Whether you’re a “never ever” skier or snowboarder looking to learn, or you’re coming back for more to build your skills, enjoy the mountains, and rip some of Colorado’s most beautiful terrain, Loveland Ski Area has it all.
Welcome to the doldrums of January.
Where, here in Colorado, it’s Bleh Season. A season of rapid alterations between days of wearing sandals in the sun and days of bitter wind and snow that won’t budge.
It’s the season of boredom and blues after the cookie-fueled adrenaline rush of the holidays.
And, of course, it’s the season of New Year’s Resolutions of exercise, trying new things, and getting outside to breathe fresh air before it no longer exists due to rapid ozone depletion and climate change.
What? You’re in Bleh Season too, you say? Sounds like the perfect time to learn how to ski! And what better place than Loveland? Here are my top five reasons why you should go skiing at Loveland Ski Area this winter.
Loveland is a Steal
Recently, a friend of mine won day passes to another ski resort in Colorado and, while she was excited to have and use them, she had never skied before. She went to sign up for lessons, but blanched at the sight of their price tag, which was around $150 for a group lesson.
Loveland’s three class pass option offers first time skiers three classes AND a season pass for $439. At $579, for those not-technically-first-timers (but who still have to remember how skiing works every time they show up and maybe occasionally rely on pizza formation to come to a stop), it’s the perfect price for a weekend warrior, a college student with a job, or a teacher whose salary may never match what was paid for the degree.
Oh, and can we factor in the $5 green chile breakfast burritos? We can factor in the breakfast burritos.
Loveland is Close to Home*
From the Denver area, Loveland is the closest ski resort on I-70. At around an hour and a half drive, one can forego waking up at the crack of dawn and miss most of the ski traffic going both ways. Additionally, if you’re an easily tired new skier (aged 3 or, ahem, 23) spending a half day on the slopes isn’t made unreasonable by travel times.
*If Home is Denver. If it isn’t, don’t make it your home; it’s very crowded over here. BUT getting to Loveland is a beautiful drive and well worth it from anywhere.
Loveland is Cozy AND Has it All
If the idea of skiing with people covered head to toe in fur coats or dressed to the nines in the fanciest ski gear is what’s keeping you off the slopes, Loveland is a great place to ski.
(Looking for five more reasons why Loveland is a “best place to ski in Colorado“? We’ve got ’em!)
As one Dad that I shared a chairlift with told me, “We feel really comfortable bringing our daughters here. We can let them ride up the lifts by themselves, and we know that on the way down, no one’s going to snowboard over the top of them.”
Crowded lift lines are rare, and the lifties are always happy to slow down a chair for a new skier.
There’s also women’s-only clinics that promise limited class sizes and female instructors. Want to try telemark skiing? There’s a class there for that, too.
Mountain Exchange
With places as nearby as Powderhorn in Grand Junction or Ski Cooper in Leadville, or further away like Sipapu in New Mexico, the Loveland pass comes with plenty of days (around 3 per resort) at other ski resorts and just as many excuses to try out your new skills on new slopes.
Loveland is Ridiculously Good Looking
The view from the top of lift 9 on a clear day is my happy place.
Many thanks to Loveland Ski Area, NILS Skiwear, WinterWomen.com and Powder7 Ski Shop for sponsoring this “Learning to Ski as an Adult” series. Please click here for a list of recommended gear from WinterWomen and Powder7.
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