The only bad thing about Purgatory at Durango Mountain Resort is the long haul to get there. That’s also why it is so great.
Make the seven-hour drive from Denver to Durango’s remote enclave in southwestern Colorado and you’ll feel like you’re in the frosty equivalent of Shangri-La. With 1,325 acres of snow-dusted terrain, the San Juan Mountains are arguably Colorado’s most beautiful range.
I skied Purgatory 10 years ago and my only memory is a jarring wipe-out that had me seeing snow.
And a lot of stars.
Much has changed at this premier family-friendly resort since then. If you look at Purgatory’s marketing materials, there is a common theme: new. The new Purgatory Village base facilities include a new village plaza, gorgeous new Purgatory Lodge, new and improved retail shops and a new mountain Activities Center.
In the same vein, my husband Jamie and I were delighted for our newfound freedom as we dropped 3-year-old Bode and 5-year-old Hadley off in ski school. Hadley attended the full-day classes ($75) while second-timer Bode tore up the slopes in a half-day lesson ($55), finishing off his day being spoiled by the doting staff at Snow Monsters child care.
We spent two days on the slopes and both kids’ skills improved exponentially. Bode was a tucking speed demon, expertly weaving in and out of traffic. Pizza-carving Hadley started to get a bit cocky, mocking the incompetent.
“You know those grown-ups learning to ski on the bunny slope with me?”
“Yes.”
(Chuckling) “They fell. A lot.”
Ski Bunny Mommy
While the kids were in ski school, Jamie and I rented some demo skis. Conditions were epic: a bluebird day, 50 inches snow in the past week and a generous dump of it in the last 24 hours. From the offset, I rocked the terrain. The snow was superb but I quickly attributed my rockstar status to
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