Rather than rushing kids to ski school in the morning, then lugging the young ones and their gear home afterward, parents simply drop off their kids after breakfast, in the same building. The week we visited, there were more than 250 children on hand. No one had complaints about the food. There is pizza and pasta, steaks and seafood, and elaborate salad and dessert bars. Programs are for children ages 4 and up.
Shorter packages are available, as are excursions to go snowshoeing or dog sledding.
Rental equipment is extra. There are direct charters from Florida and New York. There are programs for women and for skiers with disabilities, and there is day care for infants. Crested Butte dates back to the silver boom of the 1880s and is full of quaint shops and excellent restaurants. It's just a five-minute ride from the mountain, and there are free shuttles.