Mini Tour By Jeff Miller Photo courtesy Winter Park When it comes to winter pleasures in the Colorado Rockies, most people automatically think of skiing. While Colorado is the premier ski destination in America, it is also home to a vast array of winter activities that non-skiers can enjoy as well. One of the best ways for non-skiers to experience the mountains is to take a day trip from Denver to Winter Park Ski Resort on The Ski Train (its official name). Where once pioneers trudged through waist-deep snows, rail riders now glide along in warm cocoons of train cars. The only struggle is in straining the neck to see everything; the only cold is in the bar's ice cubes. And when the train pulls into Winter Park — one of the state's most popular ski areas — non-skiers have a lot of options, from snowcat and snowshoe tours to sleigh rides and snow tubing, from dog sledding to shopping. No matter what's planned at the end of the line, most people agree the train itself is worth the trip. Leaving Denver's Union Station promptly at 7:15 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays during ski season, The Ski Train has been covering the 57 miles from Denver to Winter Park for more than 50 years and is now one of only two ski trains in America serving a major resort. In 1986, Ansco Investment Co. of Denver bought the train and updated the equipment and service. Today, a fleet of modern cars carries nearly 1,000 people per trip. Almost half of those are non-skiers out for a comfortable day in the mountains. As the train pulls out of Denver and climbs into the foothills, the vast prairie spreads out east until it melts into the horizon. Moving at a leisurely 25-30 miles an hour, the 14 cars ascend steeply through gorges and canyons, many accessible only by train. Observant passengers can sometimes see deer or elk picking their way along the mountainsides searching for food. During the journey, the train gains 4,000 feet in elevation and chugs through 29 tunnels — the shortest at 78 feet; the longest being Moffat Tunnel at 6.2 miles long. Moffat cuts under Rollins Pass, where pioneers used to trek, and crosses the Continental Divide at an altitude of 9,239 feet. The effect of the Divide is often most evident at the tunnel — sometimes it can be snowing at the east portal and startlingly clear and bright at the other end. Or vice versa. Surprisingly, the train pulls to a stop about 100 yards from the west end of the tunnel, and even closer than that to a Winter Park chairlift. As the skiers — both downhill and cross-country — manhandle their equipment and head with great deliberation for the slopes, non-skiers may worry about how to stay occupied until the 4:15 p.m. departure. They shouldn't. One popular non-skier option is the snowcat tour, offered every day at 10 a.m., 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. from the tour center desk in the base lodge, Balcony House. (Adults, $38). Each snowcat carries about 12 people in a heated cab that has plenty of windows. Photo courtesy Winter Park The drivers are young, enthusiastic and provide good commentary on the area's history and terrain. While the drivers talk, the "cats," with their big treads, claw their way up 1,800 vertical feet, giving passengers an eyeful of the ski area's size. Winter Park Resort covers 2,770 acres and is actually three mountains — Winter Park, Mary Jane and Vasquez Ridge. Twenty-four lifts service 134 designated trails, which are covered by about 30 feet of snow a year. During the two-hour tour, stops are made so passengers can get out and peer over the edge of mean-looking ski runs that seem ready to eat unsuspecting skiers. Skiers provide much of the tour's entertainment as they perform various acrobatics — both planned and unplanned. Even more spectacular is the scenery — lodgepole pines, virgin powder, panoramas of Fraser Valley and the distant peaks of Rocky Mountain National Park. Toward the end of the tour a 15-minute stop at Snoasis, a mid-mountain cafeteria, offers a great view of skiers on the trails and on a practice ski jump nearby. Passengers are welcome to stay at Snoasis to eat with skiing friends or family before catching the next snowcat down to the Balcony House. After the tour, getting into the town of Winter Park (two miles away), is easy-free day and night shuttle buses are color coded to destinations and can be caught at Winter Park Resort's base area. The town has more than 40 restaurants and numerous shops and is easily walkable. A few other non-skier activities include: Redfeather Snowshoe Tours — Winter Park Resort offers two-hour, guided tours along backcountry trails to Discover Park cabin. Daily, 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. from the Tour Center Desk in Balcony House; $30 per person. Or, you can rent your own snowshoes for $15 a day; $10 for half a day. Snow Tubing — A free shuttle bus from the ski area goes to Fraser Valley Tubing Hill, where you can slide down a snowy slope on an inner tube. Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; weekdays, 4-10 p.m.; before 6 p.m., $11 per hour, after 6 p.m., $12; 970-726-5954. Snowmobiles & Snoscoots — A handful of companies offer snowmobiles for groomed trails at an hourly rate of about $35-$40 for the first person, $15 for the second. Mountain Madness has snoscoots, which are scaled-down snowmobiles that can be run on a lap basis: 3/4 mile track, $3/lap; 3.75 mile track, $10/lap; it also has snowmobiles for about $35 per hour, $55 for two hours (single rides), 970-726-4529. Grand Adventures offers several daytime snowmobile activities (guided and unguided) at various prices that are options for train riders; 800-726-9247. Dog Sledding — Eight to 10 dogs "mush along" wilderness trails that give people a taste of the Yukon. Dog Sled Rides of Winter Park, Wed.-Mon., first trip leaves at 9:30, last at 3:30 p.m.; numerous trips available at various lengths of time starting at 25 minutes for $55 per person; 970-726-8326. Jeff Miller is editor of EnCompass. Tip for train-riding skiers: Bring equipment with you — rental shops at Winter Park may already be busy when the train arrives at 9:30 a.m. If You Go The Ski Train runs Fridays (except January), Saturdays & Sundays, Dec. 18-April 2. Special holiday weekday trips, Dec. 27, 28, and 29. From Denver: 6:30 a.m. boarding, 7:15 a.m. departure; scheduled Winter Park arrival, 9:30 a.m. From Winter Park: 4:15 p.m. departure, 6:30 p.m. scheduled arrival in Denver. The train is non-smoking. All seats are reserved. Club car seats (fewer seats, more space, more intimate with a continental breakfast buffet, complimentary snacks, private cash bar), $69. Coach, which has access to four snack bars and two dining cars, $44. Senior and child discounts available. Discounted lift tickets available with the purchase of a train ticket. Three private cars available for hire. Day train only; cannot book return trip for the next day. Reservations or information: 303-296-4754; www.skitrain.com. For Winter Park information, including activities and accommodations, 800-729-5813, www.skiwinterpark.com. Return to Table of Contents

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