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  • Concerts & Community Events

    FEB
    19
    2013

    K-LOVE's Family Friendly Mountain Review

    Tuesday, Feb 19 2013,
    12:00 AM - 12:01 AM




    Denver, CO 80227
    Call: 303-989-4173

    Map
    Winter Park Resort
    Copper Mountain Resort
    Keystone Resort
    Vail Resorts
    Beaver Creek Resort
    Winter Park Resort
    Copper Mountain Resort
    Keystone Resort
    Vail Resorts
    Beaver Creek Resort



    When planning a family vacation, we at K-LOVE Radio realize it takes a lot more than deciding a location, then booking and going! You have children different ages with different interests and while you KNOW you want to spend time in the snow, there’s a lot more to consider, and a LOT more in planning your family trip to the Mountains! “Which mountain offers lessons?... What if part of my family wants to ski and the others don’t, you ask? …Do you have the option of other family friendly activities or are there events to attend?” We realize your family time is precious, and so here’s a deeper look into some of Colorado’s mountains from a K-LOVE perspective, where we took YOU into consideration. Just a hop, skip and a jump from the foothills of Denver, here’s your K-LOVE 2013 Mountain review. . .

    Winter Park Resort

    Copper Mountain Resort

    Keystone Resort

    Vail Resorts

    Beaver Creek Resort

    We hope you enjoy!

    K-LOVE summary of Winter Park Resort: From entering the parking lot to being greeted at the base of the mountain by one of the Winter Park Hosts, our time was enjoyable! The HOSTS do a wonderful job directing and guiding visitors, even offering helpful tips to exploring runs (so we didn’t get stuck on a cat-walk!). Look for the Bright RED coats! Eating at the Club Car on the Mary Jane side was scrumptious and the wait staff excellent at not only service, but seemed like they wanted our experience to be the best it could be. Despite the low-visibility the day we chose to spend on the mountain, it was snowing!! There had been fresh 8” of fluffy powder and they were expecting another 8” of snow to follow in the upcoming days, which made for sweet skiing/riding conditions.

    ALL in ALL? A FANTASTIC experience with Winter Park Resort! A++ Can’t WAIT to get up to the mountain again.

    Winter Park facts: Just 67 miles from Denver, Winter Park Resort is one of the longest standing resorts since January of 1940. Winter Park has grown into the fourth largest ski resort in the state and is definitely a local’s favorite. 143 trails, 26lifts (of which almost 10% is greens and enjoyable for all ages) six terrain parks, and over 3,000 skiable acres. From moguls of Mary Jane to the runs of Winter Park, both Mountains feature skiing areas that are suitable for anyone in the family.

    Worth checking out: New this season, the Coca-Cola® Tubing Hill, your entire family can enjoy four lanes of fun for an hour or more! Additionally, Winter Park has scenic snowcat tours daily with the option of lunch, and snowshoe tours are a great way to experience the mountain too. Ice skating is available, even S’mores by the fire in the Village! MMmmm :) So, whether skiing or spending time in the village, Winter Park was thinking of 'family' when they incorporated alternate ski activities.

    Mark your calendar: Among the many events, our pick was the Coca-Cola® Spring Splash - Apr 21, 2013. FREE to watch skiers and riders race through obstacles and attempt to skim across an icy pond to a finish. Closing day at the resort and been a fun event for 45 years! Also, weekly on Saturdays from 4-5p, your kids can have the opportunity to meet Winter Park Willie, Winter Park’s Ski + Ride School mascot, who loves to take photos, give hugs and just hang with the kids. Something cool Winter Park is involved with is the National Sports Center for the Disabled (NSCD) program to offer disabled skiers and snowboarder coaching and training. The Wells Fargo cup takes place in March annually, and many of the NSCD athletes compete.

    Helpful facts: Winter Park offers ski/riding lessons for ages 3-14, and even the option of having only four students in a lesson! Knowing there’s 24 hours in a day, sometimes mom and dad want to take the older kids on a run, or ski together without worrying who to call for childcare with the younger kiddos. That’s why the Wee Willie’s Child Care for 2mos to 6years is open during the ski day, and Wee Willie’s Adventure club is an option for up to 14yrs too!

