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Question: Skiing Aspen Snowmass and wondering where to stay on a budget?

lucy

Angel Diva
Hi All, I have an unexpected opportunity to travel to Golden, Colorado at the end of February 2020. DH and I will add a couple of extra days to explore the ski resorts. Do you have any recommendations as to where to stay? We have the Mountain Collective so we will be skiing Aspen Snowmass. We will be driving from Utah and any help as to where to stay or ski would be greatly appreciated as I am so lost outside of Utah. Is there any special gear or preparations that I need to make to travel in Colorado? Thank you!
 

alison wong

Angel Diva
Do you have any recommendations as to where to stay?

Consider, list in the order of distance to Aspen: 1) being the closest, 3) farthest. (use google map to get the exact idea in terms of proximity)

1) Basalt
2) Carbondale
3) Glenwood Springs

Personally, I think 3) is too far (45 min. - 1 hr). There is a local mtn called: Sunlight in Glenwood Springs. Not on MCP but it's worth a visit if you have extra days to spare, IMHO.

For my Aspen trip 2 yrs. ago, I found my lodging from Airbnb and stayed in Basalt. The place is good for solo traveler / couple. (PM me if you want to know the Airbnb place I stayed)

For free parking, you can park the car at Bush Creek Intercept Lot. Then take free buses to any of the 4 mountains. Bush Creek Intercept Lot is where all buses stop, like a “Grand Central”.

Parking is v. $$$ on mtns. I'd recommend using free buses to get you around.

For bus, down valley -> toward Aspen direction. Up valley -> toward Basalt / Carbondale / Glen.Spr./ Denver direction. (analogy as NYC Manhattan public transport: uptown / downtown).

Will let someone else answer your question about gear / prep to CO. I did not do /prep anything different for the Aspen trip.
 

Kimmyt

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I have stayed at a hotel in Basalt and thought it was fine and fairly affordable. I believe it was the Aspenalt or Basalt Mountain Inn, I don't remember (remember that it was a nice basic clean riverside motel and near a bus stop). Not much going on in Basalt, but as we typically just ski and sleep that was fine with us at the time.
 

angelaskis

Certified Ski Diva
+1 for the free busses. I went in summer for a conference, but it was super simple to use and pretty well connected -- I didn't even use a car the week I was there! I stayed in a studio Airbnb near downtown Aspen (paid by my work) and it ran 1k+ for the week :( I recall some folks in my group opted to stay in Snowmass which was slightly cheaper, but @alison wong 's recs above definitely will be more affordable.

Enjoy! Super jealous.
 

nopoleskier

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I stayed at the Element in Basalt with @Olesya Chornoguz a couple of years ago.
It was an Awesome hotel, fully equipped kitchenettes in rooms, free breakfast and free appitizers with free wine and beer after skiing! Indoor pool and out door hot tub. Big rooms. Short walk to great mexican restaurant (El Korita), a burger joint. just drive thru parking lot to whole foods. it was very reasonable. we had a car so we drove to the mt but there is a bus stop out front.

Have fun! I love Snowmass and highlands, Snowmass the most ..
 

lucy

Angel Diva
Personally, I think 3) is too far (45 min. - 1 hr). There is a local mtn called: Sunlight in Glenwood Springs. Not on MCP but it's worth a visit if you have extra days to spare, IMHO.
Thank you! The hotel price drops a lot outside of Basalt, now it makes sense as it’s a 1 hour drive to the mountain. I’ll add Sunlight to the list!
 

lucy

Angel Diva
Not much going on in Basalt, but as we typically just ski and sleep that was fine with us at the time.
That’s us. Ski, eat, sleep... repeat. So that should work for us, too. :smile:
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
Hi All, I have an unexpected opportunity to travel to Golden, Colorado at the end of February 2020. DH and I will add a couple of extra days to explore the ski resorts. Do you have any recommendations as to where to stay? We have the Mountain Collective so we will be skiing Aspen Snowmass. We will be driving from Utah and any help as to where to stay or ski would be greatly appreciated as I am so lost outside of Utah. Is there any special gear or preparations that I need to make to travel in Colorado? Thank you!
For my first trip to check out Aspen/Snowmass using the MCP in 2015, my ski buddy and I got rooms at the Days Inn in Carbondale. It was late season so traffic in the mornings wasn't an issue. There were a couple of good places to eat in walking distance so that was a plus for dinners. In the center of Carbondale (it's not that big), there are a few really good restaurants.

I included notes about logistics in the March 2015 trip report:
https://www.theskidiva.com/forums/i...rip-to-aspen-snowmass-march-26-28-2015.19489/

Diva West was at Aspen/Snowmass in 2017 so you may find useful info in threads in that "folder."

