When it comes to ski resorts and wintery adventures, the mountain towns in Colorado have an embarrassment of riches. Growing up in New Jersey, my family would drive nearly five hours to ski the resorts of Vermont. Sometimes my dad would pile us in his van and do a 10-hour round trip in a single day. I have so many fond memories of chilly outdoor time with my family as a kid. Then, I headed west later in life.

Why I Love These Mountain Towns in Colorado

When I moved to Boulder, Colorado I was blown away to learn that I had nearly a dozen resorts within a two-hour drive and another dozen more just a bit further. The initial allure was, of course, the downhill. But then I began to discover the other adventures on offer, from fat tire biking along stunning singletrack and Nordic skiing past old gold mines, to snowmobiling and dog sledding in the backcountry.

Every ski town has its own personality, plus quirky annual events that I try to time my visits around. The properties from 鈥攁 hip hotel membership club that started in Breckenridge and now has outposts in Vail, Winter Park, and Steamboat Springs鈥攊s my typical go-to stay for the hyperlocal vibe, convenient co-working spaces, athlete-worthy gyms, and restaurants with high-quality cocktails and food (from $169 to $299 minimum per night).

If you prefer a vacation rental, has properties in Vail, Beaver, Creek, Aspen, and Snowmass and recently introduced Peak Pursuits, an adventure-focused concierge service that can arrange activities such as heli-skiing and sleigh ride dinners. Here鈥檚 my cheat sheet on how to navigate the on and off-piste winter thrills of the most beautiful mountain towns in Colorado.

Best Things to Do in Aspen-Snowmass

I have a soft spot for Aspen. If you look past the glitz and glamor you can still find a soulful mountain town with epic adventures on offer. A free public transportation system transfers you between the resort鈥檚 four mountains, each with its own personality and appeal (Buttermilk for families; Aspen-Highlands for its mythic bowl). And Hero鈥檚, the new terrain expansion on Aspen Mountain, will push your edge with chutes and gladed areas. You can be part of the downtown apr猫s scene, but I prefer to get my culture fix after skiing and visit the or .

Where to Play

In my opinion, Aspen-Snowmass has Colorado鈥檚 best . A season uphill pass costs $69 ($10 of the fee goes to Mountain Rescue Aspen) and gives you access to dedicated routes on Buttermilk and Snowmass mountains all day, and you can uphill Ajax Mountain and Aspen Highlands when the lift isn鈥檛 spinning. The Roaring Fork Valley is also a , boasting 60 miles of free cross-country and snowshoe trails between Aspen, Snowmass, and Basalt.

I like to work up an appetite, skate skiing the so I can splurge on the burger at Woody Creek Tavern or I鈥檒l pay for a $25 pass at Ashcroft Nordic Center, set across from an old ghost town, so I can cross-country ski out to for their pre-fixe lunch menu. They also have an option to reach the restaurant by horse-drawn sleigh.

For unreal views without a lot of effort, book a with T Lazy Ranch (from $275).

Where to Stay

Aspen has no shortage of ritzy hotels with see-and-be-seen crowds but I prefer the low-key properties in both Aspen (from $629 a night) and Snowmass (from $569 a night). Rooms are outfitted with Smeg fridges and microwaves, banquette seating for dining or remote working, plus plenty of hooks and cubbies for ski gear. In the morning, you鈥檙e treated to a complimentary breakfast buffet. After skiing, you can soak in the hot tub or heated outdoor pool then hit the bar for live music and wood-fired pizza.

Where to Eat

The former log cabin recently underwent a renovation and expansion and this season will be accessible by foot off of Snowmass鈥檚 new Coney Express Lift. You can ski in for lunch or extended apr猫s hours, which feature shotskis and charcuterie boards, or book an evening snowcat dinner.

I buy an uphill pass just so I can attend the monthly at the Cliffhouse at Buttermilk.

, a new dive bar in Aspen, was recently opened by two locals and affordably-priced food was a term of the restaurant鈥檚 deed-restricted lease. A beer and beef slider will cost you less than $10; a steal in Aspen.

And if you鈥檙e flying in or out of the airport, a detour to , tucked away in the Aspen Airport Center, is a must. Her flavorful dishes, like vegetable maffe, a West African peanut curry, and seafood gumbo, pay homage to her French and Ivory Coast roots.

Don鈥檛-Miss Event

Buttermilk Mountain will host the Winter X Games January 23-25, 2025 and the and the Visa Big Air January 30-February 6. But I鈥檓 most excited for the inaugural halfpipe event of Olympic snowboarder Shaun White鈥檚 new Snow League, happening March 7-8.

Best Things to Do in Breckenridge

Just 80 miles west of Denver, Breckenridge is one of the state鈥檚 most popular Front Range ski resorts. Some lament the crowds, but I find once you鈥檙e on the mountain, it鈥檚 easy to spread out. Five peaks boast more than 180 trails webbed across nearly 3,000 skiable acres of terrain, ranging from high-alpine bowls to beginner-friendly tree runs.

I like to rise early and warm up with a yoga class at and always build in a down day to explore the boutiques, restaurants, and public art and studios of the in Breck鈥檚 charming Victorian downtown.

Where to Play

Rent a fat bike (they also have e-fat bikes) from and explore the nearly 20 miles of groomed trails at the Gold Run Nordic Center (half-day rentals from $65). The outfitter鈥檚 guided rides to and are great because they provide transportation back to town so you can imbibe worry-free (from $85).听

Where to Stay

The feels more like a restaurant with rooms. The Euro-style inn has just four, Scandi-minimalist suites stocked with useful amenities like Topo Designs backpacks and yoga mats. Two of the town’s best eateries are just below the rooms. The seafood-centric, ground-floor restaurant features a raw bar and items like fish and chips and lobster roll sliders; the basement-level speakeasy-inspired tavern serves comfort foods like cheesesteaks and fried chicken sammys. (From $399 per night.)

Where to Eat

Matt Vawter, chef and owner of , was recently named the James Beard Awards鈥� best chef in the mountain region. The mega accolade, often called the Oscars of the food world, has made reservations to experience his exceptional tasting menu a must.

Don鈥檛-Miss Event

, a wacky celebration of the Norse god of snow, takes place December 12-14, 2024 with a colorful parade of costumed revelers. This year, Breck will try to lure 1,370 participants to help reclaim the unofficial world鈥檚 longest shotski record from Park City. I hope to be there.

