Elton W.
Yelp
As far as just Buttermilk Mountain, it's probably one of the Best Beginner/Learning mountains in the country.
Why? Because:
- Ski school instructors are outstanding
- Rental shop uses the best brands - Rossignol, Salomon, Volkl, etc
- Rental shop is right next to the lifts
- Never any lift lines
- Great bunny hill at the base to learn on
- Rest of the mountain is good for learning and others as well who might be in your group who are Intermediate skiers, so you don't have to split up
- Mountain is always empty!
Just a great place to learn or for beginners to go to or for families as well. Wish I had learned here!
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As far as Aspen as a Whole, everyone knows Aspen is 5-Stars...the town, the restaurants, the nightlife, the people, all 4 mountains. It's all Top Notch, and the best Ski Resort Town in the Americas (both North and South), in my opinion.
Even skiers in Europe, South America and Japan know Aspen.
Most skiers rate ski resorts on just the mountain (extreme level) and snow.
I'm different. I rate ski resorts as an Overall Package...the mountains, snow, amenities (lifts, rentals, food on mountain), apres ski, crowds and what the people are like, nice restaurants, bars/clubs/nightlife, higher-end lodging with outdoor hot tubs, etc.
I'll admit, I don't go skiing just to ski, I go for the food and nightlife too, and well, I'd be lying if I said I didn't like to be pampered while I'm at it, lol.
Going up and down the mountain to just ski, packing my own lunch, and just having a few beers back at the room while smoking pot is not my thing, as it is with most skiers, especially ski bums, lol.
So, given that, for me, the Best Ski Resorts in the World are:
1. Verbier, Switzerland
2. Aspen, Colorado
3. Chamonix, France
4. St. Anton/Lech, Austria
5. Cortina, Italy
6. Zermatt, Switzerland
7. Ischgl, Austria
8. Whistler, Canada
9. Bariloche, Argentina
10. Niseko, Japan
And Yes, I've been to almost every major ski resort in the World - 22 West Coast, 17 East Coast, 9 in Europe, 6 in Canada, 4 in South America and 2 in Japan.
So, as you can see, I love Aspen! And if there's any place you should ski at least once in your lifetime, it should be here! Just my opinion.