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    K-LOVE summary of Copper Mountain Resort: One of the things we love about Copper Mountain is the ability to fit right in and feel like you can find almost anything you need at the base. From being welcomed to the ticket window, to even the warm hospitality at the Zip Line and Tubing Hill, the staff is all fun to connect with at Copper. The base of the mountain has yummy food through Endo’s or Jacks, but our favorite is if you want to eat on the hill, to stop and T-REX Grill, order some burgers and fries, take a breather and get to skiing again. While we’d all love Colorado Mountains to get dumped on with snow, Copper still does a great job grooming and the runs were fun to take. Icy in some spots, but the weather was gorgeous and it’s hard to complain when you’re on the snow and the sun is out!

    ALL in ALL? What a FUN DAY of experiencing the mountain through the eyes of K-LOVE. We’d definitely give Copper an “A+” for being family friendly!

    Copper Mountain facts: 75 Miles away from Denver, not just a ski hill any more, they have tubing hill, Ice Skating, FREE snowshoe tours, even zipline for Families to experience in the village. Copper Mountain’s naturally divided terrain separates skiers by their ability levels-from east to west; Copper's slopes get progressively more difficult. The gentle terrain that defines the west side of Copper Mountain provides a natural, progressive learning environment, while the east side of the mountain features long, steep runs. This award-winning trail system is part of the reason Copper is considered one of Summit County's favorite resorts.

    Worth checking out: Summit County’s ONLY zipline debuts this winter season, the original tubing hill, and Ice Skating are always a fun attractions for any family coming up to the mountain. If you want something different for the family or kids to try, check out Woodward at Copper Mountain! Woodward offers year round Snowboard, Ski, Skateboard programs in their 19,400 square foot indoor playground! Artificial Snowflex & jumps into foam pits, even skate bowls and mini ramps too. Foam pits, spring floors, tumble tracks, spotting belts, and Olympic fly-bed trampolines make for a FUN indoor (and warm) family experience.

    Mark your calendar: There’s always something to do at Copper, but our pick was the weekly Torch-light parades down the mountain and the 7p fireworks over West Lake (part of En Fuego series). Something pretty neat Copper is also involved in is hosting Colorado’s Special Olympics Winter Games March 3rd. Skiing, Cross Country Skiing, Figure Skating, Snowshoeing and Snowboarding athletes compete for the 25th annual Special Olympic medals.

    Helpful facts: The Belly Button Babies & Bakery is on-site Guest Childcare Facility that provides care for children ages 6 months to 6 years 8:30am – 4:30pm daily during the winter season. Each day includes; arts, crafts, circle time, story time, group activities and free play indoor or outdoor time is provided including age appropriate games and toys. AND, there’s no reason why parents and little ones shouldn’t experience the snow together! Critterland is only $10 for a full day ticket (parents are FREE) and the littlest of kids can play safely on mini-tubing hill, carousel and snow den. *this is not childcare. Wanting a quick refresher? Try the new ski and ride, 50-minute, 4 person max, semi-private adult lessons are great for most levels. And there’s lessons for ages starting as young as 3 on up to 15 and then adult lessons too!

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    K-LOVE summary of Keystone Resort: Where do we start with Keystone? What a wonderful experience! From the staff at the Rentskis.com, who made sure the rental experience was top notch and the boots and bindings were perfect, to all the mountain staff. Our favorite part of the experience not only included the Gondola (b/c of a chance to warm up!) But the friendly photographers through EPICmix. The parade at the end of the day (*every day at 4) through the village was fun to experience, and gives kids and families a chance to celebrate a successful and fun day of skiing. We were really pleased with the attention to putting kids first on the mountain, just sad we didn’t get to experience the daily oven-baked warm cookies we heard so much about.

    ALL in ALL? A+ for totally making our visit a fun and memorable one with Keystone!! The hot-cocoa treats and parade at the end of the day was our favorite!

    Keystone Resort and Mountain facts: Keystone is the largest mountain in Summit County offering 3,148 skiable acres, 20 lifts and two gondolas, all nestled at the foot of 2 unique villages. Keystone’s three peaks being progressively more difficult the further back you go, knowing that the easier terrain is on the first peak and the more intermediate and advance terrains are on the other two peaks, it helps spread out the skiers and riders of different abilities. Keystone’s mountain is divided into 19% easier (green) runs, 32% intermediate(blue) runs, and 49% advanced(black) that includes almost 1,500 acres of hike-to expert terrain in 5bowl areas! Keystone also is the largest night skiing operation in Colorado.

