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Skiing Colorado's Gems: Skiing Up High At Low Rates
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Colorado’s mountains have some of the best skiing in the world. Skiers and snowboarders flock to these white-powder kingdoms in search of winter fun. The trick is how to have a great time and spend less?
Enter the Gems card. This discount card sells for just 25 USD but pays big dividends for those who use it to its utmost. The Gems Cards is an affiliation of ten ski resorts that have banded together for marketing purposes while maintaining individual ownership and management. Valid at Arapahoe Basin, Cooper, Echo Mountain, Eldora, Granby Ranch, Ski Hesperus, Loveland-both the basin and valley- Monarch, Powderhorn, and Sunlight. Buy your card early in the season, around September to November and plan your trip ahead of time to get the most out of the card.
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Though Eldora rarely gets the big snows of the higher ski areas, snow depths are usually ample and provides mostly an intermediate to double diamond experience for advanced skiers/riders.
Granby, Loveland, and Monarch Mountain
Granby Ranch, formerly known as Sol Vista is mostly a beginner area. Find lots of lodging choices here, unlike some of the Gems, and know that you won’t be sharing the slopes with the black diamond crowd that sometimes intimidates beginner and intermediate skiers.
Ski Hesperus is way down south near Durango. With only one chairlift and being so far away, most will not make it to this outpost of winter fun. If you do, you will find a family friendly place to learn or advance your skills on the snow.
Loveland is one of the Denver crowd’s favorites. On a good day, Denver residents can be on the slopes in a little more than an hour. With a nice mix of beginner through expert terrain, most will find excellent snow to play in. The highest lift, #9, takes you up to 11,432/3,484.4 m where the view is breathtaking and the skiing