Lessons

The Snowriders Club offers your 7- to 12-year-old the challenge they need to learn a new sport or to progress their all-mountain skiing or riding skills in a safe and social setting led by a professional instructor. Snowriders is only offered as full-day lessons (4-hours + 1 hour for lunch) on Fridays and Saturdays throughout the two sessions; you can choose to do just one session, or both.

This season, we're excited to bring a renewed focus to our Snowriders program! Our goal is to support your child in developing skills tailored to the parts of the mountain they love most. By creating more targeted lesson tracks, we hope to inspire a lifelong passion for the sport while building strong, safe skiers and riders. Snowriders groups will be formed based on individual interests and goals. We'll focus on four main areas: Technical Skills, Freeride, Freestyle, and Racing. The first day of Club will include an on-snow assessment to evaluate each student's current skill level, help them get comfortable on the mountain, and place them in a like-skilled group. Final groups will be determined by each student's focus and ability; adjustments may be made based on the overall group's skill level and size.

Also new this season: Each Snowriders session will run for 4 weeks and now includes rentals! Please review the dates below, especially if you have children enrolled in our younger programs.

Session Dates

Please make sure to check your dates! We skip the lessons over Presidents' Day Weekend (2/13-16)! This season, we do not skip MLK Weekend (1/16-19), but the younger programs do.

The Snowriders program does include rental equipment this season,  but we still highly recommend seasonal rentals. Please reach out to the Sunlight Ski & Bike Shop at 970-945-9425 to set up seasonal rentals!

Snowriders Meet-Up Location: Please check-in at the Ski & Ride School lesson window at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the lesson (earlier if your child needs to be fitted for gear) and meet at the Lesson Line-Up Area (through the First Floor Breezeway) no later than 9:30am. Students will meet their parents back at this area after their lesson at 2:30pm.

To reserve, go online or contact lessons@sunlightmtn.com. Reservations will be open online until November 30th, then will be available by email only.

The Sunny Scouts program provides 5- and 6-year-old skiers with a fun and safe environment to advance and try new things on the mountain. Whether they’ve never skied before or can ski every inch of the mountain, there is always something new to learn and more fun to be had!

Sunny Scouts is offered in two sessions, each consisting of three half-day (2-hour) lessons or three full-day (4-hour + 1 hour lunch) lessons, throughout January and February. Choose your day of the week, the morning (9:30am), afternoon (12:30pm), or full-day (9:30am) lesson time, and between one or both sessions.

Session Dates

Please make sure to check your dates! We skip the lessons on the weekends of MLK Day (1/16-19) and Presidents' Day (2/13-16)!

To reserve, go online or contact kids@sunlightmtn.com. Reservations will be open online until November 30th, then will be available by email only. Don't see your desired lesson time? Please email us and we can place you on the waitlist.

We do not recommend full-day lessons for 4-year-olds and first-timers because they often get too tired to finish their lessons. However, our students are typically successful in completing full-day lessons in their second session of the program.

Our Powder Pals program is geared towards providing our 4-year-old skiers with a safe and positive environment to build their skills on the hill. Whether they have never skied before or were part of our 3 Amigos program last season, Powder Pals is the perfect program to get your child shredding in no time.

The Powder Pals program is offered in two sessions, each consisting of three half-day (2-hour) lessons, throughout January and February. Choose your desired day of the week, the morning (9:30am) or afternoon (12:30pm) lesson time, and between one or both sessions.

Session Dates

Please make sure to check your dates! We skip the lessons on the weekends of MLK Day (1/16-19) and Presidents' Day (2/13-16)!

To reserve, go online or contact kids@sunlightmtn.com. Reservations will be open online until November 30th, then will be available by email only. Don't see your desired lesson time? Please email us and we can place you on the waitlist.

We do not recommend full-day lessons for 4-year-olds and first-timers because they often get too tired to finish their lessons. However, our students are typically successful in completing full-day lessons in their second session of the program.

Our 3 Amigos program is specially tailored for our youngest skiers. The program exposes your child to skiing in a safe, fun, and learning environment. Our objective is to create a fun, positive experience that your child wants to return to time and time again. 

What to expect: Over three 1.5-hour lessons, we introduce your 3mo skier to their equipment and to sliding around the hill. We want them to have a positive experience in a very new situation, so we spend much of our first day playing in the snow and building confidence. Then, over the next two lessons, we get the kids learning to stop, make their first turns, and use the lift with an instructor. 

The 3 Amigos program is only offered on Sunday and Monday mornings at 9:30am, and due to demand, enrollment is limited to one session each season. 

Session Dates

Please make sure to check your dates! We skip the lessons on the weekends of MLK Day (1/16-19) and Presidents' Day (2/13-16)!

To reserve, go online or contact kids@sunlightmtn.com. Reservations will be open online until November 30th, then will be available by email only. Don't see your desired lesson time? Please email us and we can place you on the waitlist.

Selecting your child's ability level is key to placing you in the right group and ensuring the best learning experience. Use the descriptions below as a guide—we’ll also do a quick on-snow assessment at the start of your child's lesson to confirm their placement and make any needed adjustments. If you’re unsure which level fits best, please reach out—we’re happy to help!

Never-Evers: You child has never skied before. Lessons start with equipment basics, learning to slide, and mastering how to stop.

Novice: Your child can stop and control their speed, building confidence on green runs. They have skiied 1 to 3 times and have ridden the lift.

Intermediate: You child is comfortable on most green runs, is turning smoothly, and is ready to advance! They have skied 4 to 6 times and has ridden the Primo chair lift.

Advanced-Intermediate+: Your child is linking turns, starting to ski parallel, and is very comfortable on the lifts. They have skied 7 or more times and is starting to explore more of the mountain!

Still not sure where you child fits? Please reach out to us at kids@sunlightmtn.com; we'd love to talk through where your child is to make sure they're in the right lesson. We'll also talk with you before your lesson and do a brief on-snow assessment to make sure they're placed in the class where you'll progress most effectively.

Reservations can be refunded or rebooked* if requested 48 hours or more before your lesson day. Cancellation requests made with less than 48 hours' notice are non-refundable but may be rebooked within the current season*.

Changes to your lesson reservation cannot be made on the day of your scheduled arrival and will result in the forfeiture of the product. This includes no-shows and late arrivals.

Multi-week Club lessons are non-refundable. Each student is allowed one make-up lesson, which must be rescheduled* for another Club Day with at least 48 hours' notice. 

*Rebooked lessons are subject to availability and can only be rescheduled once. Any further changes will result in the forfeiture of the product.

Please email the appropriate Ski & Ride School at lessons@sunlightmtn.com (for ages 7 and older) or kids@sunlightmtn.com (for ages 3 – 6).