Aspen is Colorado skiing at its most fulfilled—epic terrain with plenty of variety, an apres-ski and town scene that pulls celebs and stargazers alike, and customer service that should serve as the benchmark for all North American resorts, including "ski ambassadors" who give complimentary mountain tours. (Best service idea? It's pretty cool to check your equipment at the end of the day at the bottom of one mountain, pay a few bucks, and find it waiting for you at another mountain the next morning.) But make no mistake: This is not a mom-and-pop resort. In fact, it’s a mistake to refer to Aspen as a singular resort when in fact Aspen is made up of four distinct skiing regions—Aspen Mountain, Snowmass, Aspen Highlands, and Buttermilk. And while all are accessible under one lift ticket and connected via a free ski bus, each resort has its own distinct style, offering variety unsurpassed in North America.

Aspen Mountain offers some of the region’s best bumps, jumps, and steeps, along with cat-skiing on the backside of the mountain. Beginners should go elsewhere—the easiest slopes on Aspen Mountain are for intermediates. But if you’re up for the challenge, Aspen Mountain is winter-white heaven. Most skiers congregate at the Gondola Plaza, just steps from downtown, and then make their way to the summit via the Silver Queen Gondola, which, after two decades of faithful service, received a complete overhaul in 2006 with 147 spacious Swiss-made cabins. The newer cabins offer space for up to six passengers, as well as floor-to-ceiling windows so you can soak up the surrounding views before plunging down the slopes.

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Aspen is Colorado skiing at its most fulfilled—epic terrain with plenty of variety, an apres-ski and town scene that pulls celebs and stargazers alike, and customer service that should serve as the benchmark for all North American resorts, including "ski ambassadors" who give complimentary mountain tours. (Best service idea? It's pretty cool to check your equipment at the end of the day at the bottom of one mountain, pay a few bucks, and find it waiting for you at another mountain the next morning.) But make no mistake: This is not a mom-and-pop resort. In fact, it’s a mistake to refer to Aspen as a singular resort when in fact Aspen is made up of four distinct skiing regions—Aspen Mountain, Snowmass, Aspen Highlands, and Buttermilk. And while all are accessible under one lift ticket and connected via a free ski bus, each resort has its own distinct style, offering variety unsurpassed in North America.

Aspen Mountain offers some of the region’s best bumps, jumps, and steeps, along with cat-skiing on the backside of the mountain. Beginners should go elsewhere—the easiest slopes on Aspen Mountain are for intermediates. But if you’re up for the challenge, Aspen Mountain is winter-white heaven. Most skiers congregate at the Gondola Plaza, just steps from downtown, and then make their way to the summit via the Silver Queen Gondola, which, after two decades of faithful service, received a complete overhaul in 2006 with 147 spacious Swiss-made cabins. The newer cabins offer space for up to six passengers, as well as floor-to-ceiling windows so you can soak up the surrounding views before plunging down the slopes.

This is old-school-style skiing: punishing runs, steep pistes, and dense moguls with connectors linking the whole thing together into a leg-straining maze. But if you’re up for it, Aspen Mountain can handle anything you toss at it, leaving your weary, ready for more.

Where: 200 miles from Denver, via I-70 and Colorado 82.