Winter Park---Great for People With Disabilities
Written: May 10 '03 (Updated May 11 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great for people with disabilities. A very rustic ski area with breathtaking views.
Cons: Limited choices of restaurants, steep beginner run at the base
The Bottom Line: If you want beautiful views and a variety of skiing experiences, Winter Park is the place for you.
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| Barefooter's Full Review: Winter Park |
Long before we had kids, the hubby and I used to take trips out west to escape the bunny hills of the midwest. Once we started having kids, we looked back fondly on nights of sitting outside in hot tubs with snow falling gently around us. Our skis moved to the attic of the garage and we outgrew our college ski outfits. We always talked of "someday" when we would be able to go back west and hit some powder again.
Totally on impulse, my husband and I decided to grab a trip to Winter Park, Colorado this year, with the kids. I had just finished our tax return and we were debating all the things we could do with our tiny windfall. Pay down debt, or go skiing? Start a retirement fund, or go skiing? A new kitchen floor, or go skiing? Buy a new shed, or go skiing? A friend of ours has a condo and we discovered it was available during our kids' spring break in March. That cinched our decision. We decided that the free condo and the tax return was our solution to the calling of the snow.
We packed our van and headed out for 20 hours of driving. Mapquest estimated our trip to be 17 hours, but as anyone who has kids knows, there's always that inevitable, "Mom, I gotta go to the bathroom. Now!" Not to mention that after running out of fruit, nuts, granola bars and various assortments of candy, there's always the next complaint, "When are we going to eat?"
After passing Denver, we arrived at I-40 and began our trip up the mountain in blinding snow. Halfway to the resort, we stopped at Berthoud's Pass, a place that our condo owner assured us was an amazing place for pictures. The only picture I was able to capture was a close up of the sign stating that we were at 11,307 feet at the Continental Divide. We were surrounded by swirling snow and my husband's hair was beginning to grey from the white knuckle driving. We pressed on, wondering why in the world that there were so few guard rails on this winding road.
We breathed a sigh of relief after arriving at the condo. The next morning, we woke up to amazing views and less snow falling. We were surrounded by pine trees and a 360 degree view of mountains all around. There's one word that describes the town of Winter Park and nearby Fraser: rustic. If you want a small town feeling and simplicity, this is the resort for you. It is quite a difference from the commercialism of Vail, yet despite being a very tiny town, we were able to find some good restaurants (and a few bad ones!) and the usual souvenir stores.
On our second day, we were delighted to see a brown bear that sauntered right across the slope at the base. Of course, it had to be on the only day that we left the camera at home. Fortunately, the local newspaper printed a picture of the grumpy bear and we were able to grab a copy for a keepsake.
Winter Park is home to the National Sports Center for the Disabled. This unique program caters to skiers of all ages and all disabilities. Their motto is: "No mountain too high." They have equipment to adapt to a variety of disabilities and provide one-on-one ski instruction. We rented ski equipment for the kids for $12 per day. Since all three of our kids are deaf and hard of hearing, we signed them up for lessons with instructors who could sign. They had difficulty locating a third instructor who could sign but the instructor was very nice and picked up basic signs so he could work with my youngest. Since our vacation was so last minute, we were only able to get in one three-hour lesson at the end of the week. It was well worth it, since it allowed my husband and I to finally explore the more challenging trails.
Our 5 year old had never skied before and our 9 and 7 year olds had only skied one time before. Winter Park has two beginner hills with "Magic Carpet," a treadmill that grips the skis and slowly transports a skier to the top of the hill. This was an excellent way for my youngest to learn since he didn't have to deal with a hand-numbing tow rope like in the midwest.
The Gemini lift is located near the bunny hills. This high-speed quad lift will bring you to the next level of a beginner slope called Discovery Park. This area is serviced by a slower, lower double lift that is excellent for beginners. "Ski Papa" is a nice short trip through the trees for more adventurous beginners. A word of caution though, if you choose to go down the Parkway, you'll find yourself going down a narrow run that leads to a rather steep slope in front of the base. This really should be labeled a blue run, since beginners will find it quite challenging to get down.
With over 100 trails serviced by 8 high-speed quad chairlifts and several doubles, you can easily get around the mountain. Head over to Mary Jane if you want plenty of black and double-black diamonds. The motto on Mary Jane is, "No Pain, No Jane." The other mountain is Vasquez Ridge-- we didn't get a chance to ski that.
There are several full service restaurants scattered on the trails. One full-service and a deli are located at the base. The sandwiches at the deli were absolutely delicious.
Another fun activity for the kids is the trampoline at the base. Hooked to bungee cords, for $7, you can bounce and flip as high as you want, for approximately ten minutes.
A note on transportation: cars are not allowed at the base unless you are residing in a resort at the base. All others will have to take a free shuttle bus from the parking lot or from the resorts around the town.
Winter Park is not just for skiers. The mountain is open in the summers for hiking and walking. The chairlift services a sledding tube so you can enjoy the thrill of speeding down the mountain minus the snow. There is also horseback riding and fly fishing nearby.
After spending five days at Winter Park, my kids are already clamoring to return. With so many trails yet to explore, we look forward to checking out the rest on our next trip.
Recommended:
Yes
Level of Experience Needed: All
Best Time to Visit: March
Best Suited For: Families
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Barefooter
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Member: Karen
Location: Chicago area
Reviews written: 199
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"Life is too short to pout all the time."
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