Winter Gear Guide for Ice Fishing, Sledding, and Rocky Mountain Hikes

From the moment they could walk, I’ve brought my Florida kids, now 5 and 6, to Colorado’s snowy mountains and enrolled them in ski school so they might grow to love a pastime we hope to share on blue runs around the world.

What people rarely mention about ski trips with very young children is that they aren’t much of a vacation: early alarms to get to lessons, pressure to use expensive lift tickets, mittens and gloves that vanish, stubborn little feet squeezed into too-tight boots and limited patience for cold, lackluster cafeteria food.

This year I chose a different pace for our annual winter getaway, opting for a mountain town known for nearly every winter activity except traditional resort-style skiing.

Estes Park, the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park and about 90 minutes from Denver, was a place I visited as a child. Back then my family drove west for a summer stay at YMCA of the Rockies. I remember the cozy cabin with bunk beds and a horseback ride on Cochise that ended in a thunderstorm—memories I wanted to share with my own children, this time in winter.

I booked a two-bedroom cabin called Sully at YMCA of the Rockies. Surrounded by snowy views, the cabin had a wood-burning fireplace and the bunk beds that thrilled my kids the way they had thrilled me.

Set on 860 acres and surrounded on three sides by Rocky Mountain National Park, the YMCA of the Rockies began as a summer outpost and grew into a busy family destination by the 1960s. Today the property has more than 250 private cabins and nine lodges but retains a down-to-earth feel while offering a wide slate of family activities. On the day we arrived the schedule included a “bear talk,” origami, an animal detective course, a fire-building demonstration and knot-tying lessons.

Our first morning began in darkness, jet-lagged from the East Coast flight. While we waited for sunrise, we entertained the kids with hot cocoa and marshmallows by the fire and a borrowed game of Chutes and Ladders from the Y’s game room. The cabins’ lack of TVs nudges families to rediscover old-fashioned play.

When dawn came they raced outside in their snowsuits to make snow angels, shovel paths, catch snowflakes on their tongues and otherwise enjoy activities unavailable in sunny Tampa.

At the YMCA sledding hill, beside a small ice-skating pond, we joined a family from Puerto Vallarta and whooped our way down the slope before tromping back up to do it again. My son asked where the chair lift was; I explained this place offers different kinds of fun, and he gamely climbed the hill with us.

For another kind of downhill thrill, we drove across town to Mustang Mountain Coaster, Colorado’s newest mountain coaster. After a slow two-minute ascent we raced more than 2,000 feet of steel track at about 25 mph, taking in drops, turns and views of frozen Estes Lake. We rode it several times—each run delivering big smiles.

Light-headed from altitude and eager to get the kids back to the car, I promised a ghost story, which always intrigues them. I told tales of the Stanley Hotel, a local landmark opened in 1909 as a health retreat and long rumored to be haunted. We peeked into the lobby; my son declared it ghost-free, while my daughter swore she heard piano music without anyone at the bench—adding a bit of drama to the afternoon.

Ice skating at Trout Haven’s pond proved challenging: the ice was bumpy and rental figure skates didn’t offer the stability we expected. We switched to ice fishing, where a high school volunteer carried an auger to a shelter and drilled through thick ice. Our lines were barely in the water before a shimmering rainbow trout bit. Catching a fish large enough for dinner made the moment memorable for the kids.

A scenic drive into Rocky Mountain National Park brought another highlight: a ranger-recommended short loop because snow was falling heavily. On that drive two enormous elk crossed the road in front of us, shaking snow from their rumps right beside the car—an up-close wildlife moment the children loved.

Although Estes Park itself has no large ski resort, a one-hour drive leads to Eldora in Boulder County. I had long known of this Front Range favorite for day trips from Denver but usually drove deeper into the Rockies. On a weekday there were no lift lines. The resort’s 680 acres and 1,600 feet of vertical offered excellent conditions. The kids took private lessons while I slipped back onto a snowboard after several years on skis. Powdery slopes and a few runs with the kids felt like a satisfying mix of challenge and fun.

Later in Eldora’s old-school base lodge we shared a gooey brownie that was almost as big as my daughter’s head. “This is the best ski vacation ever,” she declared as we toasted with hot chocolate.

After three days of sledding, coasting, skating, fishing and a bit of skiing, the slower pace felt like a true winter vacation: more time to savor small moments and less pressure to chase lift lines. For families with young children, Estes Park and the YMCA of the Rockies offer a variety of winter experiences that create lasting memories without the hustle of a full-scale ski resort.