COME TO LIFE / Colorado Ski Resorts 7 COPPER MOUNTAIN Skiers and riders love Copper’s perfect layout. Mother Nature arranged its slopes so that beginner, intermediate and expert runs are clustered with like-leveled terrain, ensuring beginners won’t make a surprise trip down a too-steep run. New lift and lodging options have sweetened the deal. 8 CRESTED BUTTE MOUNTAIN Crested Butte has it all: wide-open green and blue trails, expert bowls, plenty of unexplored lines and uncrowded slopes. Take advantage of the free guided mountain tours to ski like a local. 9 ECHO MOUNTAIN The closest ski mountain to Denver, Echo Mountain near Idaho Springs is an affordable option with six trails on 60 acres. For those who can’t get there in daylight, the slopes are open til 9pm for skiing under the stars (and lights). 10 ELDORA MOUNTAIN Proximity to Boulder and Denver is one of the reasons Eldora is known as a “locals’ mountain.” Terrain to keep the whole family busy all day doesn’t hurt, and neither does a new six-person high-speed lift (fit in more runs!) and nearly 25 miles of cross-country and snowshoe trails steps from the downhill ski area. 11 GRANBY RANCH Fun lesson programs, an easy pace and afford-able prices make this a long-time family favorite. There’s no better place to wind down at the end of the day than the fire pit at the base of the mountain, where the hot cocoa flows while you recount the day’s snowy triumphs. 12 HESPERUS West of Durango, Hesperus has been an especially great option for families in the southwest part of Colorado since 1962, and it’s the region’s largest night-skiing operation. Hesperus’ unassuming, small-ski-area ambiance makes its 26 trails and 60 acres an idyllic winter escape. 13 HOWELSEN HILL Howelsen’s pedigree is well established. Open since 1915 in Steamboat, it’s the state’s oldest ski Green River area, has the largest natu-ral ski-jumping complex in North America and has long been a training Manila ground for Olympic skiers. It’s also one of a few resorts to offer night skiing. 80 191 15 KEYSTONE Keystone boasts three mountains full of bowls, steeps, trails, lift-served tubing and one of the longest ski days — watch the sun set at 11,000 feet and ski into the night. The resort’s daily Kidtopia programs range from snowball launches to night-sky exploration. 16 LOVELAND Two of Loveland’s favorite things to brag about are that it averages 422 inches of snow each season, more than any other Front Range ski area, and it offers some of the best early-season conditions each year. The other thing is its free snowcat skiing perk along the Continental Divide. 17 MONARCH MOUNTAIN Rawlins Perched atop the Conti-nental Divide, Monarch is one of the best spots for fresh powder. A short walk from the parking lot to the lifts, roomy slopes and Wyoming laid-back attitudes make it a hit with families. Ride to the top of the Panora-287 ma Lift for 360-degree views of the divide. 18 POWDERHORN MOUNTAIN This resort near Grand Junction has one of the most unique views in ski country. Located on the Grand Mesa, the largest flat-top mountain in the world, skiers and riders will see something more like the Grand Canyon than the typical alpine view. 19 PURGATORY Purgatory’s unintimidating slopes, free lessons and Pinkerton beginners’ terrain park are a few things that make it a hit with families in Durango. Within its boundaries are 101 trails, five terrain parks, a racing course and 35,000 acres of snowcat playland. 20 SILVERTON MOUNTAIN As Silverton’s motto proclaims, this southwest Colorado ski area is “All thrills, no frills.” Colorado’s highest and steepest ski mountain serves up un-groomed, no-easy-30 130 way-down expert terrain. Guided and heli-skiing are top ways to take advantage of the terrain (reservations required). 21 SKI COOPER The former training site in Leadville for the 10th Mountain Division, the legendary World War II ski troops, has sweeping runs that follow some of the same paths used by the soldiers who skied Europe’s mountain battlefields. Today, it’s popular with families looking for a cheerful and low-stress ski holiday. 22 SNOWMASS The mountain itself is enormous — 36 Disney-lands could fit within its boundaries. At 4,406 feet, “Snowmassive” also has one of the highest vertical rises of any ski area in the country, and one of the longest runs — 5.3 miles of peaceful schussing before you have to think about Laramie a lift line. A new base village offers ice Cheyenne skating, chic lodging and new après-ski spots. 25 26 85 Scotts Bluff NM 80 Gering Harr 789 80 130 230 30 Ki Ne 80 230 70 230 14 KENDALL MOUNTAIN Vernal Situated in Silverton, this mountain is loved by locals for its family-friendly ambiance. The ski area has four groomed trails, a terrain park and tree skiing. Off-the-slope activ-ities include ice skating, sledding, snowshoeing Utah and cross-country skiing. 40 Fort Collins Hayden Steamboat Springs 34 36 HOWELSEN HILL SKI AREA STEAMBOAT 25 85 34 GRANBY RANCH 40 76 Fort Mo 287 Boulder ELDORA MOUNTAIN RESORT ECHO MOUNTAIN 76 36 WINTER PARK 70 Edwards Avon COPPER MOUNTAIN RESORT 70 70 LOVELAND SKI AREA ARAPAHOE BASIN 285 KEYSTONE RESORT BRECKENRIDGE SKI RESORT Denver 225 270 70 Glenwood Springs SUNLIGHT MOUNTAIN RESORT VAIL BEAVER CREEK RESORT MOUNTAIN 85 25 Breckenridge ASPEN MOUNTAIN SKI COOPER BUTTERMILK 70 Castle Rock 70 SNOWMASS Aspen ASPEN HIGHLANDS Leadville Fairplay 24 Limon Grand Junction 70 POWDERHORN RESORT CRESTED BUTTE MOUNTAIN RESORT 191 24 Moab Montrose 50 Gunnison MONARCH MOUNTAIN Salida 50 Cañon City Canyonlands NP Pueblo Monticello Telluride TELLURIDE Silverton 550 285 SILVERTON MOUNTAIN KENDALL MOUNTAIN CAT SKIING NEAR ASPEN, THE LITTLE NELL/SCOTT MARKEWITZ. Arches NP Colorado Springs 350 Natural Bridges NM 160 PURGATORY Alamosa Pagosa Springs WOLF CREEK SKI AREA 285 160 Cortez 160 Durango 25 HESPERUS 163 84 160 Conejos Trinidad 160 28 / 1-800-COLORADO Arizona 64 Aztec Ruins NM Aztec 64 New 285 Mexico Raton Tierra Amarilla 522 Capulin Volcano N
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