Sitting high in the Colorado Rockies between Vail and Aspen, exclusive Beaver Creek is one of North America's best ski resorts. Here's why.
1 MOUNTAIN WELCOME TOUR
Beaver Creek has a cosy, small-resort image, but don't be deceived: its ski fields cover more terrain than Vail's front side. At 11am daily (ladies only on Wednesdays), this free, two-hour introduction to the resort provides intermediate and advanced skiers with a great overview of the terrain, which sprawls across three mountains – Beaver Creek, Arrowhead and Grouse – and covers 146 trails. The escorted tour departs from the top of Centennial Express Chairlift; be early to ensure a place. See beavercreek.com.
2 EPIC MIX
This online and mobile app tracks skiers' movements via a chip embedded in lift tickets, and tells you which runs you've skied and how many vertical feet you've descended. It then posts (or boasts) about your exploits on Twitter and Facebook. You can also compete with yourself or with friends and family members for the best descent time, and upload photos of yourself taken slope-side by staff photographers. See epicmix.com.
3 SKI AMBASSADORS
In a country well known for its service standards, Beaver Creek goes that little bit further with its Ski Ambassadors, who roam the ski slopes and village square. They'll point you in the right direction, offer to carry your skis if you're struggling, chat to the kids and even provide you with sunscreen and tissues when in need. If you need restaurant recommendations, just ask.
4 SKI SCHOOL
Ambassadors on hand once more to organise gear and enrolment forms, plus some of the USA's top instructors, make Beaver Creek's ski-school experience easy for all. You can do group or private classes, but the Ultimate 4 semi-private option allows individual attention from an instructor without having to forego company. Girls aged 7-14 can join Ski Girls Rock, which provides both instruction and confidence-building. The ski school's The Ranch facility at the summit of Buckaroo Gondola is well geared to kids and provides snacks and lunch stops. See beavercreek.com.
5 GREEN RUNS
About a quarter of the runs at Beaver Creek are suitable for beginners and, as an added bonus, many are located at the top of the mountain, giving novices the best of the views, which is unusual in a ski resort. The green and blue runs are groomed as smooth as icing on a cake, and a relative lack of crowds means those just starting out gain confidence quickly. Short, quiet runs on Arrowhead Mountain are a good place to start; one is even called Piece O' Cake.
6 CRUISERS
Beaver Creek is probably best suited to intermediate skiers, and those looking for easy cruising will be delighted by dozens of immaculately groomed runs. Few moments in skiing anywhere beat zooming down the resort's just-graded, long, steep rollers in the early morning before more pampered holidaymakers have made it to the slopes. The longest run is the four-and-a-half kilometre Centennial Trail on Beaver Creek Mountain, where variations in difficulty and steepness will keep intermediate skiers on their toes – or at least on the edge of their skis.
7 ADRENALINE RUSH
Beaver Creek is often associated with easy skiing, but advanced skiers and snowboarders will have little trouble finding a challenge. The Stone Creek area (reached on the Cinch Express chairlift) has expert terrain whose steep chutes are excellent after fresh snowfalls, and Grouse Mountain also provides runs such as the double black-diamond Royal Elk Glades. Also check out Larkspur Bowl (especially after new snow) and runs such as Osprey, Bald Eagle and Black Bear Glade.
8 BIRDS OF PREY
This almost three-kilometre run starts near the top of Cinch Express chairlift and plunges 750 vertical metres to end at Red Tail Camp. If you want to know what a world-class race course feels like, this is your moment: Birds of Prey hosts the only US stop on the men's alpine World Cup circuit. The likes of Hermann Maier and Bode Miller have won races here, in times well under the two-minute mark. Test your mettle on the steep trail, where some turns run against the fall line.
9 WORLD CUP
The World Alpine Ski Championships – the biggest winter sports event bar the Olympics – are coming to Beaver Creek and Vail between February 2-15. The neighbouring resort of Vail will host the ceremonies, events and nightlife, but Beaver Creek will see the bulk of the on-slope competition when the world's best skiers, from some 70 nations, converge on its runs. See vailbeavercreek2015.com.
10 MAMIE'S MOUNTAIN GRILL
Make a stop at this cabin on the slopes at the top of Bachelor Gulch for a mulled wine or Colorado microbrewery beer on the terrace, where a pretty outlook allows you to gaze over slender silver aspen trees and snowy hillsides hatched with cross-country ski trails. You can buy 'grill your own' lunches of chicken, lamb, burgers or steaks and fling them on the barbecue, or just order up a bowl of filling elk stew.
