Knee deep at Copper

COPPER Mountain, in Colorado is the place you go when you want to be "knee deep in powder, not hype", writes Sarah Nicholson.

Rocky Mountain high ... the Copper Mountain skiing resort

MOST of Colorado's ski towns have an advertising hook to get the tourists: Aspen is the playground of the rich and famous; Steamboat is known as Ski Town USA and has Champagne Powder; and Vail is the largest ski resort in the US.

But when it comes to Copper Mountain, the hook is that there is no hook. Copper is the place you go when you want to be "knee deep in powder, not hype".

Copper Mountain is just 120km from Denver, making it one of the closest ski areas to the Mile-High City, and the road that climbs into the Rockies passes old mining towns with names like Silver Plume.

Copper has only 250 permanent residents but because of its proximity to Denver, the destination boasts a diverse mix of skiers and snowboarders. Families love this place because of the abundance of new self-contained accommodation options, older folks enjoy it because of the relaxed attitude, and the college kids head up there when they are looking for a day on the slopes.

The night life – from chic wine bars to basic pubs and restaurants that cater to every taste and budget – also means that the destination is popular with the party set.

Copper is a self-contained community that has a quaint mountain-village feel and you can stay comfortably close to the lifts, and when I say close I mean a two-minute walk on paved footpaths rather than a 10-minute slog through slush on icy tracks.

It's a pedestrian-only village and once you have stepped away from the road that rings the resort, you will not be bothered by anything with an engine.

During my visit to Copper I stayed at the new Passage Point development, in a charming one-bedroom apartment with a warm rustic feel, which was no more than 100m from the Burning Stones Plaza and the American Eagle quad chair.

All the action in The Village seemed to happen around Burning Stones Plaza and this is where the restaurants, bars, shops, gear stores and ski school were located.

While Copper is most agreeable when you are considering layout and apres options, it's fantastic when it comes to sliding down a mountain.

This is the heart of the Rockies, so you know the snow will be brilliant and there will be lots of it with an average of 7.2m falling on this part of the range every year, and Copper has more than 990ha of skiable terrain.

The mountain is also naturally divided to cater for all abilities, with 21 per cent of the slopes suited to beginners, 25 per cent ready for the intermediates and 54 per cent perfect for those at an advanced level.

Instead of the green, blue and black runs being intermingled each of the abilities is catered for in a different section of the hill.

The Copper settlement is surrounded by an awesome collection of peaks and only some are marked for use while others are so steep that they are suited only to expert back-country skiers who must hike to the summit under their own steam.

From the village, you can just make out a straight line of footprints going up and then long s-shaped tracks that were made by the same person on the way back down after they have completed the long lung-busting climb.

But it's these untamed mountains, which divide Copper from Breckenridge, that provide the magnificent views for everyone staying at this resort.

If you are up on the hill skiing the long runs these peaks are in front of you, right at eye level, and when you are in The Village at Copper they are the dominant feature that seem to draw the eye every time you step out of a cafe or bar. On clear days – and there are lots of them because Copper boasts 300 days of sun every year – the range is backed by a cobalt sky with the pristine white providing such a contrast.

Those who don't want to see the mountain wearing two sticks or a plank on their feet can take a less energetic option by joining a scenic sleigh ride to a mountain retreat for a hearty alpine dinner.

The horse-drawn sleigh slides silently along narrow snow-covered trails with the stars throwing a soft glow on the sturdy mountain trees and making the white stuff sparkle like it has been sprinkled with glitter.

On the way to the replica miner's tent, where dinner will be served beside a roaring fire, the sleigh driver tells tales of the region to let visitors get an idea about what it was like to live in this part of the world when it was still on the nation's frontier.