Beaver Creek, a close neighbour to the more famous "Vail", is an expensive ski area to visit. Its certainly not the highest resort in the states, but its certainly high enough to have a pretty guarenteed cover of snow. Its got some awesome mellow runs which extend throughout the mountain -top to bottom if you want. This means that those wanting a relaxed trip, yet see everything on the mountain, can easily do so.

Beginners will like this place, and for many it's one of the best family resorts in the USA. The instructors here are really good if required and there's always an easy way down, whichever lift you end up riding on. I think that my pick of the runs for the beginner would have to be the great "Sawbuck", which winds throught the forest underneath the Upper Beaver Creek Mountain Express lift.

If anybody tells you that Beaver Creek is a good resort for expert skiers/radical freeriders then they are lying or just really really soft- thats not to say that a good skier can't have fun here. Its just not really steep enough for the hardcore among you and you certainly won't find much in the way of cliff drops. There are quite a lot of medium-steep runs through tree lined gullies if you're into that kind of thing.

For the freestyle skier or snowboarder it certainly isn't the best resort either. Its got a park, 'The Moonshine Park", but its really nothing particularly special compared to.... pretty much anything else on USA's west side. There are of course plenty of cat tracks to jump off, but you'll probably just land on a tree anyway.... Go to mammoth or Breckenridge instead if I were you.

Its worth mentioning that they really go all out here in terms of catering for cross country skiers. There are about 32km of trails and they are all immaculate and so so pretty- even on a grey day. Its always nice when everyone that skis past you smiles and gives you an enthusiastic hello; it'll certainly make you feel a little warmer inside.

Beaver Creek is really great if all of your group is within the beginner or intermediate category and you have plenty of money. As a family resort its really great because it has such a friendly feel to it and it isn't usually too crowded- especially compared to a lot of the other resorts in the area. Don't bother if you're a really good skier and you have option to go elsewhere.