As for the drive from Utah, my crew did that when we combined skiing at Alta with a few days at Aspen/Snowmass a few years ago. I tend to use SLC as a gateway airport for trips out west. If you have 4WD/AWD good enough for LCC/BCC when it snows, you'll be fine. There are only a couple sections of US6 that can take concentration if it's snowing. There are quite a few sections with a passing lane for uphill travel.

Given that you only have a few days and usually ski in Utah, not much reason to ski at Sunlight. Figuring out Snowmass can take 2-3 days even for an intermediate who skis mostly groomers because it's so big. Aspen Mountain is worth checking out if visibility is good so you get a view from the gondola that is literally a couple blocks from the center of town. Aspen Highlands is a complete mountain by itself. Not too surprising since it was an independent ski areas for quite a while before ending up with Aspen Ski Co. as the owner. Many local families stick to Highlands. Buttermilk is actually a good place to find untracked powder a day or two after a storm because most advanced skiers don't ever go there.

Regardless of conditions, my guess is that you'll want to return in the future. The combination of the four completely different ski areas connected by a well organized free bus system is pretty unique.
 

lucy

Angel Diva
whole foods. it was very reasonable. we had a car so we drove to the mt but there is a bus stop out front
I have one of those wonderful restricted diets so I’m glad to know there’s a Whole Foods nearby. That’s a great piece of info. Thank you!! I’m excited to check our Snowmass and Highlands... looks like the hot tub will be needed to resuscitate the ski legs !
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
I’m excited to check our Snowmass and Highlands
Highlands has a free mountain tour a couple times a day. Might be worthwhile depending on snow conditions. Starts from mid-mountain as I remember. Even if don't take the tour, worth asking the host stationed there for advice about where to go.
 

lucy

Angel Diva
I was searching for such a thread but the search query always came back with a "too short" to use as a search value. So glad you included a link. (BTW, it's great information and Aspen Snowmass should probably give you a kick back for all the advice on how the four resorts work together and how to navigate all of it.)

If you have 4WD/AWD good enough for LCC/BCC when it snows, you'll be fine.
Perfect! I know Utah adopted new winter tires plus AWD or 4WD on all vehicles entering the LCC and BCC. Wasn't sure if they also had the same rules in Colorado. Looks like we'll be fine.

The combination of the four completely different ski areas connected by a well organized free bus system is pretty unique.
I'll admit I'm a little overwhelmed at the thought of navigating the Aspen Snowmass area. I'm a little calmer after reading your post about how the entire thing works. It makes Snowbird Alta seem quaint and small by comparison, on the other hand, maybe it's time to be adventurous and remember what it feels like to be someplace new and exciting.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
Food is pretty high priced around Aspen in general. The least expensive hot lunch at Snowmass is near the poma lift. The menu is pizza and huge chocolate chip cookies.

Note that the poma closes pretty early. It's not only good for getting access to black/double-black terrain, it's good for the view in good visibility and low wind. Can ski the wide blue groomer next to the poma back if not looking for a challenge right then.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
I'll admit I'm a little overwhelmed at the thought of navigating the Aspen Snowmass area. I'm a little calmer after reading your post about how the entire thing works. It makes Snowbird Alta seem quaint and small by comparison, on the other hand, maybe it's time to be adventurous and remember what it feels like to be someplace new and exciting.
You'll be fine! I know plenty of folks who ski in the mid-Atlantic who chose Aspen/Snowmass for their first experience out west. Including parents with kids not yet in high school. They all had a blast, regardless of their skiing ability.

Highlands makes me think of Snowbird. Buttermilk makes me think of Brighton, even though Brighton has far more advanced terrain. Ajax (Aspen Mountain) is like the front side of Snowbird, without any of the green terrain. Snowmass is like Alta, Snowbird, and Solitude spread out all together along the same ridge. One afternoon one ski buddy and I ended up at the opposite side from where the car was parked. We just managed to catch the last gondola before it closed, after riding up two lifts to get back to the main base. Then skied down to the other small base. Took at least 30 minutes, and we were moving very fast on the groomers.

