Crested Butte

The praise is for the expert terrain: more than half the mountain is rated double black, there are chutes and cliff bands inside the boundary, and extreme freeskiing championships were held here for good reason. The lower mountain is gentle, so families find a place too. The town gets separate mention - a genuine mining town with Victorian buildings, good restaurants and no ostentation.

The drive draws complaints: over four hours from Denver, and the remoteness that keeps the crowds away also has to be earned. The second issue is snow: it falls below the Colorado average here, the seasons are inconsistent, and the most famous terrain below the summit opens for only a few weeks, usually in late February or March.