Replying to Driving CO Springs -> Summit county

hey everybody, im about to finish my first semester at law school and im driving up to summit for about a month from down south during winter break and ive got a question about routes.

i lived in avon for 2 seasons, so ive done this drive several times, but ive always taken the route that goes through Denver to 70 west. google maps says i can save an hour-ish by splitting off at colorado springs and taking back roads. how many of you take this route to ski in the winter, and do you think it would be faster?

im always open to new routes cause they can be a good adventure, but ive driven part of this one in the summer (salida to breck) and it seems like it may be pretty socked in with snow sometimes in winter. is it usually passable, or might i get completely bogged down if i go this way? should i just avoid it depending on weather?