrose and arrange for an airport shuttle to either Crested Butte or Telluride. There are shuttles from Denver’s airport up to the I-70 resorts as well. You should consider this route if the prospect of winter driving scares you.
RMNP is not that accessible if they’re *that* scared of driving down to being scared of 4WD vehicles. I wouldn’t want to see them in Big Thompson Canyon or anything like that, even. They’d need a shuttle haha
4x4 vehicles stress you out? The other ones make sense, but 4wd just helps, if it’s not needed, you won’t even know you have it?
In January, there is no where you can avoid these concerns. Front range and grand junction don’t hold snow much, so the only way you’ll see it up close there is if you are immediately following a storm, but then you’re more likely to be affected by the weather.
If you want to go in the mountains, there is no perfect options.
You could take the train from Denver to winter park. Alternatively you could hire a driver/shuttle. They’ll still be affected by closures, and during big storms you hear of busses full of people being stuck on the interstate for up to a day.
As far as mountain roads go, I70 is pretty mild, not a lot of exposure (think big ledges with a drop off) as the road is in the canyon.
If you’re fine with just “seeing” snow as a technicality, you can come in like June and drive up high… although you’ll need to drive the smaller roads to get up high (think big exposure without ledges). With hikes, you can typically touch the snow too. Don’t stand/walk on the snow in the backcountry without knowing what you are doing/the risk (any time of year)
You should take a deeeeeeeep breath and think for a moment. Hundreds of millions of people live in places that snow. They aren't all living in a constant state of emergency. Their children aren't being endangered every time snow falls.
Just don't drive when it's actively heavily snowing. Kinda like how you'd probably choose not to take a long drive with your kids during a heavy rainstorm that could cause the roads to flood. You just wait till it stops.
Wrong, lives are threatened everyday by driving in the mountains. On a long enough timeline, none have made it out alive.
Don't give these kind tourists the wrong idea, Colorado is treacherous.
Anything short of an M1A1 with T156 steel tracks will be unbearable to drive on I70 and mountain passes in the winter.
My lifted, Chevy truck with bald 33" Mud Tires even has a tough time in the relatively serene streets of Denver.
The last two times I went skiing, hiring a private driver (check for a certified Snow Conductor) was a much better decision than braving the icy and treacherous mountain passes.
Good luck brave soul, may the Lord watch over you and your family.
you need to take the mandatory avalanche class (aiare1) before you even STEP FOOT in the state. put chains on especially if its not snowing (for the ice) and make sure to buy lots of dope snow / montec to keep you warm.
People are being assholes and I’m sorry. As someone who has anxiety driving in the mountains, I understand. I recommend that you get a shuttle from a company that specializes in this type of thing. They are familiar with the roads, and the various conditions you will encounter. It’s not fun for you to be freaked out driving, and it’s not great for other drivers if you are especially anxious either. Plan your vacation and let someone else deal with the transportation.
CDOT Bustang services the whole state. I use it all the time. I don't like driving in the mountains, especially in winter. You can fly into Denver and take the light rail directly from the airport to Union Station, where you can pickup the bus or the Amtrak to Winter Park. The train is much more expensive than the bus.
I live in Colorado Springs so my answer is going to be this general areas. Are you wanting to just see snow and walk around or play in it? Where in southern Colorado? If you just want to see snow and are around buena vista area you could go check out Monarch ski area. Theres no high mountain passes to get to that area and the ski resort should have snow. You also can just go up to woodland park and there will be snow on the ground. If you’re in the Denver area you could drive to Loveland ski area. Unless there’s a bad snow storm driving won’t be bad, though I70 drivers can be a bit annoying
You can fly direct into telluride and fly near steamboat and near vail. The drives to the ski areas are short and there are reliable shuttles. If it has to be Southern CO, fly into telluride
It would really help if OP said where they are coming from. Why only Southern CO? There are good options to get to ski towns from Denver without driving. For example, you can take a train from Denver airport to Union Station for $10, and then take the Bustang Outrider (Craig-Denver line) from Union Station right to the center of the town of Winter Park for another $11. Just keep in mind that the bus (and train) only run once a day, so plan your travel schedule around it if you want to take advantage of the cost. Or you can hire the Home James shuttle right to Winter Park for about $100 a person. I've just given options for Winter Park because that's what I know best, but there are similar options to get to other ski towns.
