Get ready…the winter season is upon us!
I know tons of you folks have experienced long days and sleepless nights anxiously awaiting the news of the first snow in Durango, Colorado. Nothing gets the blood pumping and adrenaline flowing like the thought of barreling down the side of a mountain on two narrow fiberglass boards (or one really wide one). Durango is already starting to bustle with a lot of eager locals and wide-eyed visitors who are preparing their equipment and bodies to tack up another year of intense winter excitement on the slopes of the southern Rocky Mountains. It’s not just you all that are so exited for the winter, though. The folks at Durango Mountain Resort (Purgatory, if you will) capitalized on the off-season, too. They’ve prepared themselves, their slopes and their facilities for the impending beginning of the 2006 – 2007 winter.
I did a little research for you, and I decided that Purgatory is pretty much the deal. With a summit elevation of 10,822 feet, this mountain will knock your socks off, even if they’re still in your boots. The DMR staff boasts of their 260 inches of average annual snowfall that spreads over their 85 slopes adding up to 1,200 skiable acres. With roughly 20 slopes for beginners and kids, 43 for the intermediates and 22 for all those seeking to really push their limits, I believe they’ve got a place for just about all of you. Rent here or bring your own; get quality personal lessons starting from ages 3 and up or hit the slopes once you get out of your car; or book your stay in the Resort Area, Slopeside or the mountain community – it really doesn’t matter what you do or where you are because once you enter Purgatory, you won’t need to leave the mountain until…well, you just won’t need to leave.
I’ve got the prices for lodging and rentals for most of the area and I put together a brief list of what I thought the best deals were in case you were curious. I pulled this off the Purgatory website, so it’s straight from the source:
Lodgings:
Winter Early Bird Special
Come stay early in the season and ski free from $74/night/person
Kids Ski/Ride Free
4 nights lodging, 4 day lift tickets for the parents and the kids’ tickets are free…for just $179/night
Stay and Ski Free
3 days lift tickets free with 3 nights lodging for just $81/night/person
San Juan Backcountry Adventure
Ski one day on the slopes of Purgatory, then head out the second day with the San Juan Ski Company
Season Passes:
Adult Season Pass
$799 - Ages 19-61 – Unrestricted skiing and riding
College Season Pass
$499 - For students who are taking 9 or more hours
Student Season Pass
$399 - Age 13-12th Grade
Cub Season Pass
$29 - For those little kids 5 and under
Weekday Pass
$499
Valid Monday-Friday, all season except holidays
Like I said, that’s just hitting on a few of the options you can choose from. You may also be able to call the resort to find all the best possibilities. Don’t wait too long, though, because opening day is November 23rd, that’s Thanksgiving Day!! What better family time than to load everyone up and spend a four-day weekend on the slopes of Colorado?