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What: #91 Ski at a new place

Where: Loveland Basin, Colorado

When: January 7th

Why: There are a few ski areas that I tend to frequent again and again, usually the larger resorts where there is more to do and lots of variety. I thought I should try out a smaller ski area, and so rather than ski at Arapahoe Basin - my normal stop on my way back to Denver - I drove through the tunnel to the other side of the continental divide to ski at Loveland. This is a ski place that has always intrigued me because it straddles the freeway, I-70, and the massive Eisenhower-Johnson tunnel that bores through the mountain pass.

So, I've driven by it/under it for years, but never stopped to ski at it. This time, I opted to do so. I was going to be skiing for a short day and typically I like to go where I'm familiar if I'm on my own, but figured this list isn't about doing what is comfortable, so I chose to ski Loveland. It was a great place, and with only a portion of the resort open (snow was falling down thick that day, but had been scarce the past few weeks), it was still a really pleasant place. Very laid back. All the chairlifts are lacking in the high-speed technology, but the scenery up the mountain facing the divide is so breathtaking that you don't notice it takes awhile to reach the top. As indicated, my day was shortened by incredibly heavy snowfall, but it was a great way to start off my list!

Update: Later in 2012, I also added Ski Cooper to my list of new ski resorts during a trip that also included Vail and Beaver Creek. In 2013, I've also now added a few more new ski areas with a trip to Salt Lake City, Utah, and taking in a few days of skiing at Alta, Solitude, and Sundance! This was in addition to a great week of spring skiing at Arapahoe Basin, Vail, and Breckenridge!