Rocky Mountains—
An Alpine Adventure

Activity
Add a dose of throttle with Nova Guides, offering one of the largest commercial snowmobile trail systems in the American West. Based out of historic Camp Hale, tours traverse more than 160 kilometers, climbing to 3,810 meters for sweeping 360-degree views of four major mountain ranges, including the Continental Divide.

Stay
High-altitude play calls for high-luxury stays. The Sonnenalp—a fifth-generation, family-owned Bavarian-style lodge—pairs alpine chic with timeless hospitality. Enjoy a legendary brunch at Ludwig’s, après cocktails and live music at King’s Club, or truffle tots and Wagyu sliders at Bully Ranch. The spa facilities offer oxygen therapy, facials, and deep-tissue massages designed to counter altitude effects and soothe ski-weary muscles.

Nearby, The Sebastian—Vail combines boutique intimacy with modern elegance. Enjoy complimentary cocoa and cookies après-ski, unwind in outdoor hot tubs, and indulge in The Gambit’s 10th Mountain Cider. The Four Seasons Resort Vail delivers full-body indulgence—choose private residences or suites, dine at Tavernetta Vail, sip Haute Chocolate for two crafted by the in-house chocolatier, or recover at the Forbes Five-Star Spa with eucalyptus steam rooms, cold plunges, and alpine-inspired treatments.

Eat
Vail’s culinary scene blends mountain refinement with global inspiration. Michelin-recommended Sweet Basil leads the way with inventive American cuisine—five-spice duck tacos, Colorado beef tenderloin, whipped feta with ginger-hibiscus honey, and its legendary sticky toffee pudding. Mountain Standard, its sister spot, embraces wood-fired cooking with bold, smoky flavors. For creekside dining, Up the Creek serves farm-to-table fare—corned pork shank with Gruyère potato purée, pepper-jelly biscuits, and rotisserie Piri Piri chicken—all celebrating the bounty of the Vail Valley.

SECOND STOP: STEAMBOAT SPRINGS
Steamboat Springs is Colorado’s capital of ranching, winter sports, and cowboy culture—a rare blend that forms a singular mountain aesthetic. No other town in the region offers as much snow and open-space adventure.

The ski resort, nourished by its snow-loving microclimate, receives some of the finest powder in North America. Mount Werner and Storm Peak together cover nearly 1,200 hectares and almost 170 runs, some years boasting more than 760 centimeters of snow. Ski legend Billy Kidd helped put the area on the map. Lodging spans plush hotel rooms, fully stocked condos, townhomes, and staffed homes—many ski-in/ski-out, with heated Jacuzzis, fireplaces, and walkable access to restaurants.

stay
Nestled against the Park Mountain Range, Vista Verde Ranch offers bespoke winter experiences. Guests can ride across 2,000 hectares bordering Routt National Forest, glide on Nordic skis through pristine wilderness, or retreat to the timber-framed lodge with its dining room, hand-carved bar, and library. Heated indoor arenas and outdoor soaking tubs provide ultimate winter comfort. Winter cocktails are best enjoyed while watching elk and bison roam the snow-dusted plains—a front-row view of the authentic West.

Activity
A 30-minute drive brings visitors to Strawberry Hot Springs—seven secluded mountain pools perfect for a restorative soak. This “Old Town” thermal resort blends tradition with luxury, feeding its pools and soaking tubs with continuous mineral water.

Twenty kilometers from Steamboat, Rabbits Ears Pass is often hailed as Colorado’s premier snowmobiling destination—blessed with deep powder, an extensive trail network, and expert guides and outfitters located in town.

THIRD STOP: ASPEN
Take a frosty soirée in Aspen, where champagne powder and bubbles converge, and billionaire ski bums and celebrities share a gondola ride. Cobblestone sidewalks cradle luxury-brand boutiques housed in restored 1880s brick storefronts. This is the true gold that has long bestowed wealth upon this alpine habitat—panoramic views and intimate, elegant neighborhoods where bespoke Victorians unfold into spa sanctuaries and stargazing suites.

What sets Aspen apart are its four mountains of winter majesty. Aspen Mountain is the celebrity-favorite playground—glitz meets groomers and elevated dining. Aspen Highlands beckons thrill-seekers—its famed Highland Bowl demands athleticism and altitude. Snowmass, Colorado’s second-largest resort, offers powder-perfect runs for every level. And Buttermilk, beloved for its approachable slopes and freestyle legacy, shines each January as the host of the Winter X Games.

Aspen’s adventures extend far beyond the slopes—heli-skiing, snowcat powder tours, and dog-sled dinners paired with sommelier-selected wines. Scale frozen waterfalls, snowmobile through whispering forests, or glide across untouched snow by fat bike or snowshoe.