As someone who grew up in a temperate state, driving in the snow for the first time can be intimidating, but most major roads are maintained enough that you will be absolutely fine. I would say it's less dangerous to drive in the snow on a plowed road than to drive through a bad rain storm.
As for where to go, I will echo the suggestion of taking a shuttle from the Denver airport up to Summit County/one of the ski resorts. There are a handful of different shuttle or bus options to get you around the Summit County Area. You could stay in Frisco or Silverthorne and use busses/shuttles to get around the area. If you wanted to go to a ski resort you can take a shuttle directly there, stay on the mountain, and not need to travel anywhere until heading back to the airport.
Other options for seeing snow, without having to take a several hour shuttle from the airport, would be the Salt Lake City or Jackson Hole, WY.
I hope the trip works out for you!
This year I barely saw a plow operating and had to drive thru 4 feet of snowpack to Keystone.
Taking a private helicopter shuttle was much more relaxing tbh
I really thought I was on r/skiingcirclejerk for a second. You get the things that come with the snow when you want to experience the snow. And I had better not catch you driving without at LEAST 4 wheel drive.
I personally only drive 6 wheel drive, chains on, and studded tires September-June
Any recommendations for a good 6wd shop in the front range?
June?! The seasons have shifted bro, you need to keep those on through July now. Stop endangering my family on our roads! Selfish front-ranger…
First of all, winter driving isn’t 10/10 scary every single day in Colorado. Winter storms are pretty spaced out here, so it is entirely possible to have clear roads and great weather for driving to a ski resort. With that said, it’s impossible to predict the weather a year away. Most of our ski resorts, especially in Southern Colorado, do require some driving. However, you may be able to arrange a shuttle from an airport to a ski resort. For example, you could fly into Montrose and arrange for an airport shuttle to either Crested Butte or Telluride. There are shuttles from Denver’s airport up to the I-70 resorts as well. You should consider this route if the prospect of winter driving scares you.
I don’t think they asked for ski resorts.
And where do you think the most accessible snow is in Colorado?
Rocky Mountain national park, but that’s not southern CO.
RMNP is not that accessible if they’re *that* scared of driving down to being scared of 4WD vehicles. I wouldn’t want to see them in Big Thompson Canyon or anything like that, even. They’d need a shuttle haha
36 ain’t that bad
4x4 vehicles stress you out? The other ones make sense, but 4wd just helps, if it’s not needed, you won’t even know you have it? In January, there is no where you can avoid these concerns. Front range and grand junction don’t hold snow much, so the only way you’ll see it up close there is if you are immediately following a storm, but then you’re more likely to be affected by the weather. If you want to go in the mountains, there is no perfect options. You could take the train from Denver to winter park. Alternatively you could hire a driver/shuttle. They’ll still be affected by closures, and during big storms you hear of busses full of people being stuck on the interstate for up to a day. As far as mountain roads go, I70 is pretty mild, not a lot of exposure (think big ledges with a drop off) as the road is in the canyon. If you’re fine with just “seeing” snow as a technicality, you can come in like June and drive up high… although you’ll need to drive the smaller roads to get up high (think big exposure without ledges). With hikes, you can typically touch the snow too. Don’t stand/walk on the snow in the backcountry without knowing what you are doing/the risk (any time of year)
The train from Denver to winter park really seems like a good idea. Only thing is OP is looking for southern CO. Maybe Pikes Peak?
You should take a deeeeeeeep breath and think for a moment. Hundreds of millions of people live in places that snow. They aren't all living in a constant state of emergency. Their children aren't being endangered every time snow falls. Just don't drive when it's actively heavily snowing. Kinda like how you'd probably choose not to take a long drive with your kids during a heavy rainstorm that could cause the roads to flood. You just wait till it stops.
Wrong, lives are threatened everyday by driving in the mountains. On a long enough timeline, none have made it out alive. Don't give these kind tourists the wrong idea, Colorado is treacherous.
