Tips For Colorado Ski Tourists

Date Published:

Colorado is known for many things —

14-ers that are perfect for hiking and skiing
Recreational marijuana
Gorgeous natural beauty, all year round
Hunting and camping
Rich art culture

This winter, thousands of tourists will flock to our many ski towns — Steamboat Springs, Aspen, Breckenridge, Vail, Winter Park, and more! There, tourists will explore the mild winters, tall mountains, and take part in skiing, snowboarding, and some recreational marijuana. Very few tourists travel to Colorado with malicious intent and those tourists who return home facing legal charges are often baffled by charges. In today’s post, our legal defense team at the Law Offices of Murphy and Price — who zealously defends Colorado tourists — will offer some tips for Colorado tourists to enjoy their stay and return home sans criminal charges.

1. Buy and use your own ski pass.

One of the more common criminal charges faced by unsuspecting tourists is the charge of deceptive use of a ski pass.  Fraudulent ski lift passes are any ski pass that has been resold, stolen, shared, borrowed, or counterfeited. If you are traveling to enjoy a day of skiing, snowboarding, or tubing at one of Colorado’s ski mountains, you have to buy a lift pass from the park. Your best bet is to visit the ticket office at the base of the mountain prior to exploring for the day. For those tourists who are seeking to save time and money, check your pass sources. Some tips to avoid using fraudulent ski lift tickets include:

  • Purchase your own lift ticket and do not share it.
  • Purchase your ticket from an authorized source.
  • Confirm your ticket directly with the resort.

A few things you should know about criminal charges related to deceptive use of ski passes:

  • Both the buyer and seller of a deceptive ski pass may be held legally responsible.
  • You may face federal criminal charges if the resort is on federal property — Aspen, Aspen Highlands, Arapahoe Basin, Buttermilk, Snowmass Resort, Beaver
  • Creek Resort, Keystone Resort, Vail Resort, Breckenridge Resort, Sunlight Mountain Ski Resort, and Copper Mountain Ski Resort.
  • Most Colorado resorts are prosecuting unauthorized skiers to the fullest extent of the law.
  • You are still responsible for facing charges after returning to your home state.

To help avoid a misdemeanor or felony from discrediting your criminal history, avoid deceptive use of a ski pass charge and contact a Colorado tourist lawyer who has experience defending Colorado ski tourists.

2. Know and abide by Colorado marijuana laws.

Welcome to the mile-high state. Yes, as a tourist, you are free to engage in recreational cannabis, assuming a few things:

  1. You are over the age of 21 and purchase your own,
  2. You purchase the cannabis from an authorized source,
  3. You enjoy your marijuana in areas where you are allowed to, and
  4. You follow all of Colorado’s marijuana laws and enjoy it legally.

We cover the Colorado marijuana laws extensively on our site, so visit these pages:

Some of the most common ways that Colorado tourists find themselves facing criminal charges when enjoying legal recreational marijuana on vacation include:

  • Consuming in public or on federal lands — or in hotels, Air BnB, or other venues where it is prohibited.
  • Driving under the influence of marijuana.
  • Possession of more than the legal limit.
  • Attempting to take the “leftovers” home — crossing state lines with Colorado marijuana is a federal crime.
  • Assuming that “pot is legal in Colorado” is an open free-for-all.

You can easily avoid drug charges by knowing and abiding by Colorado’s marijuana laws. If you do find yourself facing criminal charges, find help in a legal group that has decades of experience defending Colorado tourists against criminal charges. At the Law Offices of Murphy and Price, we treat and defend every client as though they were our neighbors. Contact us for your complimentary consultation.

Welcome to beautiful Colorado, we hope you enjoy your stay!