Destination: Mountain Timeshares for World-Class Skiing
December 7, 2007
Filed under Destinations
The snowflakes are already beginning to fly in the mountainous regions of North America. Ski resorts are readying their snowmaking machines and praying to the weather gods for a stellar winter season on the slopes.
While timeshares may be closely identified with tropical beach destinations, there are dozens of high-alpine retreats that make fabulous annual winter vacation spots. Here’s a peek at just a few:
Straddling California and Nevada, Lake Tahoe is divided up into the North Shore and South Shore. Both areas feature ski and snowboard resorts, including California’s *Heavenly,* which is the state’s largest ski area with 4,800 acres and 95 trails, as well as Nevada’s *Mt. Rose,* with Tahoe’s highest base elevation at 8,260 feet.
With seven major ski mountains surrounding the lake, there are runs for every skill level, from green novice trails to expert double black-diamond moguls. And when your ski day is over, there are plenty of local bars for nighttime entertainment, as well as fine-dining restaurants, casinos, cabarets, comedy clubs and much more.
Non-skiers, as well as outdoor enthusiasts who want to take a day off from the slopes, can spend some time at a local spa, shop the outlet malls and antique boutiques, or hop in the car for a ride along scenic Highways 28 and 50, dubbed “The Most Beautiful Drive in America.”
Want to experience the champagne powder found at the ski resorts in the glorious Colorado Rockies? Consider timeshare ownership at Breckenridge, with its family-friendly terrain, or world-class Vail, minutes from the convenient Eagle/Vail Regional Airport.
Then there’s Winter Park, just 90 miles east of Denver International Airport (it’s also accessible by the legendary-and fun-Ski Train from downtown Denver). This ski resort is comprised of 143 trails and 25 lifts in five distinct areas: Winter Park, Mary Jane, Vasquez Ridge, Parsenn Bowl and Vasquez Ridge. Hard-core skiers looking for those adrenaline-charged runs appreciate Winter Park’s steeps and deeps.
Just 30 miles from Salt Lake City, Snowbird is in the heart of the Wasatch-Cache National Forest. The ski resort claims the state’s longest-running ski season, mid-November to mid-May. Multiple terrain parks keep adventurous snowboarders entertained all day, and for non-boarders or non-skiers, there are guided two-hour snowshoe tours in the backcountry, ice skating rinks, tubing hills, snowmobile rentals and more.
More than 80 percent of the trails at Park City Mountain Resort are labeled “intermediate” and “advance/expert,” so the peaks aren’t ideal for novice skiers. That said, with some “bunny slopes” near the base area, beginners can learn to ski here. In fact, the Signature 5 Program guarantees that there will be no more than five children ages six to 14 in any group lesson. Preschoolers won’t be in a group of more than three kids, ensuring that even the youngest skiers get personal attention at this refined resort. Other adventurous winter activities here include dogsledding and even bobsledding at the 2002 Olympic venue.
