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Some come for the champagne lifestyle, but the real magnet for skiers and boarders is Aspen’s champagne powder, with four mountains off ering something for every skill level, as Katie Stokes discovers.

Powder rush: Aspen Mountain, Colorado PH

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Aspen,Colorado has a reputation for being the home of moneyed celebrities, snow bunnies and powder hounds, but it wasn’t always this way. Before Kurt Russell, Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith moved into the neighbourhood, the Roaring Fork Valley was home to the Ute Indians. In 1879, prospectors rushed to dig one-sixth of America’s silver from its hills, and in 1945, the industrialist Walter Paepcke arrived to introduce the “Aspen Idea”, a philosophy encouraging a balance of mind, body and spirit. It was only in 1946 that the town opened its first ski lift, which it billed as the world’s longest chairlift.

Today, the resort known as Aspen/Snowmass comprises four mountains, 42 lifts and 2239ha of skiable terrain with 332 trails. These stats alone would be enough to pull the punters, but Aspen Skiing Company and the town’s hospitality industry have been investing money – lots of money – to ensure that when skiers and boarders think about their next snow holiday, Aspen comes to mind.

When Aspen and Snowmass mountains open this season on November 28, and Buttermilk and Highlands follow on December 14, visitors will notice a few changes on the hill. Snowmass’ Burnt Mountain has been developed over the past two years, opening an extra 93ha of black-run terrain. The Tiehack express lift at Buttermilk replaced two old lifts in 2011, cutting the ride from 18 minutes to seven. And everything from ski hire and snowboard lessons to beanies and beer can be purchased from any Four-Mountain outlet with a lift pass and charged to a nominated credit card.

There’s also a new way to tap into Aspen’s untracked champagne powder: First Tracks Breakfast on Wednesday and Friday mornings. For $US25 ($30), eager skiers can ride the gondola to the top of Aspen Mountain, enjoy pancakes and breakfast burritos at the Sundeck restaurant, then take their pick of the slopes before the gondola opens to the general public.

When it comes to on-mountain dining, the long-time favourites continue to thrive: Bonnie’s on Aspen Mountain still dishes up the best and most generous portions of apple strudel and white-bean chilli this side of the Mississippi; Cloud Nine Bistro on Highlands is still the place for fondue, afternoon tabletop dancing and Thursday evening snowcat dinners; and Venga Venga (105 Daly Lane) in Snowmass Village still pulls the crowd with its 75 different tequilas and mezcals, and outdoor fire pits.

Now there’s a new spot to rendezvous with family for lunch. Elk, Snowmass’ $US13m ($14.2m) restaurant at the top of Elk Camp ❯ PH

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A skier launches from the double-black terrain of The Wall at Snowmass

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gondola, opened last winter and is attracting a following for its rotisserie chicken and wild mushroom pizza. The restaurant also hosts Ullr Nights, a Friday evening event dedicated to the Norse snow god, with live music, tobogganing, ice-skating and bonfires ($US10 for adults/$US5 for children).

If bubbles and adults-only spaces are more tempting, check The Little Nell’s Twitter and Facebook pages for directions to The Oasis, the hotel’s roving Champagne bar, which will return to the slopes for a second season this winter. Find the bar’s location, flop onto one of its lounge chairs, order a glass of Veuve Clicquot and a serving of caviar, and enjoy the tunes from the solar-powered sound system.

DOWN IN TOWN, the site next to the historic Wheeler Opera House reopened last year as Justice Snow’s (328 East Hyman Avenue, justicesnows.com) a cocktail den with 300-year-old oak flooring, wine-bottle chandeliers and wall peepholes screening vintage films. Behind the antique copper bar are 22 house-made syrups and tinctures – and “cocktail mechanic” Joshua-Peter Smith, who will happily mix a Good Morning Manhattan – bone-marrow-infused bourbon, Nux Alpina walnut liqueur, maple extract, coffee bitters and a candied bacon strip. Chef Jonathan Leichliter ensures guests linger over pork-belly sliders, fois gras torchon and flat-iron steak with Maytag blue cheese butter.