Best Things to Do in Crested Butte

I live in one of the greatest mountain towns in Colorado, but I still get mountain-town envy every time I visit Crested Butte. The soulful vibe and lack of big brand hotels and chains have earned it the reputation as Colorado鈥檚 last great ski town. If you鈥檙e seeking rowdy terrain, Crested Butte Mountain Resort delivers. Known as the North American birthplace of inbounds extreme skiing and riding, it boasts more than 560 acres of expert terrain. Want bragging rights? Tackle Rambo, a 55-degree-pitch run considered the steepest lift-served, tree-cut trail in the U.S. Beyond the resort, the surrounding Gunnison Valley offers a treasure trove of backcountry adventures to satiate all types of outdoor lovers.

Where to Play

Cat skiing with local outfitter on 1,000 acres of powder-blessed terrain just ten miles out of town ranks as one of my all-time snowboard days (private cat for up to 10 people costs $8,500 or buy a single seat for $850).

If there鈥檚 a dry spell, is a perfect alternative to downhill skiing and grooms a number of areas around town that are free to access. The maintains nearly 35 miles of trails that can be accessed with a $25 day pass. The six miles of trails at the Town Ranch and on the Rec Path can be accessed for free.

Where to Stay

Ski-in/ski-out has an on-site ski rental shop, a sprawling spa, spacious rooms, and a lounge in partnership with local film company Matchstick Productions that hosts screenings and athlete activations (from $230 a night).

Where to Eat

Carb up at the , a dive-y pizza spot. I love that the menu at the has healthy options like the completely satisfying quinoa-spiked power salad, as well as the not-so-healthy stuff you crave after a day slaying pow, like a burger topped with pork belly and fried onions.

On Sundays, in-the-know locals Nordic ski or snowshoe to , located one-mile from the Peanut Lake Trailhead Loop.

Don鈥檛-Miss Event

, an outrageous costumed American Birkebeiner qualifying Nordic event, takes place February 1, 2025 and the course winds through the heart of downtown making it a favorite spectator event.

Best Things to Do in Steamboat Springs

Ski Town USA is known for both its ultra-dry, trademark 鈥渃hampagne powder鈥� and Old Western cowboy character. In the last few years, the resort has been re-imagined with a new base area, complete with a skating rink and food hall, and a dedicated beginner area, Greenhorn Ranch. Advanced skiers once bemoaned the lack of expert runs. No more. Last year the resort debuted Mahogany Ridge & Fish Creek Canyon, some 650 acres of test-your-mettle terrain.

A free bus runs every 20 minutes between the village and town, making it easy to explore galleries and shops like stalwart western wear.

Where to Play

Channel your inner cowboy (or girl) on a snowy trail ride at , led by fifth-generation wrangler (and enthralling storyteller) Ray Heid ($150). Then warm up with a steamy soak. I like the ease of ($29) but clothing-optional-after-dark is an experience ($20, cash only). If you don鈥檛 have 4WD and snow tires, book a to reach the secluded springs ($50 round-trip, entry fee included).

Where to Stay

The historic recently renovated its 35 rooms and has a hard-to-beat downtown location walking distance to shops and restaurants. (From $199 a night.)

Where to Eat

Options abound. On the hill, you can choose from ramen, pizza, tacos, and subs at the . In town, the offers Jamaican jerk chicken, poke bowls, classic cocktails, and more. Brunch at is worth a late start on the slopes, particularly for the banana foster French toast and smoked tomato and pesto Benedict.

Don鈥檛-Miss Event

Like a rodeo on the slopes, the annual , January 20, 2025, always leaves me in stitches as I watch cowgirls and cowboys in their chaps and Stetsons speed down a dual slalom course, hit jumps, then lasso a person, saddle a horse, and ski across the finish line.

Families shouldn鈥檛 miss the oldest west of the Mississippi. Celebrating 112 years on February 7-9, 2025 the festivities include ski racing, skijoring, and a fireworks-studded night show featuring the famed Lighted Man, who shoots fireworks from his pyrotechnic suit while skiing down the hill.

Best Things to Do in Telluride

Telluride looks like it was meant for a snow globe. Nestled in a picturesque box canyon within the jagged San Juan Mountains, it isn鈥檛 the easiest resort to reach in winter, which means you rarely find crowds. If you make the effort, you鈥檙e rewarded with quad-burning slopes and a darling downtown lined with Victorian homes, art galleries, indie boutiques, and some seriously great dining.

A free, pedestrian gondola makes it effortless to bounce between the mountain and the historic downtown while soaking in awesome views.

Where to Play

can access more than 200 square miles of high-alpine skiing and its single-day heli-trip promises six runs with up to 14,000 feet of leg-quivering vert (from $1,875 per person).

I always like to build in a mellow activity to temper all of the adrenaline and one of my favorite experiences over the years has been dog sledding the snowy trails of the Uncompahgre National Forest with family-run company, . (Prices vary, for current rates.)

Where to Stay

I like the convenience of the ski-in/ski-out (from $399 a night), and appreciate their massive fitness center. Intimate, five-bedroom (from $550 a night) is steps from the town gondola and feels like a fancy B&B, complete with complimentary wine, beer, and snacks, and hearty breakfast spread.

Where to Eat

Sometimes I opt to stay downtown just so I can be walking distance to the , an institution beloved for its monster-sized, made-from-scratch baked goods (the homemade pop tarts are addictive).

On piste, , North America鈥檚 second highest elevation fine-dining restaurant, channels Italy鈥檚 Dolomites with its charcuterie and cheese spreads, deep wine list, and killer mountain views. I still haven鈥檛 experienced the omakase menu at , a stellar sushi spot in town, but their happy hour is one of the best deals around with half price sushi rolls.

Don鈥檛-Miss Event

Many Colorado resorts now host a , but Telluride鈥檚 (February 22-March 1, 2025) stands out for its raucous pool parties and kick-off event, the Telluride Aids Benefit fashion show gala.

Best Things to Do in Vail

People like to hate on Vail because its parent company is a mega ski conglomerate. That shouldn鈥檛 take away from its seriously great terrain. I鈥檝e lived in Colorado for a decade and am still discovering all that the resort鈥檚 seven back bowls have to offer in its 2,785 acres of terrain. And in the last few years, the Bavarian-inspired village has been reinvigorated with new bars, restaurants, and the wild entertainment venue, .

Where to Play

Skiing the Minturn Mile, an out-of-bounds run that spans three miles and drops 3,000 vertical feet, is a right of passage for hard-charging locals.听 I usually think of Nordic skiing as a killer workout, but turns it into an adventure by leading half- and full-day tours into the White River National Forest where you鈥檙e likely to ski past abandoned mines and wildlife (from $160).

Where to Stay

I love how the celebrates the resort鈥檚 1960s heyday. Design details, like framed 10th Mountain Division pins in the rooms, nod to the region鈥檚 alpine heritage. After a day on the hill I head straight to the downstairs recovery lounge, equipped with massage guns, leg compression sleeves, and a Himalayan salt room. (From $469 per night.)

