www.coppercolorado.com
Pros: My favorite "everyday" mountain. Lots of variety and the terrain tends to get progressively harder as you head from one side of the mountain to the other, allowing people to gradually step up their challenge-level. Spend a lot of time in Resolution Bowl given the great headwall, bumps and trees in there, but the back side bowls and trees under Timberline can be fun as well. Ski school is supposedly pretty good for those that are interested in taking lessons. Pretty good value in that I can get up to four (4) discounted lift tickets with my season pass each day. Finally, there's the best on-mountain lunch place I've come across (JJ's Tavern) and some pretty good apres-ski action as well.
Cons: Since beginner and advanced runs are on separate sides of the mountain, tends to split everyone into two groups for the day; if so, meeting up for lunch can be difficult.
Cost: $$$
VAIL (40 minutes away)
www.vail.snow.com
Pros: Terrain-wise, Vail is by far the biggest and best mountain in the area. It's got everything: bowls, glades, cornices, moguls, cruisers, groomers, even cliffs. On a powder day, the Back Bowls (at right) are absolutely amazing. As you'd expect, apres ski is among the best.
Cons: It's just pricy. Lift tickets are ridiculously expensive, on-mountain lunch options are pricy (or bring your own), and either you pay for parking or you have to shuttle/hike.
Cost: $$$$$
BRECKENRIDGE (5 minutes away)
www.breckenridge.snow.com
Pros: A lot of variety so there's plenty here for all ability levels (even beginners). For the more advanced, Breck has the highest lift in North America, providing access to a couple of good bowls areas. For those looking for a more extreme adventure, the cornice drop at Lake Chutes is pretty exhilarating (middle photo). They also have a pretty serious terrain park for those so inclined (bottom photo). Finally, from a convenience factor, it's the closest, and they just put in a gondola from the day-skier parking lot to the base of Peak 7/8, so you can sleep in a bit longer.
Cons: Popular destination for Denver day skiers, so lines can get long on Saturdays and Sundays (I normally try to hit Breck on Mondays for a half-day before flying out that evening). Apres ski at the mountain is pretty limited, leaving stuff in the car then walking a few blocks over to Main St.
Cost: $$$$
KEYSTONE (10 minutes away)
www.keystone.snow.com
Pros: Doesn't draw as many of the Denver day skiers because it's gotten a "family" reputation, so it can be less crowded at times. Good mountain for beginners in that they have a good ski school and the whole front side of the mountain is pretty much cruisers (similar to top right). If there's powder, there's enough decent glade skiing and other stuff on North Peak and the Outback (bottom right) to keep more advanced skiers happily occupied for a day.
Cons: Keystone tends to get a little bit less snowfall than other resorts in the area, so conditions can get to be hard-pack more frequently. Limited apres ski.
Cost: $$$$
ARAPAHOE BASIN (15 minutes away)
www.arapahoebasin.com
Pros: Challenging terrain and an "old-school" reputation make this a locals' favorite. There's good intermediate / expert terrain, and adventure-seekers can hike to some pretty dicy chutes from the top. Cheap tickets, lots of duct tape, and free parking a snowball's throw from the lift help perpetuate A-Basin's throwback vibe. A-Basin typically has the longest season around (June/July). Also, in the spring, the "beach" is famous for its apres ski.
Cons: A-Basin is the smallest resort acreage wise, so it can feel crowded even when it's not. Not a good mountain if you have beginners in your group, as there's not much here for them, and even intermediates / lower-advanced skiers who like skiing different trails can get bored by early afternoon. They are talking about opening more terrain, but until they do...
Cost: $$
BEAVER CREEK (45 minutes away)
www.beavercreek.snow.com
Pros: Groomers delight. Plenty of beginner and intermediate terrain. For more advanced skiers, there's several steep groomers and some long bump runs to get the heartbeat going. There's also some good tree-bashing for those that know where to look.
Cons: Hard to drive past Vail and pay the same ticket price.
Cost: $$$$$
WINTER PARK (90 minutes away)
www.skiwinterpark.com
Pros: Been a while since I've been there (maybe it has something to do with sliding through a hairpin in my Jeep going over Berthoud Pass) so I don't know how it really stacks up now, particularly since they've opened up some new terrain since my last visit. What I do recall is some good challenging terrain on the Mary Jane side of the mountain and have heard good things about the new terrain..
Cons: Bit longer drive and you get caught in Denver day traffic going up an over Berthoud Pass.
Cost: $$$
STEAMBOAT (2 hours away)
www.steamboat.com
Pros: When the conditions are right, some of the best powder and tree skiing anywhere. Some of the runs ("Closet" and "Shadows" in particular) have some of the best-spaced trees I've come across. Plus, there's the hot springs.
Cons: A lot of "deep" but not very much "steep". Also a bit of a drive compared to others..
Cost: $$$$
