trips for solo skiers

So I'm separated now and the kids are going with their mom on
Thanksgiving and New Year's trips. I'd like to take a trip to the
Rockies. Is there a travel agent, package maker, or resort who does
trips for single or solo skiers? I'm not necessarily looking for a
bunch of hot swingers apre ski (though, come to think of it, that does
have its appeal), but just looking for deals without paying the old
double-occupancy rate, and having some company. Any ideas?

Hey Dave,

I do 90% of my skiing alone, so I've been up against the same problems
you're having now. Have you thought about staying in hostels? There
are great hostels in Winter Park, Leadville (close to Summit County)
and Lake Louise. I'm sure there are plenty more I'm not aware of. The
hostels in SLC are to be avoided unless they've undergone metamorphosis
in the last few years.

Regarding your specific questions, I've always booked my own trips so I
wouldn't know about travel agents et al. New Years is probably the
most expensive time of the season so unless you can hook up with
mountain dwelling friends, I'll just say good luck on that one.

Chris

bumpfreaq wrote:
Hey Dave,

I do 90% of my skiing alone, so I've been up against the same problems
you're having now. Have you thought about staying in hostels? There
are great hostels in Winter Park, Leadville (close to Summit County)
and Lake Louise.

There's a hostel in Silverthorne, right on the main drag over the raod from
the Summit Stage terminal. Can't remember its name, but it had a real
Bavarian theme going. had a good reputation too. I have found hostels in
every ski town so far, except Stowe.


--
ant

That's the Alpen Hutte. It has a good vibe to it and is run by a
pretty cool dude, but it's cold and manky..... imho

Chris

On 9 Oct 2005 05:25:32 -0700, "bumpfreaq" wrote:

Hey Dave,

I do 90% of my skiing alone, so I've been up against the same problems
you're having now. Have you thought about staying in hostels? There
are great hostels in Winter Park, Leadville (close to Summit County)
and Lake Louise. I'm sure there are plenty more I'm not aware of. The
hostels in SLC are to be avoided unless they've undergone metamorphosis
in the last few years.

The October _Powder_ has a nice article on a handful of hostels near
some very good destinations (Taos, C.Butte, Jackson.). Which means
you're probably just exactly too late to make use of them, since
they'll now be swamped by people who read about them in _Powder_.

In a related vein, the same issue has an article about the increasing
carnage on a couple of Wasatch "gap jumps". Seems a lot of young
skiers who aren't really up to the task are still determined to try,
because they've seen so many heroic jumps of these same gaps in ski
films and ski mags....like _Powder_, which has been writing about how
kewl those gap jumps are for a few years now (although the article
doesn't really touch on that last point).

bw

On 8 Oct 2005 13:10:39 -0700, "daveonthebumps"
wrote:

So I'm separated now and the kids are going with their mom on
Thanksgiving and New Year's trips. I'd like to take a trip to the
Rockies. Is there a travel agent, package maker, or resort who does
trips for single or solo skiers? I'm not necessarily looking for a
bunch of hot swingers apre ski (though, come to think of it, that does
have its appeal), but just looking for deals without paying the old
double-occupancy rate, and having some company. Any ideas?

Being as how you are alone, your accomodation doesn't matter much,
you'll spend little time there. I recommend all the hostels that
people have commented on in this thread. Sometimes you'll hook up
with people, sometimes not. I've stayed at the summit country hostel
and it was okay, the hostel in Taos (abomidable) was fun, the one in
Crested Butte I have heard good things about. The motel 6 in Jackson
Hole has a great weekly rate that is just as cheap as a Hostel, or
there is the Hostel right in Teton Village (Hostel x) that will cost
you more, but put you in the action.

Take advantage of your lack of connection with wife and kids by
planning your vacation during the times that kids cannot go. Avoid
the holidays and spring break. Second week of January through the
first week of March are good times depending on where you decide to
go.

I usually plan my solo ski trips around a couple of friends or
whatever meeting up with at least a couple of people sometime on my
trips. Its fun.

nate

uglymoney wrote:
On 8 Oct 2005 13:10:39 -0700, "daveonthebumps"
wrote:


So I'm separated now and the kids are going with their mom on
Thanksgiving and New Year's trips. I'd like to take a trip to the
Rockies.
CLIP
The motel 6 in Jackson
Hole has a great weekly rate that is just as cheap as a Hostel, or
there is the Hostel right in Teton Village (Hostel x) that will cost
you more, but put you in the action.

Also for Jackson, the Anvil hostel down-town is cheap, and properly
grungy for meeting the best sorts...
The Motel 8 had ultra-cheap weekly rates last year; might check them.

CLIP

One of the nifty things I found about hostels was you tended to meet others
like you, and had people to ski and travel with! I remember some adventures
with a Japanese guy who had as much English as I had Japanese (enough but
not much) and a charming Dane. Or those crazy drunken nights that just
"happened" in hostel common rooms. And the fascinating conversations with
people, just because you happened to be in the same place at the same time.
Many hostels nowadays have more expensive private rooms, as dorm living
isn't the greatest thing as you get old and soft. That's a nice way of
getting the good things about hostels without the downsides.
Most if not all ski areas have at least one hostel. Even Aspen!

--
ant

daveonthebumps wrote:
So I'm separated now and the kids are going with their mom on
Thanksgiving and New Year's trips. I'd like to take a trip to the
Rockies. Is there a travel agent, package maker, or resort who does
trips for single or solo skiers? I'm not necessarily looking for a
bunch of hot swingers apre ski (though, come to think of it, that does
have its appeal), but just looking for deals without paying the old
double-occupancy rate, and having some company. Any ideas?

My wife doesn't ski but I have a friend and family who do. If you don't
know any skiers, then I'd recommend you join a ski club. You'll have
plenty of opportunities to split expenses and you'll get to hang out
with people who share a common interest.

Well said. I've turned a couple of by chance hostel mates into long
term ski buds.

Chris
Old and soft..... hmmm...