Travel Thumbnail: The Ski Train to Winter Park

This is the fourth of a series of periodic reports on specific places I've visited -- and which you might want see to as well. Post a comment or let me know directly what you think of this occasional Travel Babel feature.

Iconic Colorado experience: Denver to Winter Park on the Train

The Place: Rio Grande Ski Train to Winter Park

The Story: Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the Ski Train was dominated by the Eskimo Ski Club, whose members ranged in age from seven to 17 and who took the train every Saturday in winter to ski at Winter Park. Today, many older Denver natives credit the Ski Train, Winter Park and the Eskimo Ski Club for making skiing an enduring part of their lives. Since the '80s, Ansco Investment Company has owned the Ski Train and renewed it with upgraded rolling stock and experiences.

This past weekend, the Rio Grande Ski Train from Denver's Union Station to the base of the slopes concluded its 2009-10 season of 82 trips. A Colorado tradition for three generations, it is the last dedicated regular ski train service in the lower 48 (the Alaska Railroad operates ski train service too). If there's no traffic on I-70 or snaking over Berthoud Pass, driving is unquestionably faster. But the Ski Train isn't about speed. It's all about experience. It is a nostalgic journey for former Eskimo Ski Clubbers and a singular one for today's families who bring their kids so that they can experience train travel too, perhaps once every season or two. And riding the rails from downtown Denver is a great way for visitors and convention-goers to reach a snowy environment through beautiful scenery and the 6 1/2-mile Moffat Tunnel under the Continental Divide.

My Trip

The train is supposed to depart from Union Station at 7:15 a.m., but ours was delayed because we had to wait for Amtrak to pull in. Once we got going, we slowly traveled through railyards in north Denver and then through sections of suburbs like Arvada that we rarely see.

It had snowed a lot on Thursday, and the far western edge of the plains between Golden and Rocky Flats were still carpeted in white. Looking out the train window toward the north, it was difficult to recogize this as the edge of the Denver sprawl.

The tracks climb through Eldorado Canyon past open space and Eldorado Canyon State Park.

The train continues toward the Moffat Tunnel via Coal Creek Canyon, Rollinsville and Tolland to East Portal, the tunnel's eastern entrance.

Passengers have about 10 minutes to disembark at Winter Park before the train continues to Granby to turn around and park on a siding for the day until 4:15 departure time. Most people come to Winter Park to ski or snowboard, but some just want the railroad experience with perhaps a snowcoach sightseeing tour of the mountain or perhaps a free bus ride into town to shop and have lunch.

This weekend felt like winter, not spring. The snow was abundant and wonderful.

Even with a high-speed chairlift ferrying skiers to Winter Park's highest point, Parsenn Bowl didn't look or feel crowded. The snow was soft and the views toward the Indian Peaks Wilderness, Rocky Mountain National Park and the Never Summer Wilderness were awesome.

The Cost: This past season, roundtrip coach fares were $59 per adult ($49 for ages three to 12 or 62-plus); club seating was $85 per person. All seats in both classes of service are by reservation. Food service is available, and discounted lift tickets can be purchased on board. The train and the resort experimented with weekend overnight packages (leaving Denver on Saturday morning and returning on Sunday evening). This will probably continue as a full-season offer next winter.