Where to Eat

Matsuhisa has some competition now that upscale sushi spot has opened in the Grand Hyatt Vail. This winter, Denver鈥檚 award-winning Italian restaurant, , opens in the Four Seasons. On the mountain, I can never resist the smell of barbecue wafting from , accessible off chairlifts 3, 17, and 7.

Don鈥檛-Miss Event

I鈥檝e marked my calendar to see the action at the at neighboring Beaver Creek December 6-15, 2024. Music fans won鈥檛 want to miss , a weekend concert series April 4-5, 2025 featuring DJs like Interplanetary Criminal and Don Fuego (tickets from $99).

Best Things to Do in Winter Park

I鈥檒l admit, the initial appeal of snowboarding at Winter Park was that I could bypass traffic by hopping on the , a stress-free, direct train service that runs Friday through Sunday throughout the winter from Denver鈥檚 Union Station to the base of the resort (tickets from $19 to $39).

Widely considered Colorado鈥檚 original ski resort, it strikes a rare balance of being both a destination yet feeling like locals still rule the hill. I鈥檝e been a devotee since my first trip. You鈥檒l find newbie and kid-friendly groomers and some super fun glades at Winter Park and neighboring peak Mary Jane is known for its thigh-burning moguls and hike-accessed Cirque terrain.

Where to Play

Head to to snow tube ($35 an hour), fat bike ($20 per hour), and snowshoe (rentals $25 per day).

On select Saturday evenings this January through March, you can uphill by headlamp for an alpine dinner at , a vintage lodge near the Explorer Express and Prospector lifts, then descend under the stars.

Where to Stay

I satisfy my cabin fantasies by staying at the . This collection of 31 Instagram-worthy, mid-century-inspired cabins feature Malm fireplaces and deep soaking tubs and the restaurant has an Argentinean gaucho grill that cooks tomahawk ribeyes and wagyu for the decadent burger to perfection. (From $299 a night.)

Where to Eat

The main drag of the town of Winter Park is about three miles from the resort and even on snowy nights I brave the drive just to have the fiery curries at . And the French fries (yes, the fries) at are so good I sometimes just have a whopping serving and an old fashioned and call it dinner.

Don鈥檛-Miss Event

The annual Spring Bash and Splash is a rowdy series of bluegrass concerts, costume contests, beach parties, and pond skims held every weekend from the end of March through April.

Any time Jen Murphy gets frustrated sitting in Colorado鈥檚 I-70 ski traffic she has flashbacks to traffic jams enroute to the icy slopes of Vermont and the 30-second descents of the Poconos, the stomping grounds of her youth. Jen is a regular 国产吃瓜黑料 contributor and our travel-advice columnist who has recently written a beginner鈥檚 guide to Costa Rica, a story on how she used AI to plan a trip to Maui, and shared tips on how to get refunded for vacations听bunked by bad weather.听

The post Your Ultimate Guide to Winter 国产吃瓜黑料 in Colorado鈥檚 Top Mountain Towns appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Mother Nature has provided another reminder that avalanches can occur on either side of a ski resort’s boundary.

Earlier this week, patrollers at Colorado’s Steamboat Resort published images and video of a massive avalanche that swept down four closed runs on the morning of Wednesday, November 27. Nobody was injured in the slide, which occurred near the summit of 10,570-foot Mount Werner.

“This is the largest slab avalanche we’ve seen at Steamboat in almost two decades,” patroller Matt Hartsel said in the video.

The slide swept down four advanced and expert runs that start at the top of the Morningside chairlift: Crowtrack, The Ridge, Chute 1, and Chute 2. It occurred after an early-season storm dumped two feet of new powder on the resort in just two days. Nobody saw the actual avalanche.

According to a field report that Hartsel submitted to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, the crown of the avalanche was nearly 1,000 feet long, and the slide swept down the steep runs and came to rest on flatter terrain. Hartsel wrote that it broke free from a a weak “faceted” layer of snow that fell early in the season. In his report, Harsel said that patrol detonated explosives on Mount Werner听on Monday, December 2, but the charges did not produce an additional slide.

“No known witnesses, believed to be natural trigger,” he wrote.

Steamboat’s ski patrol urged visitors to respect trail closures鈥攈ad skiers ducked the ropes to descend or climb the terrain during the storm, they could have been injured or killed. “There are areas of our mountain that are not ready to be opened,” patroller Riley Wilkinson said in the video. “Not respecting closures places you and patrollers in danger.”

Steamboat鈥檚 ski patrol has not announced when the area impacted by the avalanche, which is commonly called “Christmas Tree Bowl,” will open for the general public. Loryn Duke, a resort spokesperson, said that it’s often the last terrain on the mountain to open, and sometimes the ropes don’t drop until after Christmas.

“Our patrol teams do avalanche mitigation pre-opening, including hand bombs and ski cutting, to stabilize the snow as much as humanly possible prior to opening and then do daily mitigation as necessary,” Duke told 国产吃瓜黑料听in an email.

“This type of slide is Mother Nature doing natural mitigation on the slope,” Duke added. “The weak layer has sluffed off and compacted below the slide area. Now we will continue to monitor new snow and determine when the snow is stable enough for skiers and riders to enjoy.”

The slide is another reminder of the avalanche danger that exists during the early season, as the repeated cycle of storms and sunshine create unstable layers in the snowpack, even on runs that lay within a resort’s boundaries. The Steamboat slide occurred just four days after the resort opened to the general public on November 23鈥攃urrently only 36 percent of the trails are open.

But deadly conditions can exist on in-bounds terrain later in the season, even after ski patrollers have conducted avalanche mitigation on trails. Patrollers will trigger slides with explosives, or by slope-cutting鈥攕kiing at a 45-degree angle across a hillside鈥攑rior to a run opening to reduce the risk of uncontrolled avalanches while the terrain is open. On January 10, 2024, a deadly avalanche rumbled down experts-only runs at California’s Palisades Tahoe shortly after patrollers opened the terrain for the season. The slide killed one visitor and buried others.

Avalanche expert Paul Baugher, who ran the ski patrol at Washington’s Crystal Mountain Resort from 1987 until 2016, told听国产吃瓜黑料 that he’s seen glaring similarities between deadly avalanches that have occurred within the boundaries of U.S. ski resorts.听Baugher co-authored a 2023 report titled 听that studied 14 deadly in-bounds slides between 2003 and 2023.

“They happened early in the season, and the worst-case scenario was when they occurred on only a marginally unstable slope,” Baugher said. “If you have a fully unstable slope, ski patrol can do mitigation action and get results because the sensitivity to trigger an avalanche is high. But if you have a marginally unstable slope, you may not be able to get it to slide, and the snow just builds up.”

