Copper Mountain

Skiers who haven't driven past Copper Mountain within the last few years won't recognize the resort. Once little more than a series of strip malls strung along the highway, Copper Mountain is now thriving. The resort's heart is a pedestrian-only village, anchored by Burning Stones Plaza, which is prime people-watching turf. High-speed ski lifts march up the mountain on one side of the plaza, and the other three sides are flanked by condominiums with retail shops and restaurants on the ground floors. Lodgings extend westward toward Union Creek and eastward to Copper Station, where a six-pack high-speed lift ferries skiers uphill.

In winter Burning Stones is filled with skiers on their way to and from the slopes and shoppers browsing for gifts to give to those left at home. In summer people relax on condo balconies or restaurant patios as they listen to free concerts on the plaza or watch athletes inch up the 37-foot-high climbing wall. Kids can also learn to kayak or float in paddleboats.

Downhill Skiing & Snowboarding

Copper Mountain has been voted the "locals' favorite" in the Summit Daily Readers' Poll for five years running. The resort's 2,450 acres are spread across several peaks where the terrain is naturally separated into areas for beginners, intermediates, and expert skiers and snowboarders. The Union Creek area contains gentle, tree-lined trails for novices. The slopes above the Village at Copper and Copper Station are an invigorating blend of intermediate and advanced trails. Several steep mogul runs are clustered on the eastern side of the area, and have their own lift. At the top of the resort, and in the vast Copper Bowl, there's challenging above-tree-line skiing. Freeriders gravitate to the super pipe and the Catalyst Terrain Park. Weather permitting, several days each week beginning in mid-February, expert skiers can grab a free first-come, first-served snowcat ride up Tucker Mountain for an ungroomed, wilderness-style ski experience. 970/968-2882 or 800/458-8386. www.coppercolorado.com. Nov.-mid-Apr., daily 9-4.

Facilities

2,601-foot vertical drop; 2,450 skiable acres; 21% beginner, 25% intermediate, 36% advanced, 18% expert; 1 high-speed six-person chair, 4 high-speed quad chairs, 5 triple chairs, 5 double chairs, 4 surface lifts, 3 conveyor lifts.

Lessons & Programs

Copper Mountain's Ski and Ride School (970/968-2318) has classes for skiers and snowboarders, private lessons, men- and women-only groups, and special sessions such as Level Busters (to help you make a quantum leap in skills). Copper's Kids Sessions, divided into groups based on age and skill level, are designed to both teach and entertain. There's also Kids' Night Out, popular among parents who want an evening without the children.

Lift Tickets

Early-season window tickets (through mid-December) are $51 and then jump to $86 in high season. Few people, however, pay the walk-up rate. Vacationers usually purchase lift-and-lodging packages, which include discounted lift rates. Copper Mountain has last minute deals online at www.coppersavers.com. Passes can save skiers and riders 20% or more. The best deal is Copper's four-pass program for $99 (with some blackout dates). If you want to short-circuit lift lines during busy times (like Christmas week and spring break, try the Bee Line Advantage—for $20 a day you can get on the lifts 15 minutes earlier in the morning and use a dedicated (and shorter) lift line. Ask about it when you book your hotel or condo; many properties offer this as a free bonus.

Rentals

Rental packages (skis, boots, and poles) start at $30 per day for sport ski packages and go as high as $45 per day for high-performance equipment. Snowboard rental packages (snowboard and boots) start at $42 for adults. Helmet rentals begin at $10.

Child Care

Copper Mountain Resort has ski-school options for older kids, and child care for youngsters. The smell of chocolate-chip cookies wafts from the Belly Button Bakery, day care for those two to four years old. Belly Button Babies accepts kids six weeks to two years old. Children's programs are based in the Mountain Plaza at Center Village.