11 WARM COOKIES
The most modest of efforts is often the most hugely appreciated, and certainly Beaver Creek's cookies on the slopes have become something of a legend. Ski down to the village at the end of the day, with your stomach just starting to rumble, and you'll find chefs in tall white hats waiting among the ski racks at the bottom with trays of freshly baked chocolate-chip cookies that are handed out to kids and adults alike. Yummy.
12 ESCALATORS
Beaver Creek Village is so compact it's easy to get about on foot but when tired legs are aching after a day's skiing it's nice to know that escalators will waft you and your heavy gear back to your hotel, or to the shops and bars for some après-ski wandering. Several outdoor escalators (another was added this season) connect the village to the base of the lifts for the ultimate in lazy indulgences.
13 ICE SKATING
Black Family Ice Rink in the middle of Beaver Creek Village is petite but a great pleasure. You can rent skates and helmets for a spin (or spill) on the ice. Fire pits and mugs of hot chocolate provide warmth as visitors lounge on outdoor sofas overlooking the action. Evenings are best, with various family, disco and jukebox events. Lights twinkle from the surrounding shops and stars shine overhead.
14 VILAR PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE
This 535-seat venue is small enough to provide a seat close to the stage, large enough to feature some great shows and performances. Dance, musical theatre, classical music, comedy shows and kids' performances all feature. If you're thinking of a white Christmas next season, you can also enjoy seasonal favourites such as The Messiah and The Nutcracker Suite. See vilarpac.org.
15 ART GALLERIES
Not surprisingly, there's plenty of upmarket shopping in chic Beaver Creek, but its fine art galleries set it apart from many other resorts. Knox Galleries specialises in monumental bronze sculptures from top American artists. Also well worth a stickybeak is By Nature Gallery, whose works of art are created from fossils, minerals, petrified wood and meteoritic stone. Kids will love its insects in amber, woolly mammoth tusks and dinosaur bones. See knoxgalleries.com and bynaturegallery.com.
16 CHRISTOPHER & CO
It's a bit out of town in Edwards, but this shop is well worth the short drive for those with a love of vintage tourism posters. It has one of America's biggest collections of early ski and Olympics posters from North America and Europe, as well as quality reproductions, and has also expanded into wider travel, food and propaganda posters. See christopherco.com.
17 ZACH'S CABIN
This restaurant on the mountains above Bachelor Gulch has rustic charm, crackling open fires and great mountain views. Its inventive American cuisine favours Colorado ingredients. Try the smoked buffalo carpaccio with aioli or short-rib pot-stickers as an appetiser, before tucking into chilli-encrusted elk tenderloin or hearty rack of lamb. In the evening, the classic way to get there is by sleigh ride from the Ritz-Carlton hotel. See zachscabinbeavercreek.com.
18 BEANO'S CABIN
A frigid but beautiful, starlit snowcat ride hauls you up the hill to this log cabin in the pine trees, which provides views of the light-twinkled valley and moonlit peaks. The interior is a modern take on Wild West stereotypes, with cowhide chairs, bearskins, elk-antler chandeliers and open fires. The menu combines Colorado game and seafood flown in from New England; leave room afterwards for the caramel apple pie with roasted white chocolate. See beanoscabinbeavercreek.com.
19 RITZ-CARLTON
This massive hotel is a log cabin on steroids, complete with stag heads and rough-hewn stone and timber like a set from Game of Thrones. If you don't stay here, ski down Bachelor Gulch during the day for a drink on the terrace, where bluegrass bands often play and fire pits provide flicking warmth on a overcast day. The hotel's expansive spa might also entice you away from the slopes. See ritzcarlton.com.
20 THE OSPREY
If this hotel were any closer to a chairlift, your bar stool would be hoisted directly onto the slopes. It takes 10 seconds to step out the door and be on the Strawberry Park Express chairlift. The Osprey at Beaver Creek is a small property with large rooms in a sleek, modern style and has outstanding service, including a ski concierge to look after your gear. The outdoor pool and hot tub are fabulous when the snow falls; even the poolside deck is heated. See ospreyatbeavercreek.rockresorts.com.
The writer was a guest of Vail Resorts.