Baugher told听国产吃瓜黑料 that skiers should always exercise caution when skiing expert terrain early in the season鈥攕pecifically in the days after the runs have opened to the public. He recommends always skiing with a friend, and bringing personal avalanche safety gear: a beacon, shovel, and probe, and the knowledge to use them.

鈥淚f you think danger has been engineered out of skiing at a resort, you鈥檙e wrong,鈥� he said.

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At the southern terminus of the Cotswold Way, a 102-mile trail through the English countryside, there鈥檚 a beautiful sight for sore legs: the Roman Baths.

is a time-honored tradition in the U.S. and beyond, and not just because soaking feels good after a long walk. Many hot springs enthusiasts also claim that the waters themselves have healing properties. The Romans were no different: They believed Bath鈥檚 springs, which are today cordoned off as a museum exhibit, could and other afflictions. And now, recent science shows that they might have actually been right.

Bath鈥檚 Bacteria-Fighting Microbes

Scientists from the University of Plymouth recently analyzed Bath鈥檚 spring-fed waters and discovered 15 different types of microorganisms with the potential to fight human pathogens. These microorganisms have natural antimicrobial properties that could be , including E. coli infections, staph infections, and others.

While doctors currently have treatments for many of these infections, the rising threat of antimicrobial resistance could render some of them ineffective over time. If that proves true, then Bath鈥檚 waters could be the secret to finding new, more effective antibiotics.

By 2050, 鈥渁ntimicrobial resistance is predicted to be , maybe even more so,鈥� says Dr. Lee Hutt, senior author on the research paper published in the journal The Microbe. As bacteria grow more and more resistant to antibiotic drugs, we may soon find ourselves at risk of dying from infections we see as minor today. And as hot springs are literal hotbeds of microbe activity, they could hold many more opportunities for potentially life-saving antibacterial microorganisms.

Healing Lore in Hot Springs Around the World

Interestingly, Bath鈥檚 hot springs don鈥檛 have the best track record for good bacteria. The Roman Baths were closed for swimming and bathing in 1978 after a girl died from a bacterial disease contracted in the pool. However, other springs have more consistent reputations. Tennessee鈥檚 , for example, were long thought to cure rheumatism, tuberculosis, and other ailments. And many of Colorado鈥檚 were used by Native Ute people for centuries as a source of healing and medicine.

Across cultures, hot springs have held similar allure. Perhaps it鈥檚 no wonder. Hot springs are a very unique environment, Hutt says, and he thinks they have a lot of potential, worldwide, to harbor other interesting microbes鈥攊ncluding bacteria with possible medicinal uses.

Another recent study in Japan supports this idea of healing potential. Research published in January by Scientific Reports found that visitors to hot springs in Kyushu, Japan, after soaking for at least 20 minutes per day over the course of a week. Just by soaking in the hot springs鈥攏ot drinking them鈥攖hey experienced significant increases in certain types of gut microbiota.

Most notably, participants saw an increase in B. bifidum concentrations. That bacterium has been linked to improved glucose tolerance, relief from constipation, and better gut immunity overall. A limitation of the study, however, was that it didn鈥檛 involve a control group or compare results with a test group that experienced the heat of a sauna, for example, without the presence of the bacteria. So, it鈥檚 still possible that it鈥檚 the heat of the hot springs鈥攔ather than what鈥檚 in the water鈥攖hat facilitates a beneficial environment for your gut. Scientists will need to conduct more research before we can say for certain.

So鈥擠o Hot Springs Really Have Healing Properties?

Hutt said it鈥檚 important to note that you won鈥檛 cure diseases just by soaking in the hot springs alone. Significant research and testing still needs to be conducted in order to figure out how to make these microbes work for us in a medicinal capacity. There is a slim chance, however, that the Romans might have experienced the benefits of antibiotics in the water if they soaked in the pools while suffering from some kind of skin infection, he said. But he emphasized that that鈥檚 a stretch.

Of course, it鈥檚 hard to deny that soaking in hot springs can also make you feel better immediately. According to the Aspen Valley Hospital, a relative neighbor to the famous , soaking can , improve flexibility, and help you sweat to clear clogged pores. Minerals in some hot springs can also decrease stress, the hospital said, but we鈥檇 venture to guess that the simple fact of sitting in a natural hot tub with a stunning mountain view is pretty relaxing in itself. Even better, perhaps, if you鈥檝e hiked there yourself.

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I want to live and work in a mountain town this summer, but finding affordable housing is proving to be near impossible. Can you give me any tips or direction so I can turn this dream into reality? 鈥擜 Frustrated Flatlander

鈥淚 came for the winter and stayed for the summer鈥� is a common mountain-town refrain. That sentiment, combined with a pandemic-fueled real estate boom, has resulted in a dearth of affordable housing, both seasonal and permanent, in mountain towns across America.

In many small western communities like Steamboat Springs, Durango, and Snowmass, Colorado; Sun Valley, Idaho; and Mammoth Lakes, California, it used to be that employees and locals lived in houses, and tourists stayed in hotels. The reverse is now true: houses are monopolized by Airbnb and VRBO rentals and second homeowners, and some hotels are being purchased by ski resorts and converted to affordable employee housing.

Sadly, more and more essential jobs are going unfilled, some with six-figure salaries, because potential employees can鈥檛 find reasonably-priced rentals. As a result, many mountain towns are shifting their focus to year-round, affordable-housing programs. In Wyoming, for example, Habitat for Humanity of the Greater Teton Area helps to fill critical nursing and teaching positions by building homes for individuals and families making between 30 to 80 percent of the area鈥檚 median income.

What does this mean for seasonal workers? Here鈥檚 my advice for finding affordable summer housing in a mountain town.

Find Towns Working on Their Housing Shortages

Whitefish, Montana, the gateway to Glacier National Park, is one such place. Its , which supports full-time and seasonal employees, is funded in part by a added to local lodging, food, and transportation. Half of the contributions from its participants go to Housing Whitefish, a nonprofit that facilitates affordable housing.

Part of last year鈥檚 $52,000 allocation went toward a newly launched rental-assistance program, modeled after a similar one in . Over 12 months, Housing Whitefish will distribute a total of $64,620鈥攐r $5,385 a month鈥攖o 17 qualified applicants. (The money goes directly to the property owner or management company.)

The , which advocates for better options in the North Tahoe and Truckee, California communities, aims to add inventory for the local workforce through its recently launched Accessory Dwelling Unit pilot program. Homeowners are incentivized to add rental space that includes a bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen, and in return they receive assistance with building, permitting, and leasing processes.

Although the organization can鈥檛 help you find housing, it does direct prospective renters to resources through the .

