Vail's quieter and more polished neighbour, built up a side valley behind a gated entrance and reached by escalators from the car park. It was made deliberately smaller and calmer, with a small pedestrian village and free cookies handed out at the base at the end of the day.

It is unusually good for families and mixed groups. A large share of the terrain is genuinely gentle blue, there are three separate learning areas, and the tree skiing is excellent. The ski school is one of the best in Colorado and worth using.

Stronger skiers get the Birds of Prey World Cup downhill, which is open to the public and seriously steep, along with the Grouse Mountain runs beside it.

Hotels and condos are manicured and expensive. Evenings are quiet, with ice skating and sleigh ride dinners, and Vail is fifteen minutes away for anything more.