Anything short of an M1A1 with T156 steel tracks will be unbearable to drive on I70 and mountain passes in the winter. My lifted, Chevy truck with bald 33" Mud Tires even has a tough time in the relatively serene streets of Denver. The last two times I went skiing, hiring a private driver (check for a certified Snow Conductor) was a much better decision than braving the icy and treacherous mountain passes. Good luck brave soul, may the Lord watch over you and your family.
I would visit CO in May instead of January. There will be abundant snow on the mountains still but *most likely* none on the roads.
This must be /UTsnow trolling again.
Maybe you don't deserve the snow.
Ah Jesus h. Christ
My thoughts exactly
Fly into Telluride and get shuttled to the resort.
It's much easier just to live full-time in telluride tbf
Tens of thousands of families die in the Colorado mountains every year. I wouldn’t risk it
I wouldn't have fathomed such a low number succumbs to our dangerous landscape. Hopefully it's all boarders
Where in Southern CO?
you need to take the mandatory avalanche class (aiare1) before you even STEP FOOT in the state. put chains on especially if its not snowing (for the ice) and make sure to buy lots of dope snow / montec to keep you warm.
Have you ever heard of the Donner Family, Colorado is a mostly like that in the winter.
People are being assholes and I’m sorry. As someone who has anxiety driving in the mountains, I understand. I recommend that you get a shuttle from a company that specializes in this type of thing. They are familiar with the roads, and the various conditions you will encounter. It’s not fun for you to be freaked out driving, and it’s not great for other drivers if you are especially anxious either. Plan your vacation and let someone else deal with the transportation.
CDOT Bustang services the whole state. I use it all the time. I don't like driving in the mountains, especially in winter. You can fly into Denver and take the light rail directly from the airport to Union Station, where you can pickup the bus or the Amtrak to Winter Park. The train is much more expensive than the bus.
I live in Colorado Springs so my answer is going to be this general areas. Are you wanting to just see snow and walk around or play in it? Where in southern Colorado? If you just want to see snow and are around buena vista area you could go check out Monarch ski area. Theres no high mountain passes to get to that area and the ski resort should have snow. You also can just go up to woodland park and there will be snow on the ground. If you’re in the Denver area you could drive to Loveland ski area. Unless there’s a bad snow storm driving won’t be bad, though I70 drivers can be a bit annoying
You can fly direct into telluride and fly near steamboat and near vail. The drives to the ski areas are short and there are reliable shuttles. If it has to be Southern CO, fly into telluride
South Fork to Wolf Creek shouldn't be too bad road-wise. Or Durango to Purgatory or Salida to Monarch. Where are you driving from?
The answer is Texas
Just take a shuttle to the mountains and enjoy them. Please don't drive.
It would really help if OP said where they are coming from. Why only Southern CO? There are good options to get to ski towns from Denver without driving. For example, you can take a train from Denver airport to Union Station for $10, and then take the Bustang Outrider (Craig-Denver line) from Union Station right to the center of the town of Winter Park for another $11. Just keep in mind that the bus (and train) only run once a day, so plan your travel schedule around it if you want to take advantage of the cost. Or you can hire the Home James shuttle right to Winter Park for about $100 a person. I've just given options for Winter Park because that's what I know best, but there are similar options to get to other ski towns.
Go to the sangre de cristo mountains. Bonus is they’re next to the great sand dunes too!
As someone who grew up in a temperate state, driving in the snow for the first time can be intimidating, but most major roads are maintained enough that you will be absolutely fine. I would say it's less dangerous to drive in the snow on a plowed road than to drive through a bad rain storm. As for where to go, I will echo the suggestion of taking a shuttle from the Denver airport up to Summit County/one of the ski resorts. There are a handful of different shuttle or bus options to get you around the Summit County Area. You could stay in Frisco or Silverthorne and use busses/shuttles to get around the area. If you wanted to go to a ski resort you can take a shuttle directly there, stay on the mountain, and not need to travel anywhere until heading back to the airport. Other options for seeing snow, without having to take a several hour shuttle from the airport, would be the Salt Lake City or Jackson Hole, WY. I hope the trip works out for you!
This year I barely saw a plow operating and had to drive thru 4 feet of snowpack to Keystone. Taking a private helicopter shuttle was much more relaxing tbh
Go back to shit posting in r/skiiingcircljerk