There are many tried-and-tested favourites. Main Street’s Hickory House Ribs (hickoryhouseribs.com) does a roaring trade with bar-becue chicken, smoked brisket, pork ribs, baked beans and coleslaw. Gooey caramel apples from The Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory (401 East Cooper Avenue), dipped in Oreo cookies, pecans

or cinnamon and sugar, could tempt the most strong-willed of dieters. And Shawn Lawrence’s tuna tartare and avocado wonton tacos at 39 Degrees at the Sky Hotel (709 East Durant Avenue, theskyhotel.com) is still the best après bite in town, especially with

a Sweet & Spicy Herradura silver tequila and jalapeño cocktail. Built in 1889, the Hotel Jerome (330 East Main Street, hoteljerome.

auberge resorts.com) J-Bar, is a dip of the hat to old Aspen. The wok-charred edamame may not have been part of its original offering, but you can still order an Aspen Crud – a bourbon-spiked milkshake said to have been invented when the bar became a soda fountain during Prohibition. While the J-Bar retains much of its original decor, the rest of the Jerome underwent a $US20m ($21.8m) renovation in 2012. The original fireplace, front desk and encaustic floor tiles have been retained in the hotel’s lobby and atrium, but its 93 guestrooms have been refitted with cashmere curtains, burnished-leather bed frames, rain showers, plasma TVs and iPads.

But perhaps the most impressive areas of the redesign are those non-guests are also encouraged to enjoy: the new Auberge Spa, which uses plant extracts and minerals local to the Roaring Fork Valley; and, better still, the lobby’s new Living Room. The dark timber, animal-hide rugs and tartan cushions are reminiscent of Rodd & Gunn, but patrons in ski or suit jackets are equally welcome.

On the other side of town, there’s also been a change of scene at the St Regis Aspen Resort (315 East Dean Street, stregisaspen.com). In December 2011, the hotel reopened following a $US40m ($43.5m) redesign by celebrated interior architect Lauren Rottet, who has incorporated Ralph Lauren furnishings into guestrooms. The restaurants also received an overhaul. The Trecento Quindici ❯ EL

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Clockwise from left: Hotel Jerome lobby; beet salad at The Little Nell’s; Element 47

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Decano – a family-friendly Italian bistro – opened in June this year, while last year saw the much-anticipated opening of the Chefs Club, a restaurant with menus designed by previous recipients of FOOD & WINE magazine’s Best New Chef award. This winter guests will be spoilt with signature dishes by Jason Franey, Viet Pham, Bryant Ng and Missy Robbins, prepared by executive chef Didier Elena.

The Little Nell’s Montagna restaurant (The Little Nell, 675 East Durant Avenue, thelittlenell.com) was given a facelift last year and rebranded Element 47. Chef Robert McCormick swapped the prix fixe menu for a more casual à la carte style offering duck fat fries, steak frites and Alaskan halibut with rhubarb, green strawberries and sorrel. Award-winning designers Bentel & Bentel introduced large art works and u-shaped lounge seating to the space.

Designer Holly Hunt, who gave the hotel a $US18m spruce in 2009, is giving The Little Nell’s six VIP suites the same executive treat-ment. Two of the suites will be open in time for this year’s first snowfall, with the remaining completed by mid-2014. To sweeten the deal this season, those who stay in one of the VIP suites for three or more nights will receive a free private ski or snowboard lesson, or a guide (for up to five people).

IF A DAY OF SKIING and snowboarding isn’t enough entertainment, head into town. Prada (312 South Galena Street), Burberry (501 East Hyman Avenue) and Louis Vuitton (205 South Mill Street) are all here, as is Dennis Basso (The Little Nell, 631 East Durant Avenue) – the celebrity choice for over-the-top fur coats. But Souchi (205 South Mill Street) is the new boutique for Aspen ladies in the know. Owner and designer Suzi Johnson creates hand-loomed PH

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For airfares to Aspen call Qantas on 13 13 13 or visit qantas.com

More information at aspensnowmass.com

dresses, cardigans, ponchos and singlets from cashmere, cotton and merino wool. Kemo Sabe (434 East Cooper Avenue) remains the place to pick up a pair of Lucchese Classics handmade cowboy boots, an alligator-skin card holder and deerskin gloves, while O2 Aspen (500 West Main Street) stocks a range of Lululemon, Nicole Miller and Ion active-wear, perfect for Aspen Mountain’s free Sundeck yoga classes, four mornings a week.

Locals will happily guide those who still have energy to burn in snowmobiling, paragliding and cross-country skiing all over the valley, but the most Aspen of Aspen adventures is to be had touring Highland Bowl. It’s a rite of passage where fears are sized up, skiing abilities tested and memories made – and the reason many make the trip to Aspen in the first place. The off-piste skiing area is only accessible by foot and every line of descent is double-black and often deep in untouched powder. It’s an area of the mountain many visitors are timid to tackle alone, so every Wednesday, a free tour