Rockies resorts in fall - Brief Article

Sunset, Oct, 2001 by Linda Hayes

Before skiers hit: quiet towns, lonely trails, and great deals on lodging

* Don't wait until the snow flies to visit a Rockies ski resort. The off-season (now until chairlifts open) is the best time to roam normally bustling ski towns. You'll have rivers, forests, hiking trails, restaurants, and shops to yourself. And you'll find the year's best prices on lodging. Here's a sampling.

Big Mountain Ski & Summer Resort, Whitefish, Montana. Pair tiny Whitefish, Montana (population 4,600), with nearby Big Mountain, one of the West's largest ski resorts (offering more than 3,000 acres of skiable terrain), and you'll get a wide choice of activities and deals. By day, hike miles of trails on Big Mountain, try fly-fishing, or arrange for horseback riding or a day of boating on Whitefish Lake with Montana Adventure Company (877/223-0745). Affordable lodging includes the Craftsman-style Garden Wall Inn (from $85; 888/530-1700). In northwest Montana, off US. 93; (800) 858-4157 or (406) 862-2900.

Keystone Resort, Colorado. Keystone's ski season has an early opening day (October 27), so visit soon. The resort offers everything from mountain biking to paddling, four-wheeling to golf. To get help planning your day, call the Adventure Center (970/496-4386). Lodging bargains range from the quaint Ski Tip Lodge (from $70) to comfortable condos (from $99). 90 miles west of Denver, off I-70; (800) 468-5004.

Sundance, Utah. Robert Redford's Sundance mixes recreation, nature, and the arts. You can explore the resort's 6,000 acres of aspen groves, meadows, and waterfalls on horses from the Sundance stables. Nature buffs will enjoy strolling the lovely gardens at Sundance Farm (435/654-2721). Ceramics, photography, and other arts are offered at the Art Shack. Lodging specials are available in luxury mountain-style cottages in the woods (from $225; call the main number for details). 50 miles southeast of Salt Lake City, off Route 92; (801) 225-4107.