There's a fuzzy line between luxury and babysitting, and some high-end outfitters trend to the hand-holding end of the spectrum. Crested Butte's Irwin, despite it's propensity for the finer things in skiing—gourmet lunches, Wagner ski demos, a big screen playing Matchstick movies in the cat—definitely does not. Could be Director of Operations and former CB mayor Alan Bernholtz's low-bullshit attitude (his second term as mayor he ran on the slogan "just shut up), or Irwin's mysterious ability to get more snow than anywhere else around it, but even with all of the operation's amenities the skiing still feels like the best part. Which is a good thing.

Visit C.S. Irwin on Facebook or on the company's website.