News

March 17th, 2025

Can you believe it’s March already? Spring (aka mud season in our area) is right around the corner, and I’m ready for it! It’s almost time to pack up the skis and snowboards, and dust off the bikes.

We recently returned from a ski vacation to southern Colorado. It’s a beautiful area, with stunning scenery, and hot springs to soak your tired muscles after a long day on the mountain. In addition to my immediate family there were lots of Tuscano aunts, uncles, and cousins in attendance. I think there were 34 of us in total. Getting the chance to spend time with them was one of the best parts of the trip.

My goal this year was to get our youngest daughter excited about skiing. Mila is 6, and this was her fourth ski season. She seemed to like skiing at first, but then each subsequent year it’s been harder and harder to convince her to get out there. She agreed to try again, and she participated in ski school, but at the end of the day she told us she just doesn’t like it. I give her a lot of credit for trying, and I suppose there are two types of people: those who enjoy skiing and those who’d rather hang out in the lodge with a steaming mug of hot cocoa. Mila falls squarely in the second camp!

We’re fortunate to have three ski resorts within an hour of our home. Back in 2021, all three were purchased by the same corporation. This corporation now owns 42 mountain resorts in four countries. I won’t deny that there are some benefits to the sale. The biggest advantage is that our ski pass works at any resort that falls under that corporate umbrella, which saves you a lot of money on a ski trip – some resorts out west charge over $200 per day for a lift ticket!

The ski area that we went to this year is independently owned. That meant that our lift tickets were an added expense but, honestly, it was worth it. It’s a smaller resort, they really only have five chairlifts, but they also get some of the most snow of any resort in America, averaging over 430 inches of snowfall per year.  

Being family owned and operated; this resort just has so much more character than some others that I’ve frequented. The food is better, the lines are shorter, and they give back to their local community. The resort operates with an "experiential" philosophy, focusing on providing a quality skiing experience at an affordable price, rather than a high-density, mass-market approach.

The hospitality at this ski area was some of the best I’ve ever experienced. Everyone that worked there was just so friendly and helpful. I believe that the fact that the owners are onsite and working alongside the employees makes everyone much more engaged, which translates to a great experience!

The fact that I’ve not named the ski area is intentional. It’s kind of a “hidden gem,” and I’m worried that if more people find out how great it is, it will start to become crowded. I also don’t want to be a gatekeeper, so here’s my promise to you: if you call and give me feedback on how we’re doing, I’ll gladly share all the details!

I hope you’re looking forward to the changing seasons as much as I am—whether that means one last ski run or getting ready for bike rides and spring adventures. And if you ever want to chat about hidden gem ski resorts (or just share your thoughts with us), you know where to find me!

As always, I’d love to hear how we’re treating you. Please call or drop me a line to let me know!

Cheers,

Robin

robin@tuscano.com

(C) 724-454-3516