The Edge

For a milder time, Simpson suggests such runs as 1 Leaf and 2 Leaf, which run off the Copper Cutoff, which parallels Spar Gulch. "That tends to be less crowded than Spar," Simpson says. "If you want to avoid the end-of-day rush, it's definitely the way to go."

The crowds are hard to avoid off the mountain, too, so Simpson recommends getting down earlier to get food. "Cache Cache [205 S. Mill St.] is great for a quick, good and lower-priced dinner," she says. "They have a bar menu, so you can sit there, and they have a whole different menu that's a lot cheaper, but still as fabulous as their regular menu." She adds that it's first come, first served, so late afternoon is a good time to sneak in there.

Pricier but "unbelievable" meals come from Renaissance (304 E. Hopkins St.), Simpson says, and Pinons (105 S. Mill St.). "I work at Pinons, so I guess it'll sound like I have to say it, but truly, the food there is incredible." Before dinner, happening happy hours are at Mezzaluna (600 E. Cooper Ave.)--"They have cheap pizza and beer right after skiing," Simpson says--and Ajax Tavern (685 E. Durant Ave.), where, if it's a nice day, skiers can sit on the deck and watch people ski down. The best pizza is "most definitely New York Pizza [409 E. Hyman Ave.]."

Simpson is a hunter, so she tries not to eat meat that she hasn't killed herself, but in a pinch she'll get a burger from either Little Annie's Eating House (517 E. Hyman Ave.) or Boogie's Diner (534 E. Cooper Ave.). "Boogie's is touristy, though, but it's still a great burger," she adds. "Lunch in general, especially a cheap lunch, is a tough one in Aspen." She suggests Johnny McGuire's Deli (132 Midland Ave. in Basalt) for a "good, basic sandwich," and to sit down, The Flying Dog Brewpub (424 E. Cooper Ave.) for pretty good bar food, and the Howling Wolf (316 E. Hopkins Ave.), which has "a lot of vegetarian stuff, pretty healthy, everything from tuna sashimi appetizers to pot stickers, pasta, steak and fish."

As for a full meal of sushi, Simpson says she prefers Kenichi (533 E. Hopkins Ave.) because, "even though the food's the same at all of them, I like the atmosphere there better." And when asked about Mexican food, she replies, "Do you want cheap or good?" For the former, she recommends the local hangout La Cocina (308 E. Hopkins Ave.), but for the latter, she says Su Casa (315 E. Hyman Ave.) is the best in town.

In the morning, Simpson says she almost always stops by Cafe Ink (520 E. Durant Ave.). "They've got great coffee and pastries and stuff, and it's a fun place to hang out," she says. For a heavier breakfast, though, she heads to Poppycock's (609 E. Cooper Ave.) for pancakes.

And then there's the Hickory House (730 W. Main). "That's the place for a total greaseball experience," she says. "And sometimes that's just what you need on a powder day."

General Information: 1-970-925-1220.
Snow Report: 1-888-277-3676.
Location: 219 miles west of Denver via I-70 and Colo. Hwy. 82.
Opening and Closing Dates: November 22 to April 19.
Hours: 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Terrain: 0% beginner, 35% intermediate, 35% advanced, 30% expert. 675 skiable acres with a 3,267' vertical drop. Base: 7,945'; top: 11,212'; longest run: 3 miles.

Lifts: 1 high-speed 6-passenger gondola, 1 quad Superchair, 2 quads, 4 double chairs.

Lift Rates: Adult full-day $59; child 7-12 full-day $35; child under 6 and senior over 70 free.

Rentals: Rental center at base of mountain.
Snowboarding/Cross-Country: Snowboarding prohibited. Cross-country call 1-970-923-2145 for information.

Special Events: Land Rover 24 Hours of Aspen, Dec. 13-14; Revlon Spirit of Skiing, Jan. 9-11; Aspen Mountain Day Wintersksl, Dec. 17; 21st Annual Gay Ski Week, Jan. 24-31; 11th Annual Response Chocolate Classic, Feb. TBA; Second Annual Aspen Women's Weekend, Feb. 6-8; America's Uphill Race, March TBA; Rocky Mountain Telemark Series, April TBA.

Beaver Creek Mountain
Brett Phares figures he has just about the best situation around. "I wanted to live in the mountains forever," he says. "I grew up in Denver, and I always knew that's where I wanted to be, and now I've been able to work it so that I can live here without forsaking my career."

Phares is an art director for Eagle River Interactive, a company that has only five offices, including one in Paris--and one in Edwards. That's where Phares has lived since June of 1996, and that's where he skips out of on powder days to snowboard at Beaver Creek. "As long as the work gets done, no one cares," Phares, 33, says. His office is across the street from the shuttle to the mountains, and while he does go to Vail on "big, big powder days," he spends most of his time at Beaver Creek. "It's more snowboard-friendly than Vail," Phares notes. "When you're in the back bowls there, you just spend so much time dragging your ass around."