    Worth checking out: Daily Kidtopia activities, which include: dance parties on the ice-rinks, street performers in the village, a weekly Riparoo parade through the village, face-painting, even a chance to meet some of the Avy dogs. Keystone’s tubing hill is actually the world’s highest in elevation and has five lanes of tubing. Kids can crawl around, sit on the ice throne, and have a blast in the Mountaintop snow fort at the top of the gondola. The Terrain park, A-51, has something for everyone from beginners to world class pros and the three “family adventure” zones on the mountain offer fun features like wooden bridges and rollers. And daily at 4pm, at the Ice Rink in the village, there are fresh-baked cookies available and s’mores served on Saturdays. Yum!

    Mark your calendar: There are several events that caught our attention for Keystone this spring. Kids Night Out Feb 21st, March 14th, 21st & 28th - Parents, treat yourself to a night out while treating your kids to a night out of their own that includes dinner, activities, and a break from spending all their time with you! For you, that means a chance to have date night on the town, and for the kids? A chance to enjoy pizza party and activities like: tubing, movies, or playing in the snow fort with others (between 5 & 14), and all supervised by responsible professional staff. Another fun Family event is the Nature Valley Family Challenge on March 2nd. Experience nature while you experience Keystone! This is a family friendly scavenger hunt that will take you through Keystone’s base areas, and onto the slopes. With passports as your guide all over the mountain to family-friendly locations, this is sure to be a fun event.

    Helpful facts: Guess what? Any family staying two or more nights in Keystone owner/operated lodging with kids 12 and under, the kids SKI FRI! No restrictions. Childcare starts at 2months in age. Lessons include programs like Kroozers (for Coloradoans) which is a four-week program that gives kids a ‘camp-like’ atmosphere and a great chance to improve their skills. Of course Snowboard lessons in Burton Riglet Park for 3-6yrs of age give even the youngest youth chances to learn how to rip on a board. Keystone also offers a Mom, Dad & Me program where you can take lessons with your kids so it’s a bit closer to a ‘semi-private’ lesson. Lastly, the Mountain House base is great for families with free or close-in parking but access there to the ski schools, rentals and food all in the same area.

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    K-LOVE summary of VAIL Resorts: With how big Vail is, it can be overwhelming or easy to get lost, but this was not our case or experience! A little different than some of the other mountains that a family might go ski/ride for a day then return to Denver, Vail is truly a place for family and friends to come “retreat”. We had the fun experience of trying out the Tubing Hill and bonding with the staff at the top of the mountain. A frigid day of single digit temps, the coffee shop at the top of the gondola was welcomed when a warm place to step inside was needed. The fun of connecting with staff from all over the world was talking about differences of Colorado snow, in which VAIL’s conditions were great! Even if it wasn’t for 3days of back to back skiing, it’s worth taking a couple days to ski, and a day to play and try out all the extra mountain amenities.

    ALL in ALL? We can tell any family experience at VAIL would incorporate the many wonderful things about the mountain, and why any family would want to plan a winter vaca here!! Worth the drive from Denver, and we left with smiles on our faces. A+ is our rating!

    VAIL Mountain facts: Celebrating their 50th Anniversary, VAIL Mountain is known as the largest ski resort in the United States! A great vacation spot for the whole family, offering plenty of variety on and off the slopes; 5,000 acres of skiable terrain for every ability on the mountain from beginning skiers and snowboarders who can find great terrain on the front side of the mountain, to the 3,000 acres of wide-open Back Bowl skiing. 193 trails divided up to 53% Expert/advanced 29% intermediate runs and 18% beginner… Families can ride the lift together to the top, choose their own way down, and find the whole family back at the bottom of the same lift ready to do it all over again. Great amenities in town including fabulous restaurants, lodging, spas, shopping and more, even the non-skier will find plenty to keep them entertained in Vail.

    Worth checking out: Ski Bike tours(*for advanced) is an excellent way to end your day with some excitement: skiing while on a bike! Or as a whole family, you can ride the Adventure Skyway to tubing paradise, take a free snowshoe tour with the family; enjoy bungee trampolines, kids snowmobiling, and ski biking at Adventure Ridge. Unique to Vail Mountain is the Kids Adventure Zones, marked throughout the mountain for those young at heart! Be sure you look for the archways and signs like: Chaos Canyon, Magic Forest, Sherwood Forest, Porcupine Alley, Coyote’s Escape and Buckskin Glade. Always a fun addition to the mountain!

    Mark your calendar: Vail will be hosting the Burton US Open Snowboarding Championships Feb. 25 – March 1 where you can catch some of the world’s best snowboarders in action on Vail’s new 22’ superpipe and on the slopestyle course. And at the end of the season, with Vail turning 50 this year, they’re ending the season in style with a week of free live concerts, the infamous World Pond Skimming Championships, and more.

    Helpful facts: Whether you are new to skiing and snowboarding or seasoned and just looking to improve on advanced techniques, private lessons can be reserved for up to six friends or family members and tailored toward individual skill levels and styles. They offer flexibility to rotate people in and out of a private lesson which makes it a great option for the whole family or group. Lessons start with age 3 on up and childcare is available at the base of Golden Peak for 2mos through 6yrs so Mom and Dad can take a run by themselves or with the older kids too, and rest assured their little ones are safe at the base in childcare.

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    K-LOVE summary of Beaver Creek Resort: Wow. We were absolutely blown away by our experience at Beaver Creek. Funny as rumor has is Beaver Creek is the elite mountain that keeps people out. We’re here to say – NOT TRUE! Perhaps ELITE would describe the wonderful treatment we received. Truly a mountain to experience with your family if you’re considering a vacation or retreat in the snow. This mountain was designed so year after year families could experience BC and feel safe; to let kids run around from all the free events they can jump into, to meeting their family across the village. A fresh dusting of snow the night prior to our visit, freshly groomed runs made it nice to take a run and not be surprised by unexpected bumps. Despite the 0degree temps and the -6 at the top of the mountain, we enjoyed the mountain! Totally impressed with Beaver Creeks attention to young skiers and again, the staff at RENTSKI.com was wonderful to work with. ALL in ALL? A++ We LOVED our experience at Beaver Creek! Family Friendliness is off the charts ‘family friendly’ with all the free activities they offer. Highly recommended for future family visits and think we might have to schedule our next. Hats off to a wonderful experience!

    Beaver Creek facts: Beaver Creek offers the amenity of quality time. From the village plaza where kids can run safe and free, to the wild ride of our tubing hill and the warm chocolate chip cookies greeting them off the last lift. Family experiences down to the last detail are valued at Beaver Creek. The mountain not only is a great place for vacationing but year after year families come back because of their excitement for skiing/riding the mountain. It’s divided into 39% Expert; 42% intermediate; 19% beginner runs, with even some of the beginner runs at the top!

    Worth checking out: Just for Family Beaver Creek offers special family programming every day of the week! Thursday Night Lights, Rail Jam Playground, On-Hill Story Time and more. Enjoy hot cocoa and freshly groomed runs (the corduroy) every morning at 9:30am at the top of Centennial Express Chairlift #6 and, every afternoon at 3pm, you’re sure to salivate as the aroma of warm fresh baked cookies are served by the village Chefs to treat you for being at Beaver Creek! (*495,000 cookies a year – that’s a lot of chocolate chips! YUM!)

    Mark your calendar: Prezfest is a MUST SEE for the whole family, as the entire weekend theme is around presidents of the US and fun activities February 15th – 17th. World class sculptors from around the country carve American Icons right before your eyes throughout Beaver Creek Village, torches of Fire Juggling, and kids’ parades throughout the weekend. And, something fun to watch the competitive skiers is the 10th annual Talons Challenge, March 2nd. Limited to 1,500 participants, but free to cheer on the participants as they attempt to conquer over 24,000 vertical feet of Black Diamond and Double Black Diamond runs on Beaver Creek’s legendary World Cup Birds of Prey downhill course, Grouse Mountain, and in Larkspur Bowl in just one day! Finish the 14 runs and earn a place on the Talon's Wall-of-Fame.

    Helpful facts: Childcare is available in full or half-days at Small World Play School for 2mos to 6yrs. Kids’ lessons are offered for ages 3-6 in Alpine, and 6 on up in Alpine and Snowboarding. Even adults can take lessons in Telemark. The Ultimate 4 is four to 1 ration of instructors to students. And even Girls can take advantage of Ski Girls Rock, a program designed for girls 7-16 by Lindsey Vonn with female instructors who will not only instruct but build confidence and social skills. Strong Skiers wanting a challenge can now take The Fall Line®, a three-day retreat where executive coaching, strategic goal setting and world class instruction. Max 3 is available afternoons only from 12:45-3:45pm where qualified pro instructors will help skiers and boarders confidently navigate all of the mountain’s terrain. Whether wanting to learn how to carve through fresh powder, effortlessly pound over bumps or twist through the trees, this 3:1 ratio of students to instructor sessions will improve your ability in just an afternoon.

    HOPE YOU ENJOYED our 2013 recap of FAMILY FRIENDLY MOUNTAINS just outside of Denver!!!

    Event No. 244614


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