The aspen glades are the reason to come. They are widely spaced, consistently pitched, skiable in poor light, and they hold powder for days after a storm. The word champagne powder was trademarked here, which tells you what the marketing has always leaned on, and the snow does live up to it.

The groomed runs are long and comfortable and the mountain is bigger than it looks from the base. A gondola has been added to reach the upper terrain more quickly. Three kilometres from the base is a working ranching town with hot springs, brick streets, bars and a western character that has not been manufactured. It is the most convincingly ordinary town of any major Colorado resort. Hotels at the base, rentals in town, a free bus between them, and Hayden airport twenty five minutes away. Strawberry Park hot springs in the evening is the outing to keep for a clear night.