Thinking About Your Colorado Mountain Trip
Colorado is arguably the ski capital of North America. When folks think about planning a winter vacatino, they almost always look at the Rockies. But what people don’t always think about is that a mountain trip comes with real risks. Altitude sickness is a real thing, flights get delayed because of snowstorms, and people get hurt on the slopes.
A lot of folks just assume their regular health insurance is going to cover a ski injury. Sometimes it does, but sometimes it doesn’t cover the rescue off the mountain or the med evactuaion flight back home if things get really serious. That is where travel ski insurance comes in.
We also see folks taking summer trips to these same resorts. When the snow melts, the mountains turn into massive mountain biking and hiking parks. Zip lining, white water rafting, and outdoor adventure are everywhere. If you are going to Colorado, you need coverage that matches what you are actually doing.
At Uncle Sheldon, we are real independent agents. We’re not a robot pushing a one size fits all button. We look at where you are going and help you compare options. Let’s break down the major resorts in Colorado and look at what you need to think about before you pack your bags.
Vail Mountain
Vail is massive and it is expensive. When you are dropping serious money on a ski vacation here, the trip cost alone makes insurance worth looking at. If a storm shuts down the pass or your kid gets sick the day before you fly out, you don’t want to just lose all that money you put into lodging and lift tickets.
During the summer, Vail is huge for hiking and mountain biking. The back bowls are beautiful but they are out there. If you get hurt on a trail, the logistics of getting you to the hospital are not as simple as calling an ambulance in the city.
Vail Resort coverage check
- Elevation: 11,570 ft at the top
- Winter Activities: World class skiing and snowboarding in the back bowls
- Summer Activities: Epic mountain biking, gondola rides, hiking
- Insurance tip: Focus on high limit trip cancellation and medical evacuation because of the high cost of the trip and remote terrain.
Aspen Snowmass
Aspen is actually four different mountains: Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk, and Snowmass. You get everything from extreme steeps to family friendly cruisers. Because Aspen has its own airport, weather delays are super common. The airport is tucked in a valley and if it snows or gets windy, flights get canceled fast.
You also have a lot of luxury rentals and expensive prepaid packages here. If you are spending top dollar on a trip, you want to make sure your travel insurance has strong cancellation and delay benefits. Summer in Aspen brings the Food and Wine Classic, mountain biking, and hiking the Maroon Bells.
Aspen quick look
- Elevation: 12,510 ft at Snowmass
- Winter Activities: Skiing across four mountains, luxury winter events
- Summer Activities: Maroon bells hiking, fly fishing, rafting
- Insurance tip: Flight delays at the local airport are frequent, so travel delay coverage is a must.
Breckenridge Ski Resort
Breckenridge is one of the highest ski towns in the country. The town itself sits right at 9,600 feet and the lifts go up to almost 13,000 feet. We see altitude sickness claims here a lot. It doesn’t matter how fit you are, sometimes the thin air just hits you wrong and you end up at the local clinic needing oxygen.
Breck gets packed in the summer too. They have an epic alpine coaster, gold panning, and miles of trails. Because it is so accessible from Denver, the traffic on I-70 can be a nightmare. If the highway closes and you miss your flight or miss a night at your rental, trip interruption can help.
Breckenridge fast facts
- Elevation: 12,998 ft
- Winter Activities: High alpine skiing, snowboarding, town festivals
- Summer Activities: Alpine coaster, mountain biking, hiking
- Insurance tip: Medical coverage is big here just for the altitude sickness risk alone.
Steamboat Springs
They call it Ski Town USA for a reason. Steamboat is famous for its Champagne Powder and tree skiing. It’s a bit further away from Denver, which means a lot of folks fly directly into the Yampa Valley Regional Airport. It is a more remote mountain, which means if something bad happens, the med evactuaion to a major Denver hospital could be necessary and very expensive.
In the summer, Steamboat is a huge rodeo town and offers amazing tubing down the Yampa River. It is a great year round destination, but you want to make sure your policy covers the activities you are planning.
Steamboat Springs snapshot
- Elevation: 10,568 ft
- Winter Activities: Tree skiing, hot springs, snowmobiling
- Summer Activities: River tubing, rodeos, mountain biking
- Insurance tip: Look for strong medical evacuation limits because it is further out from the major city hospitals.
Telluride
Telluride is stunning but it is hard to get to. Tucked way down in the San Juan mountains, it is a box canyon that looks like a postcard. The local airport is tricky for pilots, so a lot of people fly into Montrose and drive in. This adds layers to your travel plans. More legs to the journey means more chances for a delay or missed connection.
The skiing is steep and deep. In the summer, Telluride hosts massive bluegrass and film festivals. Whether you are coming to ski the plunge or catch a music festival, you are probably prepaying a lot of money. Cancel for any reason is a good add on to think about if you want total flexibility for a trip like this.