In 2022, Breckenridge, Colorado, allocated $50 million to a five-year workforce housing plan to create some 1,000 new units. The town鈥檚 housing fund also receives money from a short-term rental fee requiring owners to pay a set amount for each bedroom they rent. The goal is for nearly half of the town鈥檚 workforce to live in Breckenridge, with a little over a third of the housing inventory reserved for locals.

In 2016, Aspen Skiing Co., the town鈥檚 largest employer, purchased six 280-square-foot tiny homes for about $100,000 each and put them in the Aspen-Basalt Campground for both summer and winter seasonal employees. The project was such a success that it now offers 69 tiny homes for hires, and for the first time this year has introduced units designed to accommodate year-round employees.听Units range from $550 to $750 a month, and summer leases are available from May 15 through October 31. The units currently have a waitlist for Aspen Skiing Company employees.

Employers in Sun Valley, including the Limelight Ketchum hotel, have also purchased tiny homes in the Meadows RV Park, 3.5 miles away, to rent to employees. Many of these programs run on an application system and most take enrollment for summer employees in March.

Land a Job Before You Head Out

Many large employers, notably ski resorts such as Aspen Snowmass, , and , Colorado, or , Vermont, offer housing or make an effort to help you find housing after you鈥檝e been hired. Sun Valley Resort, for example, has two dorm-style buildings with free laundry and fitness centers available for seasonal employees on a waitlist basis. Two-to-four-person accommodations range from $140 to $210 per person every two weeks. There鈥檚 also an option to pay day-to-day, starting at $10 a day.

Beyond ski resorts, places like offer town employees short-term seasonal rentals, for jobs at businesses like the recreation center or golf course, as well as rental-deposit-assistance programs.

Betsy Crum, housing director for the town of Snowmass Village, notes that winter housing is typically full, while there鈥檚 sometimes more housing available for summer workers.

Montana鈥檚 Big Sky Housing Trust has housing for up to 100 seasonal residents in four- and five-bedroom dorm-style configurations. These units are leased to local independent employers. Lone Mountain Land Company, another major employer in Big Sky, offers dorm-style housing for up to 400 seasonal residents employed by their entities.

Check Out These Helpful Housing Websites and Social Media Sites

Due to the huge demand for housing, many landlords avoid popular rental-listing sites Craigslist and Zillow. One resident seeking a new tenant for housing she has in Carbondale, Colorado, 30 miles from Aspen, didn鈥檛 publicly post a listing because she knew she鈥檇 be overwhelmed with calls. Instead, she put the word out quietly to friends and looked at posts from people in need of housing on a local Facebook group, .

In fact, local Facebook community groups or neighborhood-focused sites like often have rental listings you won鈥檛 find on larger, public sites like Craigslist. is a free site where you can find a roommate or a room available to rent within a house.

When posting that you鈥檙e seeking housing, be clear about your employment situation, desired rental dates, and budget. Younger people should present themselves as a mature, responsible option, preferably coming in with a job already secured. (For example: 鈥淗ello, I鈥檓 coming here to work for the Solar Institute and need a place to stay from mid-June through July that鈥檚 less than $600 a month.鈥�)

You might find success on , a housing marketplace for vacation towns that pays property owners to convert their homes to short- and long-term rentals for the local workforce. Mountain destinations include Woodstock, Vermont; Truckee and South Lake Tahoe, California; Wood River Valley, Idaho; East Placer County, California; and Eagle County, Colorado.

Finally, is a membership-based platform (starting at $10.75 a month) where you can find house-sitting or pet-sitting gigs.

Consider 5 More Resources

1. Look at a Town鈥檚 Website

Many communities offer housing programs or partner with local nonprofits or housing authorities, like the , to administer programs. 鈥淚t鈥檚 always worth a call to any city鈥檚 housing development and housing authority to see if they have resources,鈥� says Daniel Sidder, executive director of Housing Whitefish.

2. Embrace Camping or Vanlife

In Colorado, and have options for free car camping for a season. You can shower at local rec centers.

3.听Cruise the Town

Some good old-fashioned neighborhood drive-bys to spot 鈥淔or Rent鈥� signs posted outside of apartments, on community boards at grocery stores, or in coffee shops can lead to deals, too.

4. Talk to Locals

Lindsay Nohl, 46, enjoyed free communal housing in Tucson, Arizona, while working as the director of NOLS Southwest. But when the campus closed during Covid, she moved to Teton Valley, Idaho. Recently, she made her eighth move in four years, as landlords continue to increase prices or start to rent their properties on Airbnb.

Her go-to strategy for finding cheap housing on the fly? Word of mouth. Another lesson: be flexible. Even though Nohl hasn鈥檛 had a roommate in two decades, she鈥檚 now paying $1,000 a month to share a two-bedroom, 800-square-foot house so she can remain in Teton Valley for the summer.

5.听Scan Newspaper Classifieds

You might come across opportunities to pet-sit or nanny. Or working as a property manager can also lead to free or affordable housing.

Weigh Your Options

The last thing you should consider, Flatlander, is which mountain towns are too pricey or too popular. For example, Steamboat, Aspen, and Telluride, Colorado, as well as Jackson, Wyoming, and Big Sky, Montana, have reputations as luxury vacation escapes, which means housing is in high demand and the cost of living will be greater there than in lesser-known but more economical mountain towns like Le Grande, Oregon, and Reno, Nevada. Or even Laramie, Wyoming, which has a lot going for it.

Many seasonal jobs pay minimum wage, which varies from state to state. In Utah and Wyoming, for example, the federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, while Montana pays $10.30 an hour, Colorado $14.42 an hour, and California $16 an hour.

You should also consider free services offered by the mountain town you鈥檙e considering. Aspen is expensive, but it offers free public transportation, which is another way to help save on costs.

Spending a summer working in a mountain town can be one of the best experiences of a young person鈥檚 life. I hope my advice lands you good, affordable housing. I鈥檒l be pulling for you.

Travel-advice columnist Jen Murphy has scored affordable rent by offering free travel tips to her landlord, as well as volunteering to take out the building鈥檚 trash cans on garbage day and maintain the gardens.听

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Moving to the mountains is what we skiers dream about. Skinning out the back door before work, being first in line on a powder Tuesday, raising children who will know how to operate a snow machine. This was what I have wanted since before I can remember.

Then, just as my 14-year-old daughter, Cate, was finishing middle school in Denver, my best friend鈥檚 house in downtown Steamboat Springs, Colorado., came up for rent.

We drove up to see it one late-summer day. We ignored the heavy odors of weed smoke and dog-pee and decided on the spot that we could cram ourselves, four bikes, 12 pairs of skis, all of our gear, and our indoor/outdoor tomcat into an 884-square-foot cabin built in 1909 with floors so uneven, it felt like walking on a houseboat. 鈥淚t has good bones,鈥� I said. 鈥淧erfect location,鈥� Cate said.

