Mountainous fun for all: great ski resorts for singles, families and daredevils to get that winter workout

Black Enterprise, Jan, 1996 by Evelyn Kanter

Whenever I'm asked to name my favorite ski resort, I usually answer, wherever the snow is deep and the skies are clear. While all major snow destinations offer something for every skiing ability, some resorts are better choices for beginners, while others are known for the adrenaline rush of linking turns on untracked powder and still others for their pumped-up nightlife.

Skiing is expensive, but costs vary depending on the season and your destination. Prices everywhere drop substantially by mid-March, and all resorts offer package deals that are more economical than buying lodging, lift tickets and lessons separately. And all allow kids six years and under to ski free with a paying adult.

MAKE IT A FAMILY TRIP

Last season, I urged friends--who had never skied before--to take their three-year-old and head to Winter Park, Colo., for a ski vacation. About an hour away from Denver, Winter Park is often overlooked by out-of-towners driving past it on their way to Vail. Pity.

At Winter Park (800-729-5813), fenced-off areas protect beginners and families from speed demons who cut through to the chairlifts. A moving "magic carpet" lifts toddlers to the top of the learning hill. And kiddie rental gear is available at the Children's Center, as is child care for babies as young as two months.

But Winter Park isn't just for kids. The Mary Jane and Vasquez Ridge areas offer serious moguls and glade skiing, while the huge Parsenn Bowl allows even novices to enjoy the exhilaration of skiing the scenery-filled top of a mountain. A $45 "first-timer" ticket includes a one-day lesson and lift ticket, while the kids' school includes equipment and all-day supervision for $70.

If you have teens in tow, the two best ski destinations are Steamboat Springs in Colorado (800-922-2722) and Okemo Mountain Resort in Vermont (800-78-OKEMO). Consistently rated as tops for family skiing, Steamboat Springs and Okemo were the first resorts in the U.S. to offer low-priced tickets for teens and teen-only evening activities. Steamboat's lift tickets cost $44 for adults, $32 for teens and $25 for children ages six to 12. Okemo's teen package costs $62 midweek ($64 weekends and holidays) and includes lessons and lift tickets.

GREAT APRES SKI FOR SINGLES AND OTHERS

The skiing near Salt Lake City, Utah, is so fabulous that the area has been chosen to host the 2002 Winter Olympics. While nightlife elsewhere in Utah may be dull, at Park City Ski Resort (800-453-1360) the letters "PC" are code for "party central." An old silver mining town, Park City has been updated with a new mine theme park. A five-day lift ticket for adults costs $210.

Only a five-hour drive from New York City and three hours from Boston, Killington Ski Resort (800-621-6867) is equal parts limitless skiing, with its knee-bruising Outer Limits mogul trail, and partying. Three-day lift and lodging packages start at $269 per person, and for $498 includes airfare from New York or Philadelphia and a rental car.

Another great destination for apres ski is Lake Tahoe (800-588-SNOW ext. 1). Lake Tahoe's tantalizing terrain is only minutes from the casinos and shows. Many skiers play the slot machines while waiting for a shuttle to Heavenly or Squaw Valley, just up the road. Non-skiers can sail Tahoe's lake cruises or visit antique car and Wild West museums. A five-day adult lift ticket costs $215 and allows you to ski at Heavenly, Squaw, Alpine Meadows, Northstar and Kirkwood.

FOR DAREDEVILS IT'S STEEP AND SERIOUS

Corbet's Couloir was roped off the week I was in Jackson Hole, Wyo., so I couldn't jump 20 feet off a cliff into a similar amount of fresh powder. Luckily, the rest of the legendary steeps at Jackson Hole Ski Resort are less daunting. Sign up for a mountain experience instructor to guide you out-of-bounds, including an early morning run from the tram before the mountain opens. Floating on fresh tracks in bowls and gullies not listed on trail maps is more exhilarating and much safer than Corbet's. Within bounds, the gladed Hobacks and bumped-up Laramie Bowl will wear out everything but your grin.

More than half of Crested Butte Mountain Resort in Crested Butte, Colo., is double-diamond hair-raising stuff. Enough, in fact, to host the annual extreme skiing and snowboard championship races. Despite their reputations as hard-core mountains, Jackson Hole and Crested Butte have ample terrain and instruction for beginners and intermediates, and make surprisingly good destinations for families or groups with mixed skiing abilities. A five-day lift ticket at Jackson Hole (800-443-6931) costs $210 for adults and $105 for children six to 14. At Crested Butte (800-544-8448), packages start at $228 per person for four nights' lodging and three days of lift tickets.

Finally, if you've never tried cross-country, telemarking or snowboarding, beg a day off from downhill and take a lesson. There's got to be a reason these snow sports are winning converts from downhill skiing as well as newcomers.