What better way to start a new year and a new decade than to plan a ski trip with your best gal pals?
Maybe you’ve been saying you’ll get together for eons and haven’t made good on the promise or you’ve already got a regular reunion on the calendar every year and just need some fresh inspiration.
Whichever camp you fall into, whether it’s a multi-generation mother/daughter getaway, a college besties reunion, or a big birthday celebratory year for everyone, we’ve got plenty of ideas to keep you connected with those you care about.
No Boys Allowed
How about trying a Women’s only ski camp? In Vail and Steamboat, there are several weekends scheduled throughout the winter with ski camps designed just for women.
Steamboat’s Women’s Ski Clinics are hosted by Olympians, Deb Armstrong, and Ann Battelle. They create a gold medal-winning atmosphere emphasizing camaraderie, fun, and skills improvement. The camp includes daily gourmet lunches at Hazie’s with views overlooking the valley and first tracks access to the mountain (ski while everyone else is still sleeping). January 7-9, February 4-6, March 3-5, 2020.
At Beaver Creek, women are invited to a 2-hour Women’s Social Tour. This is every Tuesday-Friday at 10 am and is open to intermediate and above female skiers looking to refine their skills on a guided tour of the resort. Some social tours (not all of them) also include post skiing coffee flight and tasting with a coffee master.
Her Turn at Vail offers Women’s Ultimate 4 for level 1-4 skiers who are over 15 years old. Coaches limit class size to just 4 women and instructors use video and expert coaching to improve skills in a supportive environment. February 13-21, 2020 and March 3-April 4, 2020.
Odd dates?
If your group won’t be here on those specific dates, but you still want the women's’ ski camp experience, then you can easily hire a private instructor for the duration of your stay at any of our resorts.
In Steamboat, hiring an Olympian is always an option, though all of the certified professional ski instructors are excellent at making sure everyone has fun while improving on the slopes.
Double bonus to hiring your own instructor at any ski mountain, you are in a private group of just your besties, you get a guided tour of the mountain (no wrestling with trail maps) and you can skip the lift lines!
Cross Country Skiing, Snowshoeing, and Skating:
If you’d rather glide or walk your way around our winter wonderlands, organize a cross country ski outing with your favorite females. Vail Nordic Center and Beaver Creek Nordic Center are the top spots in the Vail Valley. They’ve got the latest gear and the best locations for accessing all of the cross country ski trails in the most scenic spots.
In Steamboat, you can be fully outfitted and enjoy trails at the Steamboat Ski Touring Center and Lake Catamount Touring Center with additional trails at Howelsen Hill and Haymaker.
You can even enjoy a guided gourmet snowshoe tour on the Steamboat ski mountain or try the Full Moon & Fondue dinner at Haymaker Nordic Center on select full moon evenings throughout the winter. You’re treated to an evening snowshoe under a sky full of stars followed by a meat and cheese fondue dinner and it’s topped off with a decadent chocolate fondue dessert! Other off-mountain options also include a 2-hour photo adventure along Fish Creek for shutterbugs looking to capture the scenery on snowshoe.
Of course, there’s also ice skating on the picturesque outdoor rink in Beaver Creek. Who needs Rockefeller Center, when this rink is surrounded by snow-capped mountains and twinkly lights. We recommend washing down your turns on the ice with an apres-skate inspired big glass of Cabernet at C-Bar, a margarita at Dusty Boot Roadhouse or a Mama’s Lil Yella Pils at The Met Kitchen. Of course, unless you’re Kristi Yamaguchi, we don’t recommend drinking before hitting the ice.
Do as I say, not as I do
Just because we have to tell our kids to be careful, doesn’t mean we always have to be … for thrill-seeking chicks, we recommend a day of snowmobiling or powder cat skiing and we’re more than happy to set those up for you with our preferred outfitters at any of the resorts. Go as a group and book a private cat and you can make the entire experience about gurl power and set your own pace.
Apres-everything
Relax and rejuvenate at a few of the best wine bars and apres-ski gathering spots around Vail, Beaver Creek, and Steamboat. At the base area of Steamboat, we love sitting around the outdoor fireplace at Truffle Pig or snuggling up to the petit wine bar at Cafe Diva. There are incredible cocktails and entertaining bartenders downtown at The Laundry. If you’re craving a top-notch tequila, try Salt & Lime’s margaritas in Steamboat or a Patron Skinny marg at Maya in Avon/Beaver Creek. In the Vail Valley, we love the swanky Root & Flower wine bar and the indulgent Sweet Basil in Vail, we adore Vin 48 in Avon and always have fun before or after a Vilar Center Performance at The Met Kitchen in Beaver Creek.
Spa Day
After all of this skiing, snowshoeing and skating, you’re going to want to include some spa treatments in your stay. There’s no shortage of places to pamper you at Vail, Beaver Creek or Steamboat, but nothing beats bringing the spa experience to your chalet.
We have curated a list of the best massage therapists in Vail, Beaver Creek, and Steamboat to give you the ultimate in convenient in-chalet treatments, just ask our guest services specialist to set this up for you. With an in-home massage, your group can take turns on the table and enjoy the private hot tub before or after each treatment. No managing logistics of having appointments for different people spread throughout the weekend. Forget the cucumber water, a nice glass of rosé or pinot can be the perfect accompaniment to your own personal chalet spa experience. Plus, you can stay in your bathrobe and slippers as long as you want!
