(about Buttermilk, CO United States, last edited on Sep 04, 2007)
Buttermilk is one of the several ski resorts in the White River National Forest and pretty close to the famous Aspen resort. If you would wonder if there are some good reasons as to why you should choose it above the other ones, there are a few good ones.
To start with there is the vast space, 435 acres of terrain; you can roam without having to watch out not to bump into other skiers. So the fact that it is not very crowded is a god starting point to make you consider going there, especially if you are a beginner. It can be said that it’s the beginner’s paradise, the opposite of Aspen Mountain where beginners would have a difficult time learning to ski as there’s no novice terrain. So it’s good to know where to start not to end up in the wrong resort!
The best thing to do when you want to go to a skiing resort is to ask yourself why you want to go there. If you want to go just to relax and watch the snow, breathe fresh air, then any resort will do. On the other hand if your prime goal is to ski then you should think about your skiing level and chose the resort that fits your needs.
Are you a beginner? If your answer is yes, then Buttermilk is the place to be. This is the place where you should take your first few lessons. It is the best learning mountain in the world and it is here where most of the lower-level lessons are taught and the terrain is marked green and low blue. The beginner terrain is excellent and new skiers and snowboarders will have the perfect conditions to learn their favorite sport. They will be happy to ride wide, rolling trails, hop on the new West Buttermilk chair which with its midway load station will give you the opportunity to do laps on the gentle trails of West Buttermilk where beginner terrain concentrates. After you master snowplows you can experience nice top-to-bottom runs, and then go on improving on terrains like Tom’s Thumb, Red’s Rover, Larkspur, Westward Ho and Blue Grouse.
When you get to an intermediate level you can still consider Buttermilk as your prime destination as there are plenty of runs to practice on like under the Tiehack chair, Jacob’s Ladder and Bear, which drop from the Cliff House to the main area. If you will see black lines on the map don’t get alarmed it is just a bit of taste for upper-intermediate skiers who can discover good upper-intermediate trails. Upper Tiehack chair offers a lot of fun and you can ride it a dozen times each time taking a different cruise. Tiehack lift offers course steep terrain at the east end of Buttermilk and pitches at just the right angle for giant slalom training. It also is a great place to hide from the crowds on a powder day.
Strong skiers are also welcomed in Buttermilk and fun is guaranteed for them, too. The slope of the terrain changing gradually will demand your attention.
Buttermilk offers challenging trails and you can definitely have a lot of fun riding them. Fun is also guaranteed by the ESPN Winter X Games, awesome and huge terrain parks, the gigantic Super-Pipe and the Crazy Train.
For all these there are ski & snowboard schools package that include equipment rental, lift ticket, a private lesson for you & up to four friends or family members and more.
If you want a less crowded skiing resort that at the same time can offer a lot of entertainment and challenging runs, Buttermilk is it, a resort that welcomes new skiers and not only.
