Skiing at Loveland Ski Area

It is almost impossible to go to Denver and not take some time to hit the nearby slopes. As soon as you land, the view of the mountains that provide a beautiful backdrop to the city are enough to entice you out of the city for a ski trip. There are several good options for skiing near Denver, and on a recent trip I took a day to visit Loveland Ski Area, located just 45 minutes from the downtown area.

The Lesson

One of the reasons I chose Loveland for a day trip was due to the great deals they have available on tickets and lessons. Loveland hosts classes for children of various levels as well as adults. My group all needed some basic skills practice since we either were skiing for the first or second time. Before this trip, I had only gone skiing once before in France, but wanted to take the class to refresh my memory since it had been a few years.

All classes meet promptly at 10 AM. It is recommended you arrive at least 2 hours before the start of class to ensure you have enough time to check in and get all of your equipment. Included with the price of the class is a lift ticket and equipment rental (skis or snowboard, boots, ski poles, helmet, and goggles). Classes run from 10 AM until 3 PM, at which time you are free to use the last hour to practice some more. Classes are available for beginners, as well as level 2 and advanced skiiers or snowboarders who want to practice a specific skill.

Our instructor, Tom, was a seasoned Colorado skier. We began the class on the baby bunny hill learning the basics of stopping and turning. After everyone had sufficient practice, we moved to the regular bunny hill where we had a few more runs before lunch. Included with our ski lesson ticket was a discount lunch. Loveland kitchen whips up some pretty good grub of burgers and pizza – I was surprised how tasty it was. Although the mountain air might have worked up my appetite.

After lunch we graduated to the bunny hill where we took the Magic Carpet lift up before practicing our turning and stopping on the way down. Once we mastered that we got to hop on a ski lift for more of a longer run and faster speeds. Whoo!

The Slopes

Loveland has many hills available for all levels of skiers and snowboarders. At the base where the classes are held, are several Green level slopes as well as a few Blue level slopes. For more advanced skiers and snowboarders, a shuttle service is available that takes you to the base of the other side of the mountain with Black Diamond slopes, although there are still Blue and Green level trails as well. No matter how skilled you are, there is a place for you at Loveland!