Are you thinking of checking out Jackson Hole using the MCP? It's a straight forward drive from SLC when not snowing. If so, should definitely go to Grand Targhee for a day. For me GT is to JH as Alta is to Snowbird. I prefer GT, just as I prefer Alta.
 

lucy

Angel Diva
Highlands makes me think of Snowbird. Buttermilk makes me think of Brighton, even though Brighton has far more advanced terrain. Ajax (Aspen Mountain) is like the front side of Snowbird, without any of the green terrain. Snowmass is like Alta, Snowbird, and Solitude spread out all together along the same ridge.
Oh, that's just too perfect. A codex to Snowmass Aspen for Utah skiers, but now it makes sense. Ha ha.
Are you thinking of checking out Jackson Hole using the MCP?
I heard you should plan at least a week in Jackson Hole to allow for the bad weather. At any rate, we usually miss it because we have family in Calgary and drive north for the Canadian ski resorts. I admit I'm partial to Lake Louise... it's just beautiful... I'll add JH and GT to my skiing list.
 

CarverJill

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Diva West was at Snowmass a few years ago. A group of us stayed nearby in a condo. Split between the 5 of us it was affordable. We didn't need to have a car or deal with parking costs because we had a shuttle stop in the condo complex. You don't have to stay a hour away for things to be affordable.
 

COcanuck

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Hi All, I have an unexpected opportunity to travel to Golden, Colorado at the end of February 2020. DH and I will add a couple of extra days to explore the ski resorts. Do you have any recommendations as to where to stay? We have the Mountain Collective so we will be skiing Aspen Snowmass. We will be driving from Utah and any help as to where to stay or ski would be greatly appreciated as I am so lost outside of Utah. Is there any special gear or preparations that I need to make to travel in Colorado? Thank you!

Hey, you're going to have a great time no matter which mountain you choose out here. I'm just outside of Glenwood Springs and we ski up at Snowmass and Buttermilk with our kids. The drive really isn't that bad if you kind of do the eat/ski/sleep repeat and the price does drop considerably down the valley the further you get from the mountains, especially if it will just be you and your DH. There are a couple of places to park to save money, the Brush/Intercept lot has already been mentioned and there is also the Rodeo lot in Snowmass, great transportation in the area in terms of the bus system.

If you are looking to save money and have a car and are willing to drive, send me a PM if you would be interested in a private MIL suite with separate entrance and kitchenette. We have ski racks, boot/glove dryers and a hot tub for your use, I can send you more info and pictures if you had interest. My place is open but I don't list on Airbnb or anything like that, I only host female physicians and their families for the most part so it is not used often.

Snowmass also does mountain tours twice daily which is a lot of fun, keep an eye out for those!
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
Oh, that's just too perfect. A codex to Snowmass Aspen for Utah skiers, but now it makes sense. Ha ha.
Well, after you go, you can let us know if you agree or not. I've skied Alta and Snowbird a fair amount, a few times at Solitude and Brighton, but have only had a couple days at each of the Aspen mountains. But I tend to try to ride as many lifts as practical to get a sense of a ski area. Either I don't ever plan to go back or it's a destination that I expect to ski again in the future. Aspen/Snowmass is in my personal Top Five, which includes Alta as #1, as well as Big Sky and GT. I could see spending two weeks skiing Aspen/Snowmass mid-season and not getting the least bit bored.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
I heard you should plan at least a week in Jackson Hole to allow for the bad weather. At any rate, we usually miss it because we have family in Calgary and drive north for the Canadian ski resorts. I admit I'm partial to Lake Louise... it's just beautiful... I'll add JH and GT to my skiing list.
Makes sense to me. My first trip to JH included 4 ski days. It was mid-season but we hit a warm spell. Pretty much frozen until mid-morning. Only reason it softened was that there was such a temperature inversion the upper mountain was 10-15 degrees warmer than the valley. Only got a few powder turns during a semi-private lesson with @snoWYmonkey and when free skiing with someone I knew from an online forum who was also a JH instructor. We drove over to GT for a day because one ski buddy had never been before. Great for the view that day, but we pretty much stuck to groomers.

There will be Divas at JH/GT during late January for Diva West. If you have the flexibility for a last minute decision, it's always fun to meet up and ski with Divas in person. Check the Diva West 2020 section (Divas Only) for details. Might as well get as much out of the MCP as practical.
 

lucy

Angel Diva
If you are looking to save money and have a car and are willing to drive, send me a PM if you would be interested in a private MIL suite with separate entrance and kitchenette.
Thank you for such a generous offer. It sounds so inviting but DH wants to stay a little closer.
There will be Divas at JH/GT during late January for Diva West. If you have the flexibility for a last minute decision, it's always fun to meet up and ski with Divas in person. Check the Diva West 2020 section (Divas Only) for details. Might as well get as much out of the MCP as practical.
Yes, I need to meet the Divas so I can put faces to names and well, it sounds like so much fun! I gear tested my kit to minus 6 degrees F at the top of Snowbird (I know, that's probably an average ski day hardcore East Coast Ski Divas)... brrr... now all I need to do is find the time.
 

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