Though less renowned than its big rivals, Stowe and Killington to the south, Burke has been in the downhill ski business for more than 40 years. The mountain is a throwback to simpler times. It has only six lifts to service 50 trails, but the point is, if you don't have crowds you don't need extra lifts, and one thing you'll find in abundance is isolation. Couple that with a 2,000-foot vertical drop, a superb ski school, the extensive Nordic system, and modern lodging and dining facilities and you have the makings for a great ski weekend within three hours of Boston.