The last couple of weekends I have had the pleasure of going to Winter Park from Denver on the ski train.
As anyone who lives in the Front Range knows, the worst thing about going skiing on the weekends is the drive up I70 to the ski areas. Its a traffic jam that would make the people in LA or San Francisco envious. Can double or triple the amount of time it takes.
Since the 40's a train has been run from Denver up to Winter Park Ski area (http://www.skitrain.com/) . The Rio Grande runs daily trips on weekends from Christmas till the end of March.
The train leaves about 7:15 in the morning and gets back to Denver about 6:30pm. In the club cars they serve breakfast in the morning and a light dinner in the evening.
As far as Winter Park goes, the ski conditions have been fantastic. 70 inch base of some of the nicest snow I have ever skied. They added a new lift this year, the Panoramic Express which is the highest 6 passenger chairlift in the world, peaking out at over 12,000 feet.
This is an annual trip that I do with my dad, and this year I got to do it as a company outing as well. Its a unique treat that everyone out here who skiis should try. They run a summer trip as well for those mountain bikers out there.
