January 20, 2010 E-MAIL PRINT

Take a trip to the Rockies

by Tony Chamberlain/

Who says you can't find winter sunshine in the mountains? Bring along the 50-block and UV sunglasses! (photo: Tony Chamberlain)

Who says you can't find winter sunshine in the mountains? Bring along the 50-block and UV sunglasses! (photo: Tony Chamberlain)

Like most New Englanders, I ski about 75 percent of my season in New England — or at least the Northeast, since I do like Lake Placid and Tremblant as well.

But we are getting to a time of year when many natives of the New England January — cold and dark — are thinking sunshine, even if we do love skiing and snowboarding.

We are about to see the usual commercials all over TV showing those oh-so-crazy kids on their spring break firing Jello shots and doing stuff on a beach, in front of a camera, that would make me blush to write. (Kids need a vacation from what, exactly?)

And there are couples and families taking off on a Carnival Cruise Lines expedition to the Bahamas or golf treks to Arizona. And, of course, for people who enjoy fine dining at the nearest strip mall, there’s always Florida.

But you figure, if there’s nothing in your life that quite matches skiing and riding, and if it’s still time to pursue a little airborne vitamin D, better known as sunshine, you can accomplish both in one vacation.

When Averell Harriman developed Sun Valley in the mid-30s, his biggest marketing challenge was to convince New Yorkers and others in the Northeast that there were places on earth where in winter you could enjoy real snow underfoot — not slush — and still have sunshine so strong it can burn you seriously in an afternoon. It took a while for skiers to get on his Union-Pacific train to chug to the Idaho Rockies, but when they did they found it amazingly true.

Of course, Hollywood came first, but then the publicity surrounding this mountain resort called Shangri La began to draw people from the Northeast as well. And a Rocky Mountain ski trip became a kind bucket-list goal for nearly all snow lovers.

So, this is where I spend about 20 percent of my ski time — the Rockies. Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, even New Mexico, this mountain range that establishes the continental divide covers a huge amount of beautiful territory with enough ski areas to keep you sampling for a lifetime.

I do not seek to dis New England skiing — and there’s a case to make for setting our ever-sharp edges on eastern hardscrabble. But even many Europeans would rather come slide in the sunny Rockies than their own Alps. This was a revelation first made to me by Swedish superskier Ingemar Stenmark, who owns a place in Vail, Colo.

Yes, the Rockies get tons of snow each year, most of it falling conveniently at night — ask a meteorologist just why this is. But on a bluebird day in two-mile-high altitude, you bet there’s sun — so much so you have to learn the precautions for dealing with its direct rays and those reflected brightly off the snow.

Snow lovers will not be disappointed that they chose Salt Lake City, Utah; Angel Fire, N.M.; Aspen, Colo.; or Jackson Hole, Wyo., over another Florida beach.

And the real good news is that the prices are down everywhere, from airfare to western ski country to lodging rates and lift ticket packages. Want sunshine along with some ethereally fine winter wonderland stuff? Go on line and begin dealing.

Next week: Some western choices

E-MAIL PRINT