Spring Break 2014: The Wild West Guide
Two years ago, I lived out of my truck and drove over 6,000 miles throughout the United States. This wild ride took me through 16 states, four beautiful national parks and four top-notch ski resorts; I truly had the time of my life. It was a remarkable experience, but the most remarkable thing about it was it only took three weeks. So let me ask you this, DU students: What are you going to do over the nine days of spring break this year? The Wild West and all its magnificence eagerly await your answer.
There are so many ski and snowboard road trip possibilities that a little advice may be in order. For Epic Pass holders, the foremost options are in Utah and California. In addition to the mountains here in Colorado, these passes work at The Canyons Resort in Park City, Utah (501 miles/eight-hour drive), as well as Heavenly Mountain Resort (1021 miles/16-hour drive), Northstar Resort (1077 miles/16-hour drive), and Kirkwood Resort (1055 miles/16.5-hour drive), which are all concentrated in the Lake Tahoe area. Chasing these options means saving lots of money, the only true concern behind Spring Break.
There’s also an endless list of options outside of the Epic Pass sphere, but at the top of that list is Jackson Hole, Wyo. (516 miles/eight hour drive) and Sun Valley, Idaho (749 miles/12- hour drive). Both are legendary resorts within a reasonable distance that serve as worthy possibilities.
By not purchasing lift tickets, you can save about a hundred dollars a day, but that still leaves plenty of expenses to be accounted for like lodging and gas no matter where you go. When it comes to lodging, there are three options: Pack everyone into a cheap hotel room, camp or just sleep in the car. The car will be packed and probably smelly, so I suggest finding a campground. However, if you decide to book a hotel, make sure to do it a couple towns away from the resorts to avoid those high mountain prices.
Gas is an unavoidable expense, but finding the right places to buy it is crucial. To do this, download GasBuddy, an app that shows all the nearby stations so you can find the lowest price possible. You may have to drive a mile out of the way, but it’s well worth it when trekking thousands. GasBuddy also has a trip calculator on their website that can estimate how much your entire trip’s gas will cost and utilizing this is a great way to plan financially.
These road trips may seem like just lots of driving, but they happen to include some of the most scenic routes in the country. Cruising the West’s open roads brings true understanding of how fortunate we are to live here, and these drives tend to be some of the most memorable experiences of all. Also keep in mind that splitting up wheel time between a few people only comes down to a few hours per person, the same amount of time to reach the mountains in Colorado. I averaged about 2,000 miles per week on my trip with just one co-pilot, and there’s no way you can’t do the same in these nine days of liberty with a group of friends.
Colorado is an absolutely fantastic place full of endless opportunity, but that doesn’t mean you should stay for spring break. Explore the rest of the west, don’t worry about a thing and you’ll hopefully come back ready for spring quarter.