That one swift decision kicked off countless painstaking ones: We had one month to offload 16 years鈥� worth of stuff from the only home Cate had ever known. Every cupboard, drawer, and closet I went through was like an exorcism of shame. The barware alone was alarming鈥攄id I really ever think I would need 12 martini glasses, now coated in grimy dust? There were eight settings of blue and gold china I put on my wedding registry; each cost $80 and had been used for two Christmases, only one of which was while I was still married. There were four sets of my mother鈥檚 cast-off placemats and napkin rings (who uses napkin rings?), plus table runners, candlestick holders, a tortilla warmer, and a big bowl with a coyote painted on it. There were silver trays and salt and pepper shakers from my stepdad鈥檚 mother鈥檚 estate, and a closet full of books and journals from my brother鈥檚.听

But it was the Cuisinart food processor, never used, that turned me inside out. How was my vision of what I thought my life would be so far from how it actually turned out? That night, I dreamed of being caught in a landslide while driving, unable to brake or steer or open the car door.

Then came the Craigslist transactions and potential tenant tours. Every one made me sad. I knew I was anthropomorphizing and that was irrational, but I worried about how our things would feel, cared for by new people. Would the china we sold be handwashed and neatly stacked? Would the peonies under Cate鈥檚 window get snipped and put in a glass vase each spring?听

But time kept moving, so I continued to let go. Finally, with our pared-down belongings packed in boxes and suitcases and plastic bins, we loaded up the U-Haul. At the last minute, with only a couple of feet left in the truck, I crammed in my outdoor potted plants that I had intended to leave behind. Our new rental had no patio, no yard, no place to put such things. But I couldn鈥檛 stand the thought of a life without flowers.

As we unpacked, I spent hundreds of dollars on Amazon for organizers and baskets that hang on doors and go on shelves. The stuff that would not fit鈥攃leaning supplies, spare sheets, towels, vitamins, socks, and swimsuits鈥擨 shoved in boxes under our beds. I stashed rolls of spare toilet paper in the hutch under the TV, and cough medicine, batteries, lightbulbs, and tools in bins on the floor of my closet. We borrowed a trailer to house our skis and bikes out back. I wedged 2x4s under half the legs of our furniture to keep it from falling over. I rigged up a portable ski-tuning station in the hallway by Cate鈥檚 room and a clothes-drying rack over the heat vent in my office.听

Then, quickly for Cate, slowly for me, we met some people. They kindly responded to my desperate group texts (鈥淚鈥檓 Cate鈥檚 mom. Does anyone want to have a glass of wine with me?鈥�). They taught us that the bears know how to open the trunk of a Subaru, and the guy who works weeknights at the local drive through gives extra chicken strips. They invited us to high school football games and commiserated about the long lines at the post office. They made us feel like we belong.

Today, I am writing this while still in my long underwear after an afternoon on the hill with Cate and some new friends. We got 11 inches of early season snow last night that stacked up in big, fluffy drifts. We rode up Storm Peak and skied down in a whiteout with snow blowing sideways, uphill, and directly through the zippers of our jackets. And the snow is still falling in fat clumps out my window.

We miss our house. We miss some of our things. But moving has forced me to reevaluate just what, exactly, is valuable. It isn鈥檛 wedding china at all.

Now, I like to imagine my Cuisinart鈥檚 new life. Cate probably wouldn鈥檛 remember growing up with fresh salsa or homemade gazpacho; she doesn鈥檛 even like those things. But I know what she will remember鈥攕kipping school to ski powder, sometimes with me. And as for those martini glasses, I did hang on to two of them, which is at least one more than I really need.

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Welcome to What You Missed,听our daily digest of breaking news and topical perspectives from across the outdoor world. You can also get this news delivered to your email inbox six days a week by for the What You Missed newsletter.

An internal study into harassment conducted by the National Park Service has been leaked to the press, and it confirms previous reports of discrimination and abuse within the organization.

On Monday the High Country News听(HCN) from the , a 2018 study of NPS behavior conducted by the human-resources consulting firm Sepler and Associates. Comprised of more than 50 in-person sessions, 27 digital sessions, and 200 anonymous submissions by full-time and seasonal NPS employees, the report detailed a wide range of problematic activity, including firsthand accounts of sexual harassment and abuse by employees. The report also detailed employees鈥� from managers for reporting violations.

鈥淢y advice to anyone who is being harassed or unfairly disciplined would be to not say anything and leave the NPS as quickly, quietly, and gracefully as possible,鈥� read one anonymous statement in .

鈥淢anagement allowed the harassing individual in my case to write the summary of the investigation into his own wrongdoing,鈥� read another statement. 鈥淵es, that is correct. The harassing individual was allowed to determine if they were responsible for their own wrongdoing.鈥�

This isn鈥檛 the first time the NPS has studied its own policies on harassment and abuse鈥攊n 2017 it published an internal survey showing that 38 percent of employees had experienced workplace harassment in the previous 12 months.

Unlike the 2017 study, however, the NPS kept results of the Voices Tour Report hidden from the public and from employees, the story that broke in听HCN. Jenny Anzelmo-Sarles, an NPS spokesperson, told HCN that the organization had intended to distribute the report after it was completed in late 2019, but that the pandemic interrupted those plans.

鈥淲e recognize our delay in sharing the report could have the unintentional consequence of impacting our efforts to build confidence and trust with employees,鈥� Anzelmo-Sarles told HCN. 鈥淥ne of the most important things we can do is be transparent about what is occurring within the workforce and help break down barriers that dissuade or prevent people from coming forward when they are subject to or witness inappropriate behavior.鈥�

The report鈥檚 paint a stark picture of the NPS鈥檚 internal policies on harassment and abuse and how those failures impact employees. According to the report, respondents witnessed harassment based on age, gender, religion, race, disabilities, and sexual orientation and gender identity.

鈥淧articipants strongly believe that the NPS does not follow its stated zero tolerance policy and that some leaders do not address harassment,鈥� the report said. 鈥淚n the anonymous submissions, we heard about many reportedly unaddressed harassment and discrimination complaints as well as retaliation for making complaints.鈥�

In total, the Voices Tour Report includes testimony from more than 1,200 people and covers topics ranging from sexual harassment and abuse to the lack of career-advancement opportunities for women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and those who identify as Black, Indigenous, and people of color. In 2021, the NPS employed more than 12,000 people, and the report states that all employees were invited to participate in the report.