Stay 

At the historic Hotel Jerome—a Wild West meets Gilded Age landmark opened in 1889—guests gather at the legendary J Bar, where silver miners once swapped stories and modern-day icons trade powder reports over whiskey sours. The uniformed bellhops—navy wool, brass buttons, and polished smiles—remain part of Aspen’s living heritage. Downstairs, Bad Harriet glows with speakeasy allure, while Felix Roasting Co. serves perfectly poured cortados in hushed morning light.

Next door to the slopes, The Little Nell—Aspen’s only ski-in/ski-out five-star, five-diamond hotel—sits at the base of Aspen Mountain, just steps from the Silver Queen Gondola. Let the ski concierge ease off your heated boots before you retreat to a suite with a fireplace, private balcony, and curated minibar. Quiet luxury here is defined by discretion, seamless service, and slope-to-soirée ease.

Eat

Book ahead at Bosq, Aspen’s Michelin-starred dining experience where every tasting menu honors the land—think foraged mushrooms, spruce tips, and wild berries presented in sleek alpine style. Meat & Cheese, a locals’ haunt, draws entrepreneurs, ranchers, and travelers for its artisanal charcuterie boards and unpretentious warmth.

Reserve a table at Sant Ambroeus, tucked within a restored 1889 cabin. The menu blends Milanese sophistication with Rocky Mountain spirit—think Fritto Misto “Palm Beach Style,” Fettuccine alla Bolognese, and Rigatoni Strofina. Dessert is non-negotiable in the form of the Plum Tart, paired with a signature cocktail from Il Baretto, the adjoining bar where Italian spirits meet Aspen cool.

Activity
Aspen’s quieter pulse echoes through winter performances by Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, contemporary exhibitions at the Aspen Art Museum, and intimate evenings at the Wheeler Opera House.

Fourth Stop: Ouray—America´s switzerland
Ouray is a picturesque mountain hamlet, often called the Switzerland of America for its European-inspired architecture, quaint Main Street lined with Victorian-era eateries and shops, and a cirque of jagged peaks in the San Juan Mountains. With fewer than 1,000 residents, this tiny town is home to one of the nation’s premier ice-climbing destinations, where world-renowned climbing routes are fresh every day thanks to Ouray’s Ice Farmers.

Just a short walk from Main Street, Ouray Ice Park offers over 150 named ice and mixed climbs spanning two miles of canyon walls. Local outfitters such as San Juan Mountain Guides, Basecamp Ouray, and Mountain Trip cater to everyone from novices to expert climbers.

Ouray’s topography brings another treasure: abundant, mineral-rich natural hot springs. Spend the night at Box Canyon Lodge, where private tubs spill across wooden decks and boardwalks. Or indulge at The Wiesbaden, a historic spa combining alpine elegance with therapeutic luxury. Choose from the hot springs vapor cave, outdoor heated pool, or the secluded Lorelei—a private soaking pool beneath a gentle waterfall.

Stay
For a longer stay, book into the wood-frame Western Hotel, originally opened in 1892 and recently transformed into Ouray’s social epicenter. Enjoy its spa, dining, indoor pool, sauna, and hot tub—all within a setting that marries Old West charm with modern indulgence.

Eat
Any bar without a full public menu is worth a visit. Roosevelt’s Tavern, founded in 1886, is Ouray’s showcase of throwback cocktails and classic mixology. Try the bar’s Last Word—made with Clark & Co.’s Distilling Gin, crafted along the Colorado River and a Prohibition-era favorite.

Fifth stop: Telluride—one of the most extraordinary places on earth
Deep in the San Juans, Telluride’s Box Canyon has embraced a new kind of gold—snow sports, international music and film festivals, and the understated glamour of modern-day legend. Framed by deep-winter wilderness, hushed national forests, and sprawling private ranches softened by drifts of snow, Telluride is a hidden world.

Stay
There are no stoplights or corporate storefronts in town, but rather historic Victorian facades housing alpine stores and boutique outposts, Western saloons, and mountain-inspired eateries. It’s also home to the storied Sheridan Opera House, the New Sheridan Hotel, and a handful of art galleries that keep Telluride’s creative pulse alive.

And then there’s the gondola—America’s only free one—linking the historic, obsessively photographed town to the resort’s ski mountain. This scenic 10-minute ride feels like something out of a snow globe, with white, crystallized flakes drifting through the air and panoramic views of the San Juans unfolding below.

Telluride Ski Resort encompasses more than 800 hectares of terrain, with impressive vertical drops, over 120 trails, and one heck of a run to après ski—See Forever to Lower Milk Run. Ski from the resort into downtown Telluride, where there are plenty of bar stools at the Last Dollar Saloon, the local skier’s dive bar.

Activity
Looking to go extreme, Telluride’s Helitrax offers guided backcountry heli-skiing across mountain terrain that might just comprise you, a moose, and your guide that day.