Katrina

Hello--
My son is at CSU in Ft Collins and we are interested in having a nontraditional Christmas vacation in CO this year. We recently lost a family member and thought it would be a good time to do something away from home (home is in the south) We are are not big skiers but would be interested in learning, especially cross-country. Is that possible in CO or are most ski resorts geared toward downhill? We love the outdoors, hiking, etc, so don't really just want to sit by a fire and sip hot toddies the whole time...although maybe for a little while. Thanks for any and all suggestions for an interesting holiday in CO.

travellyn

You're looking for a Nordic center. Try this website for a list of Colorado Nordic centers. Snow isn't always reliable in December, so you may want somewhere with snow-making capability. (I don't know if they make snow for cross-country or just downhill skiiing.)

http://www.colorado-xc.org/nordiccenters.htm

beenthere

Frisco has a great nordic center with trails etc. Its is near Breckenridge and Keystone both of which (Frisco too) have plenty of options for dining and entertainment.

oh yea

Dont rule out snowshoeing if you like to hike.

coskier

First Katrina finalize your plans as soon as possible. Most condos that are resonable will be gone soon for the holidays.

All suggestions are good. We snowshoe and Cross country as well as downhill. You can rent snowshoes for about 6.oo a day then head to the many hiking trials around summit no need to snowshoe at the "Nordic Center". For Nordic we really like Brecks area, we do not downhill there though.

You will find tons of stuff to do in Summit County take a look at www.summitnet.com for activities and lodging ideas

Katrina

Thanks for the info about nordic centers--I have never heard of them. Since there is a possibility of no snow (hadn't really considered that!) what other options are there for enjoying beautiful places and getting outdoors? We have been to RMNP and enjoyed it very much--would like to explore in the winter if possible, but also want to see much more of CO.

beenthere

Katrina, RMNP will be beautiful then with many winter activities. Snowmobiling is big there as well as all the other things mentioned here. The town of Grand Lake will have inexpensive lodging. Like previous poster recommended, make your plans asap since Christmas is a very busy time of year.

travellyn

I don't know if you want to go as far afield as SW Colorado. If so, the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railway makes trips to Cascade Canyon, a beautiiful area in a glacial valley. There's an hour or so to wander around before heading back. The whole trip takes about a half day.

People especially like snow shoeing and cross country skiing around Molas Pass. Mesa Verde is also a good stop in SW CO.

Wherever you go, you might consider making a special effort to visit somewhere with hot springs. Soaking in a hot spring while it's snowing is an experience not to be missed.

Katrina

Thanks for the idea on SW CO. I would love to go there, esp. Mesa Verde--its on my list of places to visit but honestly I hadn't really given it much thought for a Christmas getaway. I would love to try out a hot springs too!

Thanks--I haven't made any decisions and I know the clock is ticking. There are so many different places to choose from and not knowing much about the area makes it hard!