BRECKENRIDGE

“The Beav” is the quieter side of the Vail Valley, but it is a full-scale, World Class resort in its own right. A high-speed quad now links Beaver Creek Village to Arrowhead Village allowing you to ski or ride from mountain to mountain, stopping to graze at Beaver Creek, Bachelor Gulch Village and Arrowhead Village. A special night-time treat is to ride the “cat-pulled” tram to a mid-mountain restaurant. Short, steep gladed runs in the Stone Creek area will offer in-bounds adrenal pumps for expert skiers and riders. The chutes are located to the east of Rose Bowl and the area can be reached from Cinch Express Lift.

Breckenridge is a great mountain town, the “most-visited” resort in the United States. This is a great ski town. A vertical rise of 3,398 feet and 28 lifts including two high-speed six SuperChairs and seven high-speed quads. The longest trail – Four O’Clock – is 3.5 miles long. All that terrain, professional grooming, and down-home atmosphere make it easy to see why this area is such a favorite. New for 2006/07: they’re installing an 8-passenger gondola linking the town to Breckenridge Ski Resort, calling it – the BreckConnect™. It will run visitors between the town and the ski resort’s base area at Peak 8 and, in the future, Peak 7.

Keystone Resort is one of the closest major resorts to the Denver area, an easy 90-minute drive from Denver International Airport. Part of Vail Resorts, Inc., Keystone is known for its more than 2,800 acres of skiing and riding terrain on three mountains, its snowcat skiing with Keystone Adventure Tours, one of the largest night parks in North America, award-winning restaurants, two golf courses, mountain bike park, and superior conference facilities. Keystone attracts both local and destination skiers and snowboarders. Challenging skiing abounds in the North Peak area. There are plenty of mogul runs. The resort is self-contained and easy to maneuver on skis or as a pedestrian in the village.

Perhaps the best vacation experience in the world. Vail mountain offers virtually everything a die hard powder junkie could crave, from the Lionshead cruisers to the famous Back Bowls. Blue Sky Basin has catapulted Vail back to the top of the heap of skier preference, judging from recent polls. The Bavarian-like Village at the base is pedestrian friendly and charming. The shopping is upscale. The scene – trendy and charming all at once. Vail boasts three distinct areas of the mountain, each with their own features and fortes, including four terrain parks, seven bowls and 5,289 acres of freeride terrain. At seven miles wide, finding fresh tracks is as easy as finding elbow room. In fact, on an average day, there are only two skiers per acre, and on a busy day, only four.