Winter Park
Location: 67 miles northwest of Denver.
Transfers: easy access from Denver (around 1hr)by car or by The Ski Train which departs Denver’s Union Station every Saturday and Sunday at 7.15am, taking skiers directly to the slopes.
Ideal for: all levels of skier.
Season: November-April.
Ski area: 2,886 acres over four adjacent mountains interconnected by ski trails and lifts.
Longest run: 4.5 miles (Mary Jane Mountain).
Non-skiing activities: snowshoe tours, snowcat tours, tubing, moonlight snowmobile tours and moonlight gondola rides, ice skating, dog sledding, shopping.
Accommodation: wide range of condos, inns, hotels and motels.
Apres ski: Winter Park boasts over 40 restaurants and bars, a movie theatre and shops.
Cost of living: a large sandwich on the slopes costs about $7; buffet breakfast $8; soup $5; pasta dish $8; cocktail $5.
Where to stay: Iron Horse Retreat, which offers rooms with kitchen facilities, en suite bathrooms and open-air Jacuzzis. Located close to Winter Park with frequent shuttle bus to the slopes.
Where to go: The Slope for apres ski; The Sunspot or Club Car for ski lunch; The Divide for an evening meal.
New developments: Winter Park is spending $200m in Old Town which will add 1,100 beds and 35,000sq ft for restaurants and shops by January 2000. The nearby resort of Berthoud Pass has reopened after five years. Day lift tickets for the 1,200-acre ski area cost $28.
More information: the resort’s Internet site at:www.skiwinterpark.com