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Skiing by Train

By John Graham

It feels terribly early … and dark, but absolutely on the minute the doors open and everyone moves out of the station to their carriage. Skies, boots and helmets are stored, and with good strong coffee in hand, we settle down for a two-hour experience of a lifetime.

On the winter weekend skiers from Denver leave the sunny town to play in the snow.

The nearest ski-resorts are about 90 minutes from town by car and usually involve driving at least one 10,000-foot pass on the way. Coming back in the evening often involves a ski rush hour, which can turn happy skiers into nasty grouches even though they have enjoyed themselves all day. Happily, apart from staying at the ski resort all weekend there is an alternative: the Ski Train that removes the strain of driving by taking one directly to the ski-slope at Winter Park.

We’re in one of the club cars. It’s a little more expensive but there are several advantages: much more space with comfortable armchairs, very few children, and food. We had unlimited freshly cooked waffles with syrup and cream, fresh fruit, a variety of cakes and cookies, and hot coffee for breakfast.

As daylight emerged, the view outside our picture windows was magnificent. Today it had snowed and as we approached the mountains the snow got deeper and the pines showed themselves at their most magnificent. The ski-train wended its way through a narrow defile directly towards the Winter Park resort 60 miles away. The track goes through dozens of tunnels before diving under the Continental Divide through the 10-kilometer long Moffat Tunnel built way back in 1924.

The Ski Train has been operated since the 1950s by the Denver and Rio Grande Railway Company but in 1988 a new owner took over, sold the aging stock to Napa Valley for its Wine Train, and installed brand new cars.  The economy cars cost $44 for the round trip and the club cars cost $69 but are well worth it.

We settle down comfortable and watch the passing show … occasionally we can see the long front end of the orange train curving up the valley ahead of us before plunging into the next tunnel … and we can take pleasure when we see the state of the snow-covered road. This is not a day to be driving.

But all too soon we plunge into the Moffat tunnel just before Winter Park emerges into the light literally on the ski-slopes. The train disgorges its enthusiasts and they are all up the mountain in a trice, my wife among them. Today, she is the athlete and I’m taking it easy with a book. We eat lunch together.

After six hours on the sunny slopes a horde of rosy-faced and tired athletes gather again for the train. The Ski Train doesn’t wait for anyone so nobody is late and it takes off again promptly. We settle back for a trip home that doesn’t include car jams along Route 70 that reduce progress to a crowded crawl and make everyone far more tired before they get home.

This time we are through the Moffat tunnel quickly and we find that the other side of the Continental Divide is grey and it is snowing heavily. It looks as though there was no sun here all day.  Now, in the club car, we are treated to hot soup, cheese and biscuits, and wine. It’s a nice way to return home comfortably.  The Ski-Train is a great success.

Now lest you think this is only a Ski Train, it is not. It runs in the summer as a Bike Train taking sports enthusiasts to mountain bike sports and summer trekking in the mountains around Winter Park. It’s an ideal way to relax and enjoy a day in the mountains.

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