Turner Mountain

The praise is for a rare mix of steep terrain, snow and price: a day ticket sits around forty dollars, the single chairlift almost never has a line, and you can park a stone's throw from it and the day lodge. The hill only runs Friday to Sunday, so fresh snow stays untracked far longer than usual. Most of the runs are black, with plenty of bumps and tree lines that volunteers clear by hand each summer.

The spartan set-up draws criticism. Three operating days a week, no night skiing, no lodging on the hill, and service limited to one rental counter and a burger window - there is no bar, and beer is only sold with food. The access road is narrow and effectively single-lane with a few pull-outs, and a sign warns against driving up in the afternoon when everyone is coming down, so reversing is sometimes part of the deal. Beginners and cruisers get little choice.