I ski, I snowboard, and I am in love... with Abasin. This place is amazing if you're looking for advanced terrain (we're talking heart-pumping jump turns on real steeps) with a local feel (grilling and boozing in the parking lot with dogs in tow).

Start the day on the Pali bowl just to the skier's left of the top of Pallavicini lift - warm up on this relatively wide and shallow double-black run that finishes off with some nice bump lines. Then take one or two of the chutes waaaay over to skier's left off the same lift. Be sure not to drop in too low or you'll find yourself hiking out! Then head over to the other part of the mountain with a run on the easier West Wall. Up either of the two upper lifts and you have your choice of blue runs. Polish off your morning with a ride on the lower East Wall if it's open. Head down to the "beach" (parking lot at the base) for a burger and a beer and repeat!

Watch the weather and avoid on very cold or windy days. Also, be aware that this is not a first-timer's mountain. There are only one or two green runs and they will be hard for true beginners. Intermediate skiers should enjoy the hill as long as they stay away from the Pallavicini lift. Expert skiers, take delight!

I bought a "learn-to-ski" package ($200) from Arapahoe-Basin (A-Basin) which provides 4 2-hour lessons plus a season-pass for the ski-area. Unfortunately I did this before actually visiting A-basin, which might be a fine area for expert skiers but is almost unusable for beginners. A-Basin has only a single "Green" ski run, and no actual "Beginner" runs as you see at other areas. The "Green" run they do have is fairly advanced and very intimidating to be learning to ski on. I used the first lesson in my 4-pack with only minor bumps and bruises, but even then it wasn't much fun being constantly in fear of hitting a tree.

Then a month later I came back for my second lesson and unfortunately the weather was not as good. I decided to make a practice run on the "Green" slope but when I got to the top I realized that I couldn't make out anything other than my skis. The snow was a completely uniform white sheet that hid every dip and drop-off as well as making it impossible to see how fast one was going. After a harrowing 30-min slide down to the base, I went to the lesson office and asked if I could take the lesson another day. I was rudely told by the resident teenager that "sorry dude" no refunds under any circumstances. I'm undecided on whether I will even attempt to use my remaining two lessons given their rude customer service. The lesson here is that if something is that cheap there's a good reason for it. I would stick with a ski-area that has more concern for their patrons safety.