Snowboarding Zone - Purgatory, Colorado:
Riders Guide - Durango Mountain gets 260 inches, has 10 lifts including 2 high speeds to 85 trails, with a longest run of over 10,000 feet and is rated 23% Beginner, 51% Intermediate and 26% Advanced.
Parks and Pipes - Paradise Freestyle Arena has 10 consecutive hits with a 50-foot competition jump and jibbing features with boxes, a rainbow rail, two street rails, a balance beam and a 45-foot S-rail. The halfpipe is 400 feet long with 15-foot walls. The big attraction at Purgatory is the natural snowboarding. The locals head for the Legends lift, but if you're looking for trees go on Poet's Glade or Paul's Park. On the front side you'll likely find deep deep powder at Styx. Upper Hades and Lower Hades are a renowned steep mogul field that, along with Pandemonium and Catharsis can challenge even the most experienced snowboarder. If you want to carve, try Paradise and Sa's Psyche. Take the Engineer lift to Demon which is a gully that features a fully natural halfpipe.
Out of Bounds - At the Durango Mountain Resort Ski Concierge in the Purgatory Village Center you can book activities such as winter fly-fishing, tubing snowmobiling and dinner sleigh rides. Trimble Hot Springs is 8 miles north of Durango and you can enjoy natural mineral springs that fill two outdoor therapy pools, one heated to 90 degrees F and the other to 105. You can also dip into a heated outdoor 50-metre pool. Ride the Durango snowcats with The San Juan Ski Company to 35,000 acres of virgin powder. El Diablo tours the San Juan Mountains near Silverton. Both are must-dos. You can also take a ride back in time on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad founded in 1880.
Hangout & Hookup - The Schoolhouse Cafe is the local hangout. Carver's Brewing Co., Steamworks, and Lady Falconburgh's Barley Exchange have the microbrews on tap and the large groups of students from Fort Lewis College. El Rancho is a Durango tradition; The Wild Horse Saloon has dancing and live music. Visit Solid Muldoon's and Coloradaponga for a game of pool. The Diamond Belle Saloon is great for 1890's style entertainment.
The Deal - The Durango-La Plata County Airport is 15 miles from downtown Durango and 40 miles south of Durango Mountain Resort. If you want a major airport, you'll have to fly into Denver or Albuquerque and then drive four hours from Albuquerque and six hours from Denver. Chains or 4WD are sometimes required on Hwy. 550N heading from Durango to the resort. If you rent a car, request a four wheel drive from the Durango airport's major rental agencies. Some of the more upscale hotels offer shuttle service to and from the slopes. Others offer free or low-cost airport shuttles. Mountain TranSport shuttles between town and the slopes. The Durango Trolley runs you up and down Main Avenue every 30 minutes for 50 cents.
