Traveling with Family: A Winter Experience in Snowmass

My family tree has a lot of branches. Through marriages, divorces, children, grandchildren, deaths, and remarriages, we range in ages and interests from Sesame Street to CNBC. Miraculously, we all seem to get along well enough to travel, but finding somewhere with something for everyone is about as simple as deciding on pizza toppings. Especially in the winter.

However, when we opted to travel together to Snowmass, the appropriately-named sprawling ski village just outside Aspen, everything just clicked. Whether we skied, snowboarded, or relaxed in the lounge sipping bourbon, everyone came back at the end of the day loving whatever they’d done.

The snow terrain is varied, with runs for all levels, and activities in the area run the gamut from an art collective to a bowling alley to a swanky rooftop lounge. While it wasn’t the cheapest vacation we ever took, we were able to provide a good time for everyone. Consequently, having a trip with no sullen teenagers or crotchety old people was definitely worth the price.

Entertainment for Kids and Teens

Young teenagers might be the hardest demographic to please. Because even if you took them to see an erupting volcano with Halley’s Comet streaming behind it, the most rousing endorsement they’d give is an apathetic “cool.” Moreover, although my teenage nieces are far more friendly than your average brooding teen, their attention span still doesn’t last much longer than a TikTok tutorial.

Snowmass worked nicely for them, as they could head out with the family in the morning, hitting some of the easier green and blue runs from the resort’s base village. The Village Express and Elk Camp Gondola offer short rides to less-advanced terrain, meaning they were never stuck doing anything for too long.

Of course, after a couple of runs they needed other entertainment, and they found it at the top of Elk Camp. The gondola’s terminus is home to a mountain roller coaster that ascends through the Aspens then screams its way to the bottom, winding through the forest. After 4 p.m., they enjoyed time at Snowmass Lanes at the Snowmass Mall, a bowling alley and lounge that’s kid-friendly until 8:30 pm. Best of all, both the base village and Snowmass Mall – the resort’s two amenity centers – had lift access. Therefore, as soon as they got bored, returning to the mountain was easy.

Fun for Parents and Adults

My sister and her husband have two kids, aged about eight and six years. So while they’re old enough to not get us kicked out of nice restaurants, they’re still not old enough to let loose on the slopes. However, because Snowmass, like most ski resorts, has kids’ lessons – many in groups – they could drop their kids for the morning and tackle some big kid terrain.

Both my sister and brother-in-law were aggressive skiers but gave up jumping cliffs when they realized broken legs make kid-wrangling impossible. Still, they had enough time to ride some of the longer lifts like Sheer Bliss and Big Burn, then ski groomed blue runs like Dallas Freeway to the bottom. As the name implies, it’s big, wide, and fast.

Once the kids finished their morning wedge skiing, mom and dad took them to the ice skating rink at Snowmass Base Village. There, we discovered that my six-year-old nephew had a mysterious natural affinity for ice skating. Another afternoon, after my eight-year-old niece took a hard spill on the bunny hill, we made her feel better with an afternoon dog sledding trip with Krabloonik Dog Sledding. Because nothing makes a kid forget about a bad day like a dog.

Some days, the kids were tired of skiing but were still hyped up on fruit snacks and Capri Suns. Consequently, my sister took them on the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies’ free treks through the wilderness. As the kids frolicked among the snow-covered trees, she immersed herself in the area’s ecology and ecosystems, returning home with newfound knowledge.

Although we ate most dinners in each other’s condos, the Wednesday Night Chuckwagon Dinner was the biggest family hit of the week. The big, family-style feasts are served at the scenic Britt Cabin, accessible via either ski or snowcat. With kids at night, opting for snowcat adds a fun experience for them as well.

Excitement for Young Singles

My cousins from Oregon are firefighters, and they snowboard like they are driving into a burning forest with nothing but a truck and a hose. They spend their summers combating blazes across the west coast, and their winters matching that adrenaline on the slopes. Consequently, Snowmass did not disappoint.

While the terrain wasn’t as untamed as what they sometimes venture into, they shot straight up to the top of the mountain and found what they were looking for. Cirque Headwall, the highest run on the mountain, offered a rock-filled, high-speed cliff experience to get the adrenaline pumping. Up 4 Pizza, the pizza place just down the hill, provided extra incentive to ride back up. They also spent a good amount of time at Hanging Valley, which features runs with high speeds, thick trees, and cliffs dropping into powder fields.

Though they spent most days skiing, my cousins enjoyed après skiing at Sam’s, a bar and restaurant at the top of the Village Express lift. I met them there for beers on a few occasions.

At night, we discovered a free bus that ran from the Snowmass Village Mall straight into downtown Aspen. The journey took about half an hour, delivering us to the W Aspen. Its rooftop bar presents the Aspen experience you envision in movies, where a cocktail-friendly hot tub overlooks a snow-covered mountain that looks painted against the sky. Although the rooftop closes soon after sunset, Aspen’s nightlife keeps going. Though I returned much earlier, my cousins missed the last bus back to Snowmass at 2:30 a.m. They still beat me to breakfast the next morning.

Activities for Seniors

Chuck is a perfectly nice guy. He joined our family later in life through a golden years romance, and although he’s as jovial as Santa himself, he believes nothing good happens after 8 p.m. His idea of a full day involves watching the stock market open to close, pouring himself a bourbon, and calling it a night.

However, on vacation, his wife managed to pull him away from the ticker for a couple of hours to wander through the Anderson Ranch Arts Center, where contemporary artists work and open their studios to the public. It’s the closest experience to a contemporary art museum in Snowmass, but a far more interactive opportunity as you meet the artists doing the work.

We never saw Chuck’s face light up quite like when we entered the Limelight Hotel’s bar, not far from the village rink. While my niece and nephew skated, he sampled a collection of over 50 whiskeys from around the world, surrounded by sports on TV and a menu of burgers and flatbreads. Long after the kids moved on to dinner, he remained there, the happiest we’d seen him.

While Chuck didn’t care for skiing, his wife enjoyed the cross-country trails around the resort, which provide a low-impact endeavor but are equally as heart-pounding. This endeavor offered her the winter mountain fix she’d been looking for, even if she couldn’t navigate the trails she did 30 years ago. She also joined my sister and her kids on their nature treks, suitable for older visitors as well.

Accommodations and Togetherness

Our family, although we cherish each other, also appreciates our space. Thus, we rented a series of condos at Crestwood, which offered everything from one-room spots for my cousins to three-bedroom units for my sister and her kids. Different families hosted dinner each night, enabling quality time together after our individual adventures. Snowmass also possesses a wealth of large homes available as vacation rentals if you truly love your togetherness.

We also aimed to meet for lunch each day at The Stew Pot, Snowmass’s oldest eatery where kids can enjoy grilling cheese sandwiches while adults refuel with hearty stews and craft beers. The restaurant often features live music outside, creating a relaxing atmosphere for those who aren’t quite ready to hit the slopes immediately after a meal.

Of course, we had our downtime and squabbles, as families do. My cousins missed many meals due to other friends they were hanging out with. Occasionally, my nieces wandered off without informing anyone of their whereabouts. Nevertheless, these occurrences are typical with families, at Snowmass or at home. Ultimately, this vacation proved to be one where we all found our groove, whether speeding down a mountain or sitting on a couch.