I go to CSU too, I moved here three years ago and have rarely had a problem getting to the hill.
The resorts are not super close. The closest one I believe is Eldora, which isnt on any of the conglomerate passes (still can be fun though!) and its still about an hour and a half. The next closest is probably Winter Park which I happen to like a lot. The traffic is brutal at times and having to drive an hour further than all the Boulder/ Denver folks kinda sucks but, you get used to it. I happen to love driving so it rarely bothers me except during crazy tourist time (spring break/ winter break, MLK weekend etc.) .
A lot of Fort Collins people dig Steamboat (me included!) It's still not close and the drive up the canyons can get nasty but, its closer to us than it is to many other cities. Loads of fun when there's lots of snow, otherwise...meh.
I've had both the 5 mountain pass (Breck, A-basin, Keystone, Vail and Beaver Creek) and the Rocky mountain super pass/ real deal from working at winter park (Winter Park, Copper, Steamboat, and anywhere i wanted that isnt Vail owned) and I have no complaints about either one, but have preferred winter park and copper. The only thing I missed about the 5 mountain pass was A basin high elevation, never super crowded, beer is usually abundant and I always have a blast. A good way to get a deal is get your pass early, especially if it's before you turn 18 or 19. You can still get some real good junior rates.
Living in foco, I've realized most people seem to have the Winter park/ copper pass but, there's plenty of folks with either one. Get involved with snowriders club too, easy way to meet people and weekend trips to the hills.
I'll be a senior next year and since I'll no longer have to go to class on saturdays I'm sure my jeep and I will be heading for the hills quite a lot . Hit me up if you have any questions about foco/ csu (especially if you're in the Warner College, I'll sing their praises all day!)
