Vail: What’s Hot in Winter

Get Out There

Our family has skied throughout the Vail Valley and the boys have been to ski school at both Vail and Beaver Creek. Both resorts provide an outstanding and comfortable environment for children to learn the ups and downs of the sport.

Vail 

Sure, they can learn snow sport skills from some of the best in the business. But Adventure Ridge, Vail’s mountain-top activity center, looks like so much fun! New this year, families can engage in some amazing activities:

Kid’s Snowmobile. Kids aged 6-12 and weighing less than 110 pounds can cruise around a specially crafted speedway in mini-snowmobiles. Fast or slow? The junior driver decides. $24 per session.

Tubing. A multi-lane tubing hill gives kids of all ages a downhill rush. Grab the lift back up and give it another go. $24 per hour.

• Snow tubing is a hit with the kids at Vail Resort.
• Jack Affleck, Vail Resorts

Ski Biking. Kids must be at least 14 and intermediate or better skiers. Hop on a ski bike—yep, part bike, part ski—and join a nighttime downhill adventure tour. Reservations recommended. Call 970-476-9090.

Snowshoe. The staff of the Nature Discovery Center provides guided snowshoe tours from the top of Vail Mountain. All ages welcome, but the pros recommend adults and kids over 10. For an extra special experience, join the night tours when the moon is full.

Trampoline. Try your acrobatic feats on your own or with a friend. Kids will go sky high on this trampoline. Not to worry. There’s a bungee harness. $10

• Ski biking is a modern twist on combining two favorite sports.
• Chris McLennan, Vail Resorts

Class time. Vail’s ski and snowboard school, known as one of the best, has been renamed the Vail Snowsports School to more accurately reflect the full level of instruction available. This is the place for the whole family to bone up on alpine skiing, snowboarding, Nordic sports, adaptive, telemark and other snow-sliding winter sports.

It’s all available for parents wishing to arrange instruction or care for their kids in every age group. It is strongly recommended to investigate your options—from full-day private to half-day small group lessons—before your arrival and make a booking. Times and days may fill up, particularly during a busy holiday stretch.

Descriptions of the various group and private offerings are available on the Vail Web site. You can book in advance by visiting Children’s Online Reservations at www.vail.snow.com/winter.