Nick’s guidebook

Be prepared when you come, stop in Silverthorn to do shopping. There is mostly just a small grocery/liquor store, in Keystone but the prices are high. But if you need some last-minute essentials, I've done it hundreds of times. Look for City Market in town for groceries. It will be crazy busy on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night with everyone prepping to head up to their places.

Sometimes if you look online you can get lift tickets discounted, sometimes you can get them at City Market as well. You'll always want to buy them ahead of time if you don't have a pass because the lines will be long. If you do end up buying them on the mountain, head up at the end of the day to get tickets for tomorrow and avoid the morning lines. Make sure if you're military to ask for the Military discount!

The average temperature in town is listed below, but the temperature will drop greatly as you head up the mountain. Nov: 34 Dec: 26 Jan: 27 Feb: 29 Mar: 35 February and March are the snowiest months. November and December will be early-season skiing, meaning some areas won't have full coverage, and some runs won't be open. March and April will be spring skiing. Ever skied in a T-shirt? Bring your sunblock. The sun at 12,000 feet is intense! Also, you won't notice you're burning until its too late.

100 Little Dam St, Dillon, CO 80435. Its about 10 minutes from the resort though so you will have to drive. It's great pub food, plus a brewery. It will be BUSY around 3:30-6, expect a wait during ski season.

Daycare is available for children aged 2 months and up between 8 am and 5 pm with the added bonus of additional evening care available by the hour from 5 pm to 8 pm. You must book early, I wouldn’t expect to come the day of and have openings for the kiddos! Ski school starts at age 3. There are magic carpet lifts on the mountain to ease the early lift riding experience. School-age children up to age 14 are graded according to ability, with beginners in Discoverer, intermediates in Mountain Explorer, and the Mountain Diamond Club. Snowboarding is available for children aged 8 and up.

Keystone's shopping opportunities provide another area subject to constant expansion and improvement. There are currently two main shopping areas, at River Run and Keystone Village. There are more than two dozen shops and galleries selling jewelry, clothing and sportswear, specialty foods, and merchandise. The nearby Silverthorne Factory Outlets mall and the Dillon Factory Stores offer more than 100 brand-name stores including Gap and Nike.

There are plenty of places to rent skis and snowboards in River Run. If you're looking to save money grab a rental on the way through Denver, or in Dillion. Once you're on the mountain everything gets expensive. If kids are doing school, or snowboarding school it's easiest to rent through the mountain and make it a one-stop-shop, worth the premium on the rental prices.