I grew up going skiing in Vermont every February and was lucky enough to go skiing in Colorado and Utah a few times in my young adulthood. Living in the south, our skiing options are nowhere near as impressive. We’ve taken the kids to various ski resorts in North Carolina and West Virginia but felt like they were ready for the next step. We started looking at options out west for a President’s Day weekend trip and decided on Keystone, CO.
Keystone boasts three mountain peaks with a combined 130 trails. Located an hour and a half from Denver at 9,280 feet (12,408 feet at the summit), it is one of many fantastic ski resorts in the area. We chose it because it is one of the most family-friendly.
We travelled with another family and arrived in Denver in the early afternoon. We rented a pickup truck and our friends took a shuttle. They were not comfortable driving in the snowy mountains and we couldn’t all fit in one vehicle so splitting up was the best option. The shuttle was a great service but really expensive! The shuttle companies definitely know that there aren’t a lot of ways to get to the ski resorts and take full advantage.
The drive through the mountains was really pretty and aside from one area with some winding switch backs, it wasn’t too bad. A pickup was the only 4 wheel drive rental available but we definitely didn’t think through the fact that our luggage would get snowed on – or that there would already be so much snow in the bed of the truck that our luggage would barely fit. (Whether or not it was secure was a whole other question.) We had planned to stop at the grocery store on our way into town but ended up having to go to the condo first so that the truck could be emptied of its passengers and luggage.
We rented a condo in River Run and really loved the location. Easy walking distance to the village and to the base of the mountain, we were able to come back to the condo for lunch or for breaks whenever we needed them. The condo building had a heated parking garage with ski lockers, which made it easy to get going in the morning. And as a bonus, we rented skis from the resort and they delivered them right to us at the condo!
River Run Village is a cute little area that had lots of restaurants and shops. You can’t do full grocery shopping for a weekend there but you can certainly grab any odds and ends you needed, as well as any ski gear or souvenirs you wanted. We were surprised at how few restaurants were open for dinner though. I’m not sure if it was just making a slow comeback from covid but when the adults went out to dinner one night, we could only find 2 places that were open.
One of the coolest features of the village is its “snowmelt” system that heats the pavement and sidewalks so that the snow and ice don’t accumulate where people are walking. It was amazing! If not for the snow on the roofs and in the natural areas, you wouldn’t even know it was winter from these pictures. With no concern over slipping on ice, it was much safer and easier to walk through the village.
The skiing itself was phenomenal. With 20 lifts, 130 trails, and runs up to 3.5 miles long, there is truly something for everyone here. Dercum Mountain is the main ski area and the gateway to the other two peaks. Its runs are accessible from the lifts and gondolas at both the River Run and Mountain House base areas. Almost all of the runs from its summit back to River Run Village are greens and blues, which was great for our group. Schoolmarm is the “family ski trail”, a green run that is long and varied enough that we didn’t tire of it the same way we did of the green runs at the NC mountain resorts.
The kids did a half day lesson on our second day there. The lessons left from the Mountain House base area so we took a shuttle over there to drop them off and used that area as our base for the day. The older boys ended up in a lesson by themselves with an instructor and had a good experience. The younger boys were in a larger group that seemed to be a little more beginner level than they were. They were bored and didn’t really enjoy it or feel like they learned much. Thankfully it was only a half day so it wasn’t a huge deal.
By the third day the kids were confident enough to explore some of the trails on the North Peak. There are no beginner trails on that mountain but there are some blues that were a good but reasonable challenge for them. From the peak of Dercum Mountain, we skied down the back side on the Mozart trail to reach the lift to the top of North Peak. (There is also a peak to peak gondola that we used to get back.) The trail was a little steep and crowded at the head but opened up below. Unfortunately, there seemed to be more reckless skiers on this side of the mountain and we had some close calls, as well as a direct hit from an out of control pre-teen snowboarder who took out our youngest son. Thankfully he was not seriously injured but it did make us all a little more cautious on that side of the mountain. The younger boys and I did another run from there and then headed back to Dercum, while the dads and the older boys spent most of the day on that peak.
As much as I loved the skiing, it was hard for me not to stop constantly just to look around and take in the incredible views. It truly is hard to describe or photograph the stunning vistas in every direction. I think I would have been just as happy to sit at a picnic table at the summit with some hot chocolate and enjoy the scenery.
We had an incredible time at Keystone. The resort offers a large variety of trails. The conditions were great and the crowds were really reasonable, especially for a holiday weekend. The resort is well run and caters to families. They made the whole process from rentals to lessons smooth and easy. The only problem with a trip like this is that it spoils you! Now that we’ve gotten a taste of Colorado skiing, going back to NC/WV skiing will be tough.
