Elite Traveler January-February 2017

INSPIRE COLORADO

Driving around the excellent ski runs in the Rockies can take up valuable skiing time – those magnificent mountains just get in the way. Gabriella Le Breton takes to a private plane to hop among four top resorts and maximize the thrills on the slopes THE ROCKY ROAD HIGH

When you fly into Aspen, the views of Roaring Fork Valley are spectacular: Independence Pass slices through the Continental Divide in the background while Aspen Mountain lies like a sleeping bear in front. Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk and Snowmass are so close you feel you can reach out and touch them as you descend. Client relations manager for Atlantic Aviation, Kim Bracher meets me on the snow-dusted tarmac of the mountain airstrip and ushers me into the fire-warmed lounge, advising that I drink plenty of water as we're at an altitude of 7,820ft. Through a window she points out a batch of peaks topping 14,000ft (14ers to locals) and the gladed runs of Buttermilk, just the other side of the strip. "You can find powder stashes in the Tiehack trees days after a dump," she confides. Happily, I'll be seeking out those stashes very shortly, having touched down in Aspen an hour after stepping off the slopes of Vail. Separated by just six minutes’ flying time (Visual Flight Rules), Aspen and Vail have long enjoyed a friendly rivalry. While Aspen lays claim to a charming Victorian town and 5,547 acres of skiing

Top right: Aspen cable car Allow a day for each of Aspen's four mountains, plus an extra day for Snowmass

Right: Crested Butte slopes An advanced skier's dream