Aspen Mountain
Powder Skiing Aspen Mountain
Best known for: Steep, bump runs that drop right into the town of Aspen
Best-kept secret: Venture off the groomed runs and have black/double-black-diamond trails all to yourself!
What's new: The base of Aspen Mountain is in the epicenter of downtown and will have an improved gondola plaza for the 2008-2009 season. A reduced number of steps will make it even easier to load the gondola.
Ruthie’s Run, Aspen Mountain
Although Aspen Mountain is reknowned for its mogul runs (Bell Mountain in particular has enough bumps to make anyone's knees ache), one of the best pistes is Ruthie’s Run. This long, straight red piste is ideal for carving and is serviced by a rare thing: a high-speed two-person chairlift, which means you can do it again and again.
Gated terrain on Aspen Mountain Trainor's, Rayborn's and Bingo Glades offer wild, ungroomed terrain with variable conditions and natural obstacles. When the snow falls heavy, watch for these special stashes to open up.
S1 on Aspen Mountain S1 drops off of International and plummets straight down the fall line into Spar Gulch. One of "The Dumps," a series of steep mine tailings on Aspen Mountain, S1 has a steep entry, sometimes requiring a bit of air, followed by a long, narrow run to the bottom.
Silver Rush on Aspen Mountain Ride the Shadow Mountain chair and look to your left just before you disembark. Silver Rush is the steep chute just below you. It drops skiers and riders to the top of Little Nell near the Compromise Mine.
Snowmass
Best known for: Wide-open, groomed cruising and family-friendly activities. Snowmass has long been rated one of the best family ski areas in North America.
Best-kept secret: Dine for lunch at the rustic Lynn Britt Cabin located mid-mountain. The daily "Noon Groom," a freshly groomed run that reopens at noon. Take the short hike to the Long Shot trail where intermediate skiers and snowboarders can get a backcountry experience while in-bounds.
What's new: Already one of North America’s premier resorts, Snowmass continues to undergo a host of on-mountain improvements that will greet skiers and riders for the 2008-2009 season: a new Sheer Bliss lift; Sam’s Smokehouse restaurant and Sneaky’s Tavern; additional commercial, residential and restaurant space in base village; the new Treehouse Kids’ Adventure Center; the Elk Camp Meadows learning area accessible by the eight-passenger Elk Camp Gondola. In addition, the Snow Park Technologies-designed Snowmass Park now includes a 22-foot superpipe! Plus, thanks to the latest in radio frequency technology, guests will speed through select gates at access lifts without requiring a scan or check.
Long Shot, Snowmass
Take the Elk Camp chairlift up to Burnt Mountain to access the 8.3km-long Long Shot trail down to Two Creeks. This intermediate run winds through forests, giving skiers a real backcountry experience, and is invariably free of other skiers.
Hanging Valley and the Cirque, Snowmass
These are probably two of the most underrated off-piste ski areas in the world. A vast winter wonderland, together they provide expert skiers and boarders with opportunities to play on a high altitude plateau (3,815m), negotiate cliff drops and narrow gullies and ride through open glades, steep woods and wide powder fields.
The Cirque on Snowmass
From the 12,510 foot summit of Snowmass, The Cirque drops precipitously through cliffs, rockbands and steep headwalls. Try AMF or Gowdy's or make your way across to the Cirque Headwall and pick a line between the rocks, or find a launch pad.