by Tracy Greenhalgh

Whether you’re new to Copper or you’ve skied here for years, here are the essentials on where to ski if you crave expert trails.

I caught up with Todd Casey, a 27-year veteran Copper ski instructor, and Kevin Johnson, a Denver-area physician and ski aficionado who’s skied Copper’s expert terrain for over 25 years, to dig into their expertise and reveal their invaluable tips on our favorite mountain.

by Doug Blake

From west to east, Copper Mountain progresses for beginners to experts, making your entry point for adventure identifiable and accessible according to skill level. Knowing exactly where you want to be can make or break your day on the hill. Finding a place that suits the style of your family’s freeride fantasies should be the focus.

By Mikaela Ruland

Follow Mikaela and her adventures at @airundermyheels on Instagram and subarulife.wordpress.com.

The thermometer in the car reads 1°F when I pull up to Copper Mountain. The sun hasn’t yet crested the mountain, leaving the world bathed in icy blue winter dawn. It looks cold. I wonder if maybe you’d have to be just a little bit crazy to go to work in these temperatures every morning.

by Lu Snyder

Maybe you’ve heard the boom of avalanche bombs reverberate among the peaks on an otherwise calm and quiet winter morning as you ride the chairlift. You may know ski patrol uses explosives to keep steep terrain such as Spaulding Bowl safe for skiers and riders, but did you know it takes hundreds of pounds of explosives, combined with hours and hours of machine and man (and woman) power before Copper can safely open its steeper terrain?

by Tracy Block

Supporting more than a half-dozen local vendors and deeming itself “Colorado Proud,” Ten Mile Tavern (TMT) is Copper Mountain’s local ticket to flavortown. A mix of delectable modern eats with worldly influences (from Mexican to Korean to Thai) and 20 drafts on tap at a time (from 10 Barrel, Dillon Dam, A.C. Golden and Outer Range, just to name a few), this foodie, sudsy pit stop is ideal for an early-bird après or a late-night bite.

By Lisa Blake

Copper Mountain Pastry Chef Susan Vlass wins the award for best-smelling office. The petite 42-year-old ski resort bakeshop director swirls around an enormous kitchen in her white chef coat, black-rimmed glasses and Dansko clogs among sweet pumpkin and chocolate zucchini breads, mini cheesecakes and chewy, chunky magic bars.

By Lu Snyder

As a child, I dreamed of a white Christmas, big fat flakes falling gently like those in a snow globe. Now that I live in a virtual Christmas card, I dream of white all winter long. I know I am not alone in this.