Upscale downhill

The ultimate ski adventure can be had for a price in Colorado

At last.

Ski season approaches. This year, you’ve got the money, honey, and for the sake of this article, at least, let’s say you’ve got the time to spend it on a luxury ski vacation.

No more driving an extra half hour, cramming two more than the limit into the closest Budget 6, sleeping on the floor, and living on M&Ms, Pepsi and Pabst.

We want the ski-in, fresh-squeezed, fine-wine and microbrew trip.

This year, we’re going first-class, and it looks like we’re in good company. Colorado Ski Country USA reports growth in skier numbers in all income brackets above $75,000. And in the largest skier group, by income, during the 1997-98 season, we have the folks pulling down $200,000 or more, and that group has been steadily growing since the early 1990s.

So, let’s make plans!

Where to go is the first question, and in Colorado it’s a tough one. With a long list of world-class ski resorts to choose from and our sky’s-the-limit budget, we’re feeling a bit like kids in a candy shop.

Lisa Bremner, communications director for Colorado Ski Country USA, doesn’t help at all in our decision-making with the news that, “If money is no object, there are so many neat things you can do at these resorts.”

The guys at the ski shop — Fort Collins’ Outpost Sunsport — recommend Crested Butte.

The Butte is more fun, they say. It’s steep and mighty snowy — more snow than everywhere else next to Wolf Creek. And the small-town atmosphere of Crested Butte appeals as well.

“Not as richy-rich as Aspen. If you ski a lot, it’s a little break from the big resort way of life,´ said Josh Shively, Outpost acting manager.

Meanwhile, the gals at the travel agency are recommending Vail or Aspen. Crested Butte appeals to the younger skier, they agree. However, ski-industry observers say Vail, Aspen, Beaver Creek and Telluride top the list of the best of the best in Colorado.

So, if it’s deluxe you’re after — and we are — Violette Martin of Travel Connection says that either Vail or Aspen is probably the place. At those resorts, we’ll have plenty of luxury accommodations from which to choose. And the skiing ought to be great, too.

Martin recommends the Sonnenalp Resort in Vail, and if we wait until next year, there’ll be a new Ritz Carlton in Aspen.

Decisions, decisions.

Warm, fleece slippers is what tips the scale. Kristin Yantis, Vail communications manager, gives us a list of luxury lodging possibilities in Vail.

There we find Game Creek Chalet. This private mountain retreat promises you’ll be greeted at the four-bedroom, four-bath Euro-style cabin by the chalet keeper with champagne, hors d’oeuvres and ä “warm, fleece slippers” in hand.

Vail it is.

It’s not like we’re settling. Vail’s 5,164 acres ought to keep us busy. With 32 lifts, 13 of which are high-speed quad-chair lifts, we should be cruising.

If slippers are the deciding factor here, plenty more amenities back those puppies up. Located on Vail Mountain, (that’s on the mountain) overlooking Game Creek Bowl, these digs include a private chef to prepare dinner and breakfast, outdoor Jacuzzi, large wine and bar selection, extensive library and music options.

Oh, and at $600 per person with a four-person, two-night minimum, that’ll be $2,400 per night.

By day, we’ll ski. Lift tickets and half-day instruction are included in our lodging. By night, we’ll dine on four-course dinners and simmer in the Jacuzzi or, maybe rouse ourselves and hit Vail Village via snow-cat for a taste of resort-town nightlife.

Thanks to our private chef, we probably won’t spend much time wrestling with dining decisions. If we have to drag ourselves out to eat, we’ll try the award-winning wine list at Sweet Basil or The Wildflower, tapped as best Vail restaurant in the 1999 Zagat Survey.

Putting food aside, for the moment, we’re gonna need gear for this trip, as well. So it’s back to the Outpost for what to wear.

Khaki’s the color this year, and Gor-Tex is still the fabric. The guys recommend we go with a three-layer Gor-Tex jacket, $450; pants, $350; gloves, $120; the Smith Alias Regulator goggles at $75.

Underneath? Our favorite union suit and, oh, new socks, $15.

Now, for the good stuff. New boards. Shively and his crew recommend we choose a fatter ski for powder, and we’re determined to run into a lot of powder. So we’re going with the Solomon X-Scream at $650. We’ll have ’em slap on a pair of Solomon S900ti bindings at $225. Boots? The Tecnica Icon TNTs at $649. And poles, Leki’s carbon models at $100 or so, ought to do the trick.

If this were real life, by the way, we’d probably trim costs a bit with a package deal on our skis, boots, bindings and poles, Shively said.

Anything else? Oh, yeah. A week’s supply of those little packages of M&Ms, $3.85. Some things never change.

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