Telluride info
- Elevation: 13,150 ft
- Winter Activities: Extreme skiing, heli-skiing, snowshoeing
- Summer Activities: Bluegrass festivals, via ferrata, off roading
- Insurance tip: Travel delay and missed connection coverage are essential given the remote location and tricky local airport.
Winter Park Resort
Winter Park is known as Denver’s mountain because it is so close to the front range. A lot of people take the ski train up from Union Station, which is awesome. The Mary Jane territory is famous for having some of the biggest moguls in the country. Skiing big bumps all day is tough on the knees, and knee injuries are one of the most common claims we see.
In the summer, Winter Park turns into Trestle Bike Park, which is one of the premier downhill mountain biking parks in the US. Downhill biking is an extreme sport. You want to make sure your travel medical policy doesn’t exclude extreme or adventure sports before you drop into a black diamond bike trail.
Winter Park details
- Elevation: 12,060 ft
- Winter Activities: Mogul skiing, ski bike tours, tubing
- Summer Activities: Downhill mountain biking, alpine slide
- Insurance tip: Adventure sports riders are crucial here if you are riding Trestle Bike Park or skiing the bumps.
Keystone Resort
Keystone is super popular with families. They have huge kid friendly areas, a massive snow fort, and offer night skiing. Because it is a family spot, we talk to a lot of parents who want to protect their investment. If the kids get the flu the week before the trip, you want to be able to cancel and get your money back.
Summertime at Keystone is great for golfing, lake activities, and scenic lift rides. It is a bit lower in elevation at the base than Breck, but the altitude can still get to you. A good family travel policy can cover everyone under one plan.
Keystone quick look
- Elevation: 12,408 ft
- Winter Activities: Family skiing, night skiing, ice skating
- Summer Activities: Golf, lake paddle boarding, downhill biking
- Insurance tip: Family plans with strong trip cancellation coverages are the sweet spot for a Keystone vacation.
Copper Mountain
Copper is naturally divided by terrain, which is great because beginners stay on one side and experts on the other. It is also home to Woodward, which is a massive indoor/outdoor action sports training facility. If your kids are hitting the big jumps at Woodward or in the terrain park, you want to make sure your medical coverage is solid.
Summer at Copper brings the bumper boats, go karts, and tons of hiking. It’s right on I-70, so again, weather and traffic delays are a real consideration if you are trying to make a flight out of Denver International.
Copper Mountain facts
- Elevation: 12,441 ft
- Winter Activities: Terrain parks, halfpipes, Woodward training
- Summer Activities: Bumper boats, hiking, Woodward summer camps
- Insurance tip: Make sure terrain park activities aren’t excluded from the medical portion of your policy.
Crested Butte
They call Crested Butte the last great Colorado ski town. It has that old school, funky vibe. The mountain is known for having some of the most extreme inbound terrain in the state. If you are hiking up to the peaks to ski the steep chutes, you are taking on some real risk.
In the summer, Crested Butte is the wildflower capital of Colorado and a legendary spot for cross country mountain biking. Because it is somewhat remote, getting medical care for a serious injury might require a helicopter ride. That is where medical evacuation coverage steps up to the plate.
Crested Butte breakdown
- Elevation: 12,162 ft
- Winter Activities: Extreme steep skiing, backcountry access
- Summer Activities: Wildflower hiking, cross country mountain biking
- Insurance tip: Medical evacuation is key due to the remote location and extreme terrain.
Arapahoe Basin (A-Basin)
A-Basin is known for having the longest ski season in Colorado, sometimes staying open until July. It is high up on the continental divide, and the terrain is rugged. They just added the Beavers and the Steep Gullies, which is some gnarly skiing.
A-Basin doesn’t have huge resort hotels at the base, so most people commute from Keystone or Silverthorne. In the summer, they have an awesome via ferrata and aerial adventure park. It’s a rugged mountain, and the weather changes fast up there at 13,000 feet.
A-Basin overview
- Elevation: 13,050 ft
- Winter Activities: Late spring skiing, steep gullies, hiking for turns
- Summer Activities: Via ferrata, hiking, scenic lift rides
- Insurance tip: Adventure sports coverage is important for the via ferrata and extreme ski terrain.
Loveland Ski Area
Loveland is right before the Eisenhower tunnel. It’s an old school, no frills mountain that locals love because you skip the tunnel traffic. The wind can howl up there on the divide. It is mostly a day trip mountain, but if you are an out of stater visiting and get hurt, your out of network health insurance deductibles might be massive.
Loveland info
- Elevation: 13,010 ft
- Winter Activities: Ridge cat skiing, windblown powder days
- Summer Activities: Mostly sightseeing and pass driving
- Insurance tip: Even for day trips, having a policy that covers out of network medical costs can save you big time.