The report upheld the from former and current employees concerning abuse within the country鈥檚 national parks. In 2018, contributor Annette McGivney reported on the culture of harassment and intimidation among staff at Grand Canyon National Park in a feature story for 国产吃瓜黑料.听

More Ski Resorts Delay Opening Day

If you just canceled your Thanksgiving ski plans, you鈥檙e not alone.

Ski resorts from Colorado to Vermont this week delayed opening for the 2021鈥�2022 season due to unseasonably warm and dry weather. On Tuesday, Colorado鈥檚 Telluride and Steamboat Resorts plans to delay opening until after Thanksgiving. The news came after Vermont鈥檚 Stowe Mountain Resort announced on Monday that it its November 19 opening until further notice.

Vermont鈥檚 Mount Snow and Okemo Resorts also revealed their respective gate drops, which were originally planned for this week. Brian Head, Utah also canceled its plans to open on November 19, pushing back the date until further notice.

The ski areas are blaming delays on warm temperatures and a lack of moisture. In Steamboat Springs daytime temperatures are still hovering in the low fifties.

鈥淣ormally this time of year we have more than 20 inches of snowfall that has remained (not melted) a 10-to-20-inch mid-mountain base, and 200 hours of snowmaking under our belt,鈥� said Dave Hunter, Steamboat鈥檚 vice president of resort operations in a release. 鈥淭his year we haven鈥檛 been able to capitalize on extended snowmaking temperatures and windows with only eight hours of total snowmaking.鈥�

Memories of the are still fresh in the minds of many skiers, but there is still hope this winter. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association in the West, which could see above average snowfall in the Pacific Northwest and northern Rockies.

Bear Story of the Year

In a story with , rangers in Glacier National Park have reunited a teddy bear with its owner more than a year after it was lost in the Montana park.

Member Exclusive

鈥�My Worst Hike: My Boyfriend Left Me Stranded on the Trail鈥� Contributor Meg Atteberry recounts the trek that forever changed her perception of partnership in the outdoors. 国产吃瓜黑料

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鈥�鈥� The apparel brand鈥檚 vice president explains how it pushed back against the social media giant after becoming the target of online scammers. 国产吃瓜黑料 Business Journal

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鈥�鈥� Devices that monitor how much glucose is in your bloodstream could give elite cyclists a sizable advantage. VeloNews

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Spring might be the best time of year to head for the mountains. The midwinter听ski-resort crowds have dissipated, there鈥檚 still a good chance of scoring late-season powder, and, if all else fails, there鈥檚 always corn snow and sunshine. Plus, ski areas ramp up their festivals and concert offerings and slash prices as a way to lure guests. So if you鈥檙e still looking for an epic spring-break escape, we say take the bait.

Whistler Blackcomb

Whistler, British Columbia

For the biggest party this spring, look no further than Whistler鈥檚 , which runs April 10 to 14. This annual rager includes ski and snowboard contests, photo and film events, DJs and outdoor concerts, and epic apr猫s-ski sessions on the deck of the听. Plus, with an average March snowfall of over eight feet, conditions should be good on Whistler鈥檚 steep, glaciated terrain well into April. To sweeten the deal, the resort has 听that can save you up to听40 percent on lodging and lift tickets.

Park City Mountain Resort

Park City, Utah

Sometimes听it pays to book at the last minute. If you reserve lodging through within 14 days of your trip, you can score 20 to 40 percent off standard room rates. Or book within seven days, and you can听get up to 50 percent off select lodging around town. The resort hosts its annual festival, with concerts and pond skimming, from March 23 to April 7. Spend a day at the neighboring Deer Valley Resort, whose听infamous ski beach is just the place to听perfect听your goggle tan from a deck chair in front of the Silver Lake Lodge.

Mount Snow

West Dover, Vermont

Mount Snow, located two and a half hours from Boston, is听party central in spring. Come for Saint Patrick鈥檚 Day weekend, March 15 through 17, for live music and costume-clad skiing, and听if听you , you can score $17 lift tickets for that Friday. Or reserve a room at the waterfront , which offers shuttle service to the slopes, for at least three nights from March 10 through 15, and the kids can ski for free (from $513 for three nights). There are also package deals for Reggaefest, March 22 to 24, or the Winter Brewer鈥檚 Festival, March 30, during which time you can also score discounts on lodging and lift tickets. 听听听听听听听

Schweitzer Mountain Resort

Sandpoint, Idaho

At 2,900 acres, Idaho鈥檚 largest ski area is known for its crowd-free terrain and low-key vibe. But this spring, the resort is hosting a banked slalom, a women鈥檚 cat-skiing day, and regular live music. Come April 6 through 7 for its Schpring Finale, where season-ending festivities include beer tasting, pond skimming, corn skiing, and a cardboard-box derby. The slopeside has discounted rooms (from $169), and , at the base of the ski area鈥檚 access road, has hot tubs, a ski-waxing room, and free breakfast (from $54).

Bear Mountain

Big Bear Lake, California

Just two hours from Los Angeles in the San Bernardino Mountains, you鈥檒l find the town of Big Bear Lake and听two family-friendly ski areas. Bear Mountain has an amazing halfpipe and terrain park, while Snow Summit has 240 acres of varied terrain. Lift tickets听can cost as little as $79 midweek, but you can get free passes when you stay two nights at es, including a three-bedroom, midcentury cabin called the ($175). In March and April, there鈥檚听night skiing under the lights at Snow Summit, outdoor movies, and a Saint Patrick鈥檚 Day party with live music. Oh, and if it鈥檚 your birthday, you ski for free. 听

Snowshoe Mountain

Snowshoe, West Virginia

Snowshoe, five hours听from Washington, D.C., takes spring break seriously. From March 15 through 17, the resort is hosting Ballhooter, a weekend festival with on-mountain competitions, drink specials, games, and a concert headlined by Maryland-based hard rockers听Clutch. As part of the mountain鈥檚 45th anniversary, it鈥檚 offering midweek through the spring that are tough to beat. Book lodging at the 听($90 for two people), six miles from the lifts, and get lift tickets for just $45 a day. Or reserve lift tickets in advance, and you can ride for less than $40 a day.

Steamboat Resort

Steamboat Springs, Colorado

Until April 15, book three nights and three days of skiing at Steamboat, and you鈥檒l get听20 percent off standard rates with the resort鈥檚 . Show up between April 1 and 14 for the mountain鈥檚 Springalicious Festival, a season-ending party with pond skimming, concerts, and the听Cardboard Classic race, or plan your trip before March 10, and you can at Howelsen Hill, Steamboat鈥檚 smaller, in-town ski area听and North America鈥檚 oldest operating ski hill.

