To Ski or not to Ski – That is the question

SO YOU CAN’T WAIT TO HIT THE SLOPES and your spouse or partner is indifferent to the very idea. What do you do? Nick Dalton suggests seven superb US ski resorts that provide the answers.

COLORADO’S TEMPTING TRIO VAIL – ALPINE TERRAIN AND MOVIE STAR FUN

For the skier – Generally regarded as the greatest winter playground in the USA, Vail offers something for all levels of skiers, from the charming, Alpine terrain on its front face to the big, open bowls behind, and the exciting Blue Sky Basin off in the distance. Beaver Creek, another sizeable upmarket resort on the same lift pass, is a free shuttle bus ride away, while a modestly-priced bus ride leads to Breckenridge, Arapahoe Basin and Keystone.

For the Spouse or Partner – Vail, a hip 1960’s version of a traditional Austrian ski resort, was built with movie-star-style fun in mind. There are spas and bars and slick accommodation in apartments and hotels, many of which have developed over the past five years. Try the new RockResorts Spa, a sleek take on mountain chic in the luxurious Lodge at Vail. Lunch on anything from Weiner Schnitzel (Pepi’s) to sushi (Yama) and – if shopping is your thing – cruise the hip boutiques and then take a 30-minute drive to the vast Silverthorne factory outlet. Want to enjoy the mountains without slipping on a pair of skis? Then head for Adventure Ridge; it offers ski bikes, snowmobiling, zip-wiring and snow-shoeing.

Stay – Both the Lodge at Vail and sister hotel the Arrabelle are by the slopes in the heart of the village and offer places to curl up in front of log fires plus every modern convenience.

ASPEN – ONE OF SKI’S GREAT VIEWS AND AN INVIGORATING ART SCENE

For the skier – This is the place to be, whether you’re a hard-bitten mountain man (or woman) or just like pottering about in designer ski gear. The Ajax Mountain run provides one of the ski world’s great views as it plunges past the town’s plush hotels and shops, and three other ski areas share a lift pass and free bus service. They are easy Buttermilk, demanding Highlands (with the spectacular Highlands Bowl accessible by snowcat ride followed by a hike) and all-round Snowmass (which would be a major resort in its own right if it wasn’t part of the Aspen family).

For the Spouse or partner – A town before it was a ski resort, Aspen still balances the flamboyant excesses of alternative 60s culture with glam mountain living. The little streets are full of fascinating, independent shops and there’s an invigorating arts programme, including the modernistic new Aspen Art Museum, with its exciting illuminated façade and regularly changing exhibitions. If you really want to be like a local, there are plenty of places to buy a fur coat; you can borrow a dog for walkies from the Aspen Animal Shelter and/or drive 30-minute down to Glenwood to revel in the open-air hot springs.

Stay – Try Hotel Jerome, an Auberge Resort, which provides luxury in an historic Victorian building plus contemporary cuisine in the Prospect restaurant.

TELLURIDE – MINING HERITAGE AND HIKE-TO SLOPES

For the skier – Tucked away at the end of a box canyon, this fabulous old mining town offers exciting skiing at all levels plus fabulous views, but with more than 40 per cent of it for experts, there’s plenty of terrain requiring a hike.

For the Spouse or Partner -Telluride is now two resorts – the old town, at 8,750 feet, and Mountain Village, a place of cool, modern hotels and resorts sited 1,790 feet up on San Sophia Ridge (it’s connected to the old town by a free gondola that runs late into the evening). Telluride combines the Wild West charm of the original settlement (it’s where Butch Cassidy robbed his first bank) with tempting shops and Colorado’s largest spa. Located in The Peaks resort, it includes a two floor- gym, pools and 32 rooms for treatments. Within easy driving distance is the pretty town of Durango as well as Mesa Verde National Park, open year-round and featuring ancient Native American cliff dwellings.

Stay – Downtown’s New Sheridan Hotel offers Victorianera elegance or, for a complete contrast, try the Lumiere, a Mountain Village boutique gem with a hip bar and a patio lined with hot tubs.

HEAVENLY – A CALIFORNIA CHARMER OVERLOOKING LAKE TAHOE

For the skier – What could be more scenically exhilarating than ski runs with awe-inspiring views of huge, glittering Lake Tahoe and its surrounding snowy peaks? The slopes dip down into steep, deep-wooded gullies but also top the ridge to open up a panorama of neighbouring Nevada’s desert. Glitzy Northstar and simpler Kirkwood are two resorts also on the same lift pass. Other nearby ski areas include the Olympic resort of Squaw Valley.

