With about 2,886 skiable acres on a variety of terrains over its three mountain and alpine bowl areas, Winter Park truly has something for everyone. And being situated right on the western side of the Continental Divide, Winter Park receives plentiful snow throughout most of the ski season each year. For the very beginner, the ski zone in Discovery Park is ideal; for the seasoned skier, there are the amazing steeps in Vasquez Cirque waiting to be conquered. In between these two ends of the spectrum are miles of intermediate cruising runs and doezens of mogul fields that are a magnet for skiers and riders who have shock absorbers in their knees.
Winter Park has gone beyond the whole nine yards in its development of learning facilities. The Skier and Rider Improvement Center (SRIC) is there for every level of experience and age group. All levels of skiers and snowboarders can refine their techniques on the slopes by learning or refining new skills. Intermediate skiers can work on their parallel skiing with Parallel Breakthrough and Perfect Parallel, while more advanced skiers can tackle Mary Jane's famous bump runs with either Intro to Bumps or the higher level Mogul Mania. For skiers who prefer indvidualized attention or want to work on a specific technique or skill in a small amount of time, private lessons are available in 1 1/2 hour, 3-hour, and six-hour formats. A very affordable way to get a couple of tips as well as the chance to see a video of your technique is a $5 trip through the Avalon Quick Tips Learning Lane. After skiing or snowboarding down the video lane, participants review their video with an instructor who gives a couple of pointers on how to improve.