Mining for micro-resort ski deals with the Gems Card from Colorado Ski Country

Not much beats a thigh-deep powder day in Vail's Back Bowls, but there's also nothing wrong with doing a little other-ski area exploration from time to time. And in the case of Colorado Ski Country's Gems Cards, “little” is the optimum word.

For the princely sum of 10 bucks, these non-transferable discount cards open the proverbial gates to some cheap skiing at nine of Colorado's smallest ski resorts: Arapahoe Basin, Echo Mountain, Eldora, Loveland, Monarch, Powderhorn, Ski Cooper, SolVista and Sunlight.

Deals include free ski days at Monarch and Ski Cooper, plus lots of 2-for-1 and discounted lift ticket offers. Just make sure to read all the fine print, as lots of restriction blackout dates apply. These $10 Gems Card can be ordered on-line at www.ShopColoradoSki.com.

Here's a rundown of all the available deals and restrictions, plus driving distance to each resort from Vail and Denver:

Arapahoe Basin (45 miles from Vail; 60 miles from Denver)
2-for-1 adult lift ticket. Monday-Friday 11/01/10 - 12/17/10. Valid Once.
$10 off adult full-day lift ticket. Any day.
$5 off child/senior full-day lift ticket. Any day.
Restrictions: 2-for-1 adult lift ticket not valid on weekends or 11/24/10 - 11/26/10.

Echo Mountain (77 miles from Vail; 26 miles from Denver)
$20 lift ticket. All ages. Valid from opening day 2010 - 12/07/2010. Valid Once.
$10 off an adult lift ticket. Any day.
$5 off a child lift ticket. Any day.

Eldora (95 miles from Vail; 46 miles from Denver)
$15 off adult lift ticket. Any day.
$10 off child/senior lift ticket. Any day.
2-for-1 adult lift ticket. Monday-Thursday.
Restrictions: Not Valid 12/26/10 - 1/02/11

Loveland (41 miles from Vail; 56 miles from Denver)
$39 adult lift ticket. Any day.
$18 child lift ticket. Any day.
2-for-1 adult lift ticket. Monday-Friday.
Restrictions: 2-for-1 adult lift ticket not valid on weekends or 12/20/10 - 12/31/10.

Monarch (110 miles from Vail; 123 miles from Denver)
1 free lift ticket in April 2011.
$10 off all full-day lift tickets.
Restrictions: Not valid 12/26/10 - 1/02/11, 1/15/11 - 1/16/11, 2/19/11 - 2/20/11, 3/12/11 - 3/19/11

Powderhorn (137 miles from Vail; 233 miles from Denver)
$10 off any lift ticket. Valid 2 times.
2-for-1 any lift ticket. Valid 3/01/11 - 4/03/11

Ski Cooper (29 miles from Vail; 109 miles from Denver)
1 free lift ticket in February 2011. Valid once. Not valid 2/18/11 - 2/21/11.
2-for-1 adult lift ticket. Monday through Friday.
$34 adult full-day lift ticket. Saturday & Sunday.
$18 child full-day lift ticket. Saturday & Sunday.
Restrictions: All offers not valid 12/19/10 - 1/02/11. Free lift ticket not valid 2/18/11 - 2/21/11. 2-for-1 adult lift tickets not valid on weekends.

SolVista Basin (102 miles from Vail; 86 miles from Denver)
$10 off adult lift ticket. Valid 1/03/11 - 3/06/11.
$5 off junior lift ticket. Valid 1/03/11 - 3/06/11.
2-for-1 lift ticket. Valid 1/03/11 - 1/31/11. Valid Once.
Restrictions: All offers not valid 1/14/11 - 1/17/11 and 2/18/11 - 2/21/11.

Sunlight (74 miles from Vail; 169 miles from Denver)
$30 adult full-day lift ticket.
Buy 1 adult full-day lift ticket, get 1 child (12-and-under) lift ticket free.
Restrictions: Not valid 12/26/10 - 1/02/11.

	24hr snow	mid dpth	snow cond.
A-Basin	n/a	n/a
Aspen	n/a	n/a	closed
BC	n/a	n/a	closed
Breckenridge	n/a	n/a	closed
Buttermilk	n/a	n/a	closed
Copper	n/a	n/a	closed
Crest. Butte	n/a	n/a	closed
Eldora	n/a	n/a	closed
Heavenly	n/a	n/a	closed
Highlands	n/a	n/a
Howelsen	n/a	n/a	closed
Keystone	n/a	n/a	closed
Kirkwood	n/a	n/a	closed
Loveland	n/a	n/a
Monarch	n/a	n/a	closed
Northstar	n/a	n/a	closed
Powderhorn	n/a	n/a	closed
Purgatory	n/a	n/a	closed
Silverton	n/a	n/a	closed
Ski Cooper	n/a	n/a	closed
Ski Granby	n/a	n/a	closed
Snowmass	n/a	n/a	closed
Steamboat	n/a	n/a	closed
Sunlight	n/a	n/a	closed
Telluride	n/a	n/a	closed
Vail	n/a	n/a	closed
WinterPark	n/a	n/a	closed
Wolf Creek	n/a	n/a	closed
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