Silverton Mountain
Silverton is not your typical ski resort. There is only one chairlift, and it just drops you at the top of a ridge where you hike to your line. It is for advanced and expert skiers only, and you usually have to ski with a guide and carry avalanche gear. This is extreme adventure travel.
Summer in Silverton is all about off roading on the Alpine Loop and exploring old mining ghost towns. If you are doing a Silverton trip, you absolutely need to make sure your travel insurance covers backcountry and extreme skiing. Many basic policies exclude this.
Silverton quick look
- Elevation: 13,487 ft
- Winter Activities: Guided extreme skiing, heli-skiing, backcountry
- Summer Activities: Jeep tours, off roading, mining history tours
- Insurance tip: You must check the fine print for backcountry and extreme sports exclusions. Don’t skip this step.
Wolf Creek
Wolf Creek gets the most snow in Colorado, hands down. Tucked down in the southern part of the state, it is famous for massive powder dumps. Getting there usually means flying into Durango or Albuquerque and driving over Wolf Creek Pass, which can be treacherous in a storm.
Because of the heavy snow and the mountain pass, travel delay and trip interruption are major factors here. If the pass closes and you can’t get to the mountain, you don’t want to be eating the cost of your hotel.
Wolf Creek snapshot
- Elevation: 11,904 ft
- Winter Activities: Deep powder skiing, tree skiing, snowshoeing
- Summer Activities: Hiking to waterfalls, scenic drives
- Insurance tip: Weather related travel delay coverage is essential because of the mountain pass.
Purgatory (Durango)
Purgatory is a super fun mountain near Durango. It has a great mix of terrain and a really laid back vibe. Down in the southwest corner of the state, it draws a lot of folks from Texas, Arizona and New Mexico.
Durango itself is amazing in the summer with the narrow gauge railroad and access to Mesa Verde. It’s a big family destination. Travel insurance for a Purgatory trip can help protect your prepaid lodging and those expensive train tickets if you have to cancel unexpectedly.
Purgatory facts
- Elevation: 10,822 ft
- Winter Activities: Family skiing, snowcat tours
- Summer Activities: Mountain biking, alpine slide, Durango train
- Insurance tip: Protect your prepaid tours and lodging with solid trip cancellation benefits.
Sunlight Mountain
Sunlight is a hidden gem near Glenwood Springs. It is very affordable and great for families. After skiing, most people head down to soak in the hot springs in Glenwood.
In the summer, Glenwood Canyon offers world class white water rafting. Even though Sunlight is smaller, the risks of travel are still there. A simple slip on the ice in the parking lot or a rafting injury in the summer means a trip to the local hospital.
Sunlight overview
- Elevation: 9,895 ft
- Winter Activities: Affordable family skiing, access to hot springs
- Summer Activities: White water rafting in Glenwood Canyon, cave tours
- Insurance tip: Medical coverage for slips, falls, and summer rafting accidents.
Eldora Mountain
Eldora is Boulder’s backyard mountain. It’s small, windy, and super fun. Because it is so close to the front range, a lot of people just drive up for the day. But if you are coming from out of town and staying in Boulder, your travel insurance can cover your whole trip, not just the skiing part.
Eldora info
- Elevation: 10,600 ft
- Winter Activities: Front range skiing, nordic center
- Summer Activities: Hiking the Indian Peaks wilderness nearby
- Insurance tip: Covers the whole Boulder vacation experience, from the slopes to the city streets.
Monarch Mountain
Monarch sits right on the continental divide and runs entirely on natural snow. It is another old school favorite that avoids the massive I-70 crowds. You can do cat skiing here, which takes you out into some beautiful backcountry terrain.
Summer brings visitors to the nearby town of Salida for river sports on the Arkansas river. It is a fantastic year round outdoor playground.
Monarch quick look
- Elevation: 11,952 ft
- Winter Activities: Natural snow skiing, cat skiing
- Summer Activities: River rafting, fishing, mountain biking
- Insurance tip: Make sure your cat skiing adventure is covered under the policy limits.
Why Work With Uncle Sheldon?
Look, buying travel insurance online can be confusing. You see ten different options with a bunch of legal jargon and it’s hard to know what you are actually getting. Are your skis covered if the airline loses them? Is your med evactuaion going to be covered if you break your leg in the back bowls?
That’s why Uncle Sheldon exists. We are your local independent agency that can help you find the right ski insurance you need with a real insurance agent. We treat others like family and with honesty and care. We work with multiple carriers so we can compare the rates and coverages for you.
Don’t risk your vacatino without having the right insurance in place. We are experts at helping you decide the type of coverage you need for the trip you are taking. Work with a real human agent, not an AI robot.
Give Uncle Sheldon a call before you head up to the high country. Let our team thoroughly make sure you have the coverage you need so you can just focus on finding the best powder stashes.