We are a family of East Coasters and we waited to take our kids on a flight West to ski until they were 5, 8, and 10 years old and able to ski black diamonds in various conditions on East Coast mountains. This allowed us to have full days of skiing and plan a trip without needing ski school because they could ski with us. We also chose to plan our trip in April when flights and accommodations were inexpensive, and crowds were low. We were able to plan a fantastic ski trip to Colorado for a great deal and the weather for us in late April was perfect. The timing is something we recommend for families looking to book a ski trip on a budget!
Getting There:
It always seemed daunting to lug three children and all of our gear out west, and shipping our items was out of our budget. However, we found it to be super simple and cost effective to bring our own gear.
We chose to fly Southwest and scored $198 nonstop RT flights from Baltimore to Denver in late April. With Southwest, we were able to fly 5 boot bags and two ski bags for each person which were checked for free. We were able to put 5 pairs of skis in our two rolling ski bags. All of these items were checked curbside and we boarded the flight with two carryn ons that contained our additional gear. We had a Toyota 4Runner rental for about $60 a day which fit the five of us and all of your gear, however we were definitely crammed in!
Rolling Ski Bag: https://amzn.to/42x000O
Boot Bags for Each Person: https://amzn.to/3Yj2Tjm
Carry Ons: https://amzn.to/3Yj2Tjm
Experience:
We found Summit County in late April to be amazing. The snow was soft and we had blue bird days. One of our five days, we got 9 fresh inches. Due to the high altitude of the mountains there, The snowpack was outstanding and the mountains we skied were 90-100 percent open. We had the full experience with no crowds, amazing weather, and on a great deal!
Budget Options:
Many of the resorts in Summit County, Colorado are open until Late May or even June. Copper, Loveland, and Arapaho Basin all offered spring or mid week lift ticket deals. At the same time, due to it being low season, many of the vacation rentals were deeply discounted. Airfare is also cheaper during this time.
Total Price for 5 people to ski Arapahoe Basin last year:
Flights: $1,000
Lift Tickets: $ 1,175
Accommodations: $900
Car Rental: $320
Total for 5 Days of skiing: $3,395
*We stayed for 6 nights with one night in Denver to accumulate to the elevation which is inculded in above price.
Great High Altitude Spring Skiing Deals at These Resorts in Colorado:
Arapahoe Basin– $349/5 Days for Adults $159/5 Days for Kids
Loveland– Late Season (4/7-closing) $119/adult and $37/Kid (5 and under are free)
Copper– $421/5 Days for Adults $375/5 Days for Kids.
Breckenridge-Epic Local Pass
More about skiing these resorts with kids to come!
Beyond The Usual Trail 