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If mountain design were a criterion in our survey, Copper would certainly claim the top spot: It’s a rare respondent who doesn’t extol the mountain’s “perfect layout that separates the experts from the newbies.” But that’s where the unanimity ends. Some visitors, especially Denverites, appreciate the proximity of I-70 (Access: No. 6), while others pooh-pooh it for attracting weekend crowds. Readers are never short on praise for its variety of terrain, while complaints fall mainly into the off-snow categories: Après (“Nightlife? What nightlife?”) and Lodging (“expensive and not accommodating”),
which explains why it has endeared itself to front-range day-trippers. Since what some have called a lackluster village revamp in 2001, owner Intrawest has put most of its effort on-hill, expanding the terrain in the back bowls and offering up inbounds cat skiing as good as any you’ll find in Colorado. If you’re of the après-centric persuasion, look elsewhere. But if you’re a skier’s skier, you just might have found a new home. 

/ What’s New / Woodward at Copper, a state-of-the-art indoor skate and snow training facility, opened its doors late last season. 

/ Mandatory Run / Take advantage of the free weekend snowcat rides (first come, first served) to Tucker Mountain’s farther reaches for backcountry-like conditions. Monday through Friday: You have to hoof it.