For the Spouse or Partner You get two states for the price of one at Heavenly –the line dividing California and Nevada runs right through South Lake Tahoe and is only a snowball’s throw from the main lift. On the Nevada side are 24-hour casino resorts such as the Montbleu or you can take lakeside walks or spend a day driving around the lake, calling at little towns such as Truckee, with ever-changing views and plenty of scenic viewpoints along the way. The Tahoe Queen steamboat offers a shuttle service across to the north side of the lake, a mesmerising ride with the chance of walks, lunch (and skiing at Northstar) on the other side. There are also evening dinner cruises.

Stay – Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel, an all-suite hotel at the base of the lifts, is perfectly placed for the restaurants and casinos.

STOWE – VINTAGE VERMONT ALLURE AND BLACK DIAMOND PLUNGES

For the skier – One of North America’s original ski resorts, Stowe has the true feel of New England. The main slopes are on Mt Mansfield, Vermont’s highest peak, where the Front Four, a set of double black diamond plunges, are some of the toughest on America’s East Coast. The Over Easy gondola at the base connects with Spruce Peak, an easygoing area that’s great on new-snow mornings. Stowe is also home to one of Burton Snowboards’ first Learn To Ride! schools (thanks to Stowe resident Jake Burton).

For the Spouse or Partner – Soak up the East Coast atmosphere, all pretty white clapboard houses, low mountains and – a 15-minute drive or free bus ride away – the appealing, timeless town of Stowe. Stowe Mountain Lodge, on the slopes, features a luxurious spa; in town there’s the Swimming Hole, a competition-sized swimming pool and gym in a converted barn; and, with a car, you can also experience the pretty local scenery, stopping to buy maple syrup and to tour Waterbury’s original Ben & Jerry ice-cream factory. Local adventures also include snowmobiling, ice-climbing, dog sledding and sleigh rides.

Stay – Stowe Mountain Lodge is a modern, log-built take on the grand alpine lodges of old and the warm, wonderful Green Mountain Inn, open since 1833, is in the heart of town.

PARK CITY, UTAH – THE BIGGEST SKI AREA IN THE USA

For skiers – With the long-established ski slopes of this old mining town linked from this season with those of the modern Canyons resort – both part of the Vail Resorts empire – this is now the biggest ski area in the USA. The result is a multi-mountain extravaganza of the sort previously found only in Europe. It offers miles of cruising runs along with steep options and huge amounts of off-piste territory featuring fluffy powder snow. Oh, and since Vail’s takeover last season, Park City ski area itself has undergone a £34m makeover. SoP Park City is a Victorian cowboy town reborn, all galleries and swanky independent stores. It’s a lovely place to explore, with a museum, and an outlet mall (Ralph Lauren, etc) on the edge of town. Utah Olympic Park (from the 2002 Winter Games) is the place for a bobsleigh ride, along with high-ropes adventure, an Olympic museum – and even the chance to watch ski jumpers practising. It’s also an easy drive west to Utah’s capital, Salt Lake City, which offers good shopping and restaurants, interesting museums and the majestic, spire-studded Mormon Temple and nearby Mormon Tabernacle, with its memorable concerts by the huge Tabernacle Choir. Nearby is the Great Salt Lake, where you can view the sites and buffalo herd on Antelope Island.

Stay – Hotel Park City in countryside on the edge of town is a big, woody, all-suite place with a spa and pools.

LAKE PLACID, NEW YORK – HOME OF TWO WINTER OLYMPICS

For skiers – Tucked away in the beautiful Adirondack Mountains, Lake Placid – host of both the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics – offers skiing on Whiteface Mountain, which features the greatest vertical drop east of the western USA’s Rocky Mountains. There are almost 90 trails, from beginner runs to exhilarating tree skiing, with views over a protected landscape bigger than Yosemite and Yellowstone National Parks combined.

For Spouse or Partner – The Olympics legacy is everywhere. There are guided tours of the impressive Olympics Complex and its museum, three ice arenas (including one from 1932) that offer public skating and the chance to watch figure-skating or ice hockey, and the bobsleigh track holds regular competitions as well as offering rides to the public. The ski jump complex is also open to the public, with views from the top of the tower (and tubing down the landing slide), unless there’s an event on, when you can watch jumping showcases or even World Cup Competitions. Other activities include walks, snowshoe trails and scenic drives through the picturesque New England scenery.

To Stay – The waterfront Mirror Lake Inn, which offers arts-and-crafts- style rooms, a touch of rustic, mountain chic and an award-winning spa, is run by Andrew Weibrecht, silver-medalist in Super G skiing at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.