Spring Break is coming up and most college students are thinking about or already planning a trip. Everyone knows the most popular Spring Break destination is the beach, but in my opinion, people would be remiss to not consider a trip to the mountains.
Skiing (or snowboarding) is an awesome experience that everyone that is physically capable of, should experience. You would be hard pressed to find a better outdoor experience that is as thrilling, physically active, and breathtakingly scenic as skiing or snowboarding.
I have been 4-5 times over the past 5 years and I would go back in an instant if the right opportunity presented itself.
While people in North/Northeast Texas aren't exactly close to any major skiing destinations, there are several places that can be reached fairly quickly by driving.
Ruidosa, New Mexico is a great ski destination that doesn't require 2-3 days of driving to reach. Ski Apache, which is the mountain ski resort, is always groomed, there is a great variety of trails, and you can usually find lodging in town for fairly cheap. 3 years ago I went with 4 friends and we were able to snag an A-frame cabin for under $70 dollars a night. Ski rentals and lift passes also aren't outrageous.
A couple other places that I have heard great things about that don't require a multi-day drive are Angelfire, New Mexico and Red River, New Mexico. I have been to Red River and it was an awesome experience, but it was in the middle of the summer, so I didn't get to experience the skiing.
A few places that require a little more driving, but will be colder and have more snow usually are Durango Mountain Resort (formerly known as Purgatory) north of Durango, Co which is a great place to go that is a little less crowded than other destinations, but has a great variety of trails and runs, and the facilities are incredible, I highly recommend the skiing here. And the entire group of ski resorts west of Denver, including Breckenridge, Vail, Beaver Creek, Copper Mountain, and Keystone. Anything in the A-Basin provides great ski/snowboard experiences. While the prices may be a little higher and the driving is a little further, if you can swing it budget wise, these resorts are some of the top destinations in the country as far as skiing and snowboarding are concerned.
I just skied at Breckenridge over Christmas break and it was an awesome experience. The variety of terrain and runs is so much greater than other resorts, its unbelievable. The vast variety of lodging opportunities allows you to pick and choose where, when, and how long you want to stay. You can get a place at the base of the actual ski resort for true ski-in ski-out service or you can find a cabin more secluded in the surrounding area if thats more your style. Of course there are always the chain-style hotels located in the surrounding areas. When you are at Breckenridge, one of the coolest things to do is explore the town. Noted for being one of the best resort towns in the country, Breckenridge has it all. Also if you buy lift tickets for any of the resorts in A-Basin, they will work for several others in the surrounding area as well so you aren't just limited to one resort.
If you have never been skiing or snowboarding before but always wanted to, maybe try to book a trip to one of these destinations over Spring Break instead of the old stand by, the beach.
If you are a student at Texas A&M University-Commerce and were looking to try your hand at skiing, contact Outdoor Adventures at the Morris Rec Center, because they are putting together a trip to Wolf Creek Ski Area over Spring Break and spots are filling up fast
Here is a video from their trip to Wolf Creek last year over Spring Break-
Links
Outdoor Adventures
Ski Apache - Ruidosa, NM
Angelfire
Red River, New Mexico
Breckenridge
No comments:
Post a Comment