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I鈥檝e gone on many a wayward search for the perfect hot spring. Some can be tough to find, but after driving down unmarked, barely passable roads for miles, I almost always discover what I came for: a natural hot tub, surrounded by river rocks, without a soul in sight. Here鈥檚 a cheat sheet to seven hot springs that won鈥檛 disappoint.听

Strawberry Park Hot Springs

Steamboat Springs, Colorado

Midwinter, you鈥檒l need four-wheel drive to reach , outside Steamboat Springs. The access road is more manageable in the summer and local shuttles, are available year-round if you don鈥檛 have a suitable rig. Come after a day of mountain biking, hiking, or skiing in Steamboat, and soak in a picturesque collection of 104-degree mineral baths. You can pitch a tent on the property or rent a cabin, train caboose, or covered wagon to sleep in.听

Wild Willy鈥檚 Hot Springs

Mammoth Lakes, California

The eastern side of the Sierra Nevada is packed with places to soak, though some are trickier to locate than others. Just south of the town of Mammoth Lakes, off Benton Crossing Road (look for the green church), you鈥檒l find a vast, intricate maze of pools, a perfect end to a day spent rock climbing or tagging 13,000-foot summits. is one of the easier ones to find. It鈥檚 not a resort鈥攋ust a free-for-all set of creek-fed pools, ranging from about 95 to 105 degrees, with striking views of the Sierra range. 听

Ainsworth Hot Springs

Kaslo, British Columbia

Once used by local First Nations tribes for healing and religious ceremonies, is a prime destination after a day heli-skiing, hiking, or windsurfing in the Kootenays. Visitors can swim through an extra-hot cave or lounge in a warm mineral-water swimming pool, with views of Kootenay Lake and the surrounding peaks. The on-site hotel was renovated in 2012, and guests get free access to the springs.

Ten Thousand Waves

Santa Fe, New Mexico

Located in the hills above Santa Fe, is听less hot spring and more high-end Japanese-style spa. Alongside your shiatsu massage or Japanese facial, you can soak in private or communal tubs, modeled after Japan鈥檚 onsens, and recharge in a cold plunge or sauna. Come after a hike or mountain-bike ride on the extensive trail network near the Santa Fe Ski Basin, or book a Zen room to make a weekend out of it.听

Hot Springs Cove

Tofino, British Columbia

You鈥檒l need to charter a boat or seaplane to reach , located about 27 miles north of Tofino, but it鈥檚 worth the effort. After a morning surfing Tofino鈥檚 Long Beach, book a boat with and the staff might even pick up a load of shrimp for you on the way back. Once you鈥檙e there, walk along a cedar boardwalk through an old-growth forest until you reach the salt- and fresh-water pools nestled between rocks and cascading waterfalls.听

Sierra Hot Springs

Sierraville, California

is a no-frills resort that offers things like yoga retreats and new-moon drum circles. You can skip all that and come just for the indoor and outdoor thermal pools, plus cold plunges and saunas. Camp or stay in a bunk or room in the main lodge, or better yet, day-trip after skiing or climbing in Tahoe鈥攁n hour south鈥攐r from the mountain-bike mecca of Downieville, an hour west.听

Chena Hot Springs

Fairbanks, Alaska

Located 60 miles northeast of Fairbanks, at the end of a desolate road, 鈥� geothermal pools have attracted visitors for years. If you鈥檙e lucky, you鈥檒l catch a glimpse of the northern lights while you鈥檙e there. Stay on-site in the Moose Lodge, where electricity and heat are powered by geothermal energy, and you can request an Aurora wake-up call should the Aurora Borealis makes an appearance in the middle of the night. Depending on the season, there鈥檚 hiking, biking, cross-country skiing, and dog mushing on site.听

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On Monday, Aspen Skiing Company and KSL Capital Partners, a private equity firm in Denver, purchased Intrawest Resorts for $1.5 billion, according to . Intrawest owns Steamboat and Winter Park in Colorado; Stratton Mountain in Vermont; Mont Tremblant in Montreal, Quebec; Snowshoe Mountain in West Virginia; Blue Mountain in Ontario; and Canadian Mountain Holidays, a heli-ski operator based in Banff, Alberta.

It鈥檚 a big move for Aspen, which currently operates four resorts in the Roaring Fork Valley: Aspen, Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk, and Snowmass. It鈥檚 largely seen to the many acquisitions made by Vail in recent years, including Park City in 2014, Whistler (which used to be owned by Intrawest) in 2016, and Vermont鈥檚 Stowe Mountain Resort in 2017. KSL already owns Squaw and helps manage Snowmass.

The two companies will form a new entity to run the Intrawest resorts, according to an Aspen Skiing Company press release. Aspen鈥檚 previous holdings will continue to be managed exclusively by Aspen. The press release said there wouldn鈥檛 be any changes for pass holders in 2017-2018; those who bought the (which includes Aspen resorts as well as Squaw) or the (which includes Intrawest resorts) would still be able to use them. But look for a new pass to come out soon after that, as ski areas continue to view collective season passes, that allow skiing at multiple resorts, as a vital business strategy.

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Not many places can blend a Wild West sensibility with ski-town chic, but Steamboat Springs is successful on both fronts. The mountain of Steamboat dominates the horizon with almost 3,000 acres of skiing, while working ranches consume the valley. As for the town itself, you can still find a bit of the Wild West, but Steamboat is maturing as more restaurants and bars open.

With Your Boots Still On:听Slopeside听Grill

I鈥檓 sure the appropriately named听 has an interior bar, but why would you bother when the sprawling outdoor area, which locals call 鈥渢he Beach,鈥� has ski in/ski out access? Picture hundreds of riders fresh from the slopes soaking up the sun in plastic chairs and ordering drinks from the massive outdoor bar carved out of ice.

Best Restaurant in Town:听Laundry Kitchen and Cocktails

makes 鈥渨estern rustic鈥� feel refined, with a听gastropub听menu that focuses on small plates served inside a building teeming with exposed brick and rough-hewn wood. Start with whatever鈥檚 pickled, get a bunch of plates to share, and order a signature cocktail听with house-infused booze.

Cheap Eats:听Taco听Cabo

You鈥檒l have to drive to the outskirts of town to inside a renovated gas station, but it鈥檚 worth it. The tacos are simple听but inventive and under $4. Get the听barbacoa, or show up on Friday and Saturday, when the owner makes听al pastor听tacos (marinated pork cut听shawarma听style). Bonus: Grab your tacos and wander into Storm Peak Brewery across the street.

Up All Night:听厂耻苍辫颈别鈥檚

While Steamboat Springs has undergone a chic makeover in recent years, , on the edge of the Yampa River, has remained a dive鈥攁nd we mean that as a compliment. The Hurricanes are lethal, the bartenders are entertaining as hell, and every once in a while, you can get a 鈥渕ystery beer鈥� for $1.

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