Recent storms have helped put the winter back in Winter Park, but the town and resort remain as relaxed as ever, which means you can find plenty of powder but also room to maneuver. Kyle Wagner
Unleash your inner Picabo/Bode
Sure, the town and the ski area are inextricably linked here, but it’s one thing to visit Winter Park Resort () to ski or ride and quite another to know every inch of it like the back of your boot. For instance, have you ever run the NASTAR course? For $10 ($7 ages 6-17), you can race against your friends or the clock as many times as you want on the 350-meter course, which features up to 20 gates to test your timing and skills. Located on Lower Cranmer, the course also can be rented out for groups (think birthdays and other parties), complete with medals and an awards ceremony.
The white stuff
There are plenty of snowshoeing opportunities around the area, most within easy access. Just want a quick walk with wildlife-viewing opportunities? Park right across from the resort at the Bonfils Station Outdoor Center for an easygoing jaunt 1.5 miles past the boardwalk through the forest. Looking for something a little more involved? The Jim Creek Trail from the same trailhead gains 1,225 feet in 3.4 miles round-trip. And one of the best ways to delay the trip home on Sunday for powder hounds is to pull into the parking lot at Berthoud Pass () and strap on a pair, then pick either side of U.S. 40 for a quad-burning uphill, with optional forays into the trees. Visit for more ideas.
Get there: Winter Park is 66 miles west of Denver via Interstate 70 and U.S. 40. Get around: Many lodgings, including the Zephyr, are on the free shuttle route that runs from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (last shuttle leaves the resort at 5:30 p.m.) between The Village and ski area and the town, as well as a night line from 6-11 p.m. around the Village and shuttles to Fraser.
Kyle Wagner: 303-954-1599 or outwest@denverpost.com
Surf or turf? Yes, please…
New this season is the Strip & Tail (78259 U.S. 40, 970-363-7047, ), which conjures up images of old-school culinary kitsch in the best possible ways. Steak and lobster tails? Check. Shrimp cocktail? Check. Bar in the back, and a guitarist taking requests for Jimmy Buffett tunes? You got it. Prices are palatable — hey, it’s still a resort town — portions are huge, and the white linens give the barn dimensions some class. Not to mention that we’re talking Wagyu beef, garlic mashers and house-made vinaigrettes, and guitar guy kills it on the Beatles’ funkier stuff.
Soup’s on
It’s hard to imagine anything being more inviting than a hot cup of soup, and the Back Bowl Soup Co. in the Village (110 Parry Peak Way, 970-624-0010, ) always has about a half-dozen house-made options at the ready. Always on the stove: a vegetarian choice, the chicken noodle (also available with rice) and a medium-spicy green chile. So good with a grilled cheese or other sandwich, and combo deals are available. Another yummy tummy warmer: the sake-based bloody Mary.
Ski in/out, or just sleep
The Zephyr Mountain Lodge (201 Zephyr Way, 866-239-3994, ) is about a hundred feet from the Zephyr Express lift, and its one- to three-bedroom condos with fully equipped kitchens are decorated in a casual style that makes it comfortable for families or couples who need to spread out and settle in (for once, a place with plenty of hooks in the bathroom and living spaces). Rates start at $175 a night for a one-bedroom in winter.