In Steamboat, our guests also have exclusive access to the One Steamboat Place spa, it’s an especially convenient option for our guests staying at One Steamboat Place. Try the “Kick-Off your Boots” foot massage, an age-defying body wrap or the Ultimate Rejuvenation Oxygen Facial. Other favorites for a full day spa experience include Arrabelle in Lionshead/Vail and Allegria at Beaver Creek.
Of course, in Steamboat, you can also enjoy a relaxing soak during the day or evening at the Strawberry Park Natural Hot Springs, for a unique experience, try an aquatic float massage in one of the hot springs pools.
Yoga
Yogis and skiers seem to be one and the same, these days. There are plenty of places to practice your postures, but Out Here Yoga in Steamboat is our favorite. The upstairs hot vinyasa yoga studio has an enviable floor-to-ceiling view of the ski mountain. Nothing inspires your mountain pose, well, like staring right at a beautiful mountain! Another fun idea is to hire a yoga instructor to come right to your chalet and teach a private class to your girlfriend group. Chalet chai afterward optional, but always a treat.
Where to swipe your credit card
Vail, Beaver Creek, and Steamboat all have plenty of boutiques you’ll want to explore before you head home. Whether it’s that new parka you’re craving for next year’s ski vacation, that 24-carat souvenir to remember the trip by or something for the little people you left at home, there are plenty of shops to explore.
In Vail, Gorsuch is a must-visit. This 3-story alpine-esque department store is one well worth indulging in. Then head to Skipper & Scout for the kids so that you don’t dare go home empty-handed. Los Libros bookstore and its sister shop, Simpra Viva clothing in Beaver Creek are thoughtfully curated with plenty of unique finds to bring home. Steamboat’s Fringe, Chez Nous, and Kali boutiques downtown have plenty of yummy sweaters to bundle up in. A requisite visit to the toy shop, In Celebration of Kids in downtown Steamboat will ensure that you’ll be “allowed’ to getaway on another girls’ trip, again.
Galleries galore
There are plenty of wall-worthy galleries throughout Vail, Beaver Creek, and Steamboat. If you’re visiting on the first Friday of the month, enjoy a fine art stroll through downtown Steamboat. Every Wednesday in Vail Village is an art crawl. Beaver Creek has select signature art events throughout the year.
Out of the ordinary
Want something a bit out of the ordinary for your group? Try an Escape Room! We love the thoughtful details, surrealist settings and intriguing puzzles in the Edgar Allen Poe inspired Escape Room at The Crooked Key in downtown Steamboat. Or venture over to Vail Valley Escape Rooms with locations in both Vail and Avon.
Winter Driving School
If you secretly dream of racing that Minivan around the carpool pick-up lane or you’d just love to increase your confidence in winter driving conditions, book a day for your group with Steamboat’s renowned Bridgestone Winter Driving School. It’s for the woman who is part adrenaline-junkie, part safety patrol, and all fun. It’s been featured on the Today Show, Good Morning America and Better Homes and Gardens to name a few.
Out on the Town
Ready to let your helmet hair down? We’ve got just the spot! In Beaver Creek, head to the Met Kitchen before a performance at the Vilar Center. Coming up at Vilar in 2020, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, 3 Dog Night, Sam Bush and many other notable performers. In Vail, boogie in your ski boots until the wee hours to live music at Shakedown, Red Lion or Bridge Street Bar.
In Steamboat, check the Strings in the Mountains calendar, this year Ani DiFranco is coming in February, last year the Indigo Girls played to a sold-out audience. Any day of the week, Schmiggity’s in downtown Steamboat will have you entertained. From Monday piano bar singalong nights to two-step Tuesdays to live music and DJ dancing pretty much every other night of the week with a few karaoke sessions and everything else in between.
Or would you rather stay in?
How about a catered chalet cooking class? We can bring in our catered chalet team for an evening and take you on a culinary tour of the region without ever having to leave your chalet. It could be an evening cooking class where you can learn tips and tricks to get out of a culinary rut at home or you can not go anywhere near the kitchen, just sit back, relax and let someone take care of YOU for a change (it’s what we specialize in!).
The best place to stay for your girls’ ski weekend
Well, call us biased, but we offer the absolute best in lodging and accommodations for your girls’ ski weekend. Our hand-picked homes and residences can accommodate anywhere from 8-30 guests and represent the very best of Steamboat, Vail and Beaver Creek. From multiple master suites to ski-in/ski-out condos, our chalets will be the perfect setting for your women’s weekend getaway.
But don’t forget to do this…
Don’t just dream about your girls’ ski week, do it. Life gets pretty busy for most of us, and if we don’t sit down and put our priorities on the calendar, they get pushed aside indefinitely. Our advice, don’t file this blog post until you forward it to your favorite females or post it on social media tagging those who need to be on the next Colorado bound airplane with you, then get the doodle poll going or the group google calendar, decide the dates and give us a call.
We’ll take care of the rest from recommending the best spa treatments to the favorite scenic snowshoe or snowmobile tour. We can stock the shelves so that no one has to go to the grocery store, we can cook the meals so that no one needs to ever touch a pot or a pan, we’ll arrange for ski rentals where you never have to step foot in a crowded store and we’ll take care of every detail to ensure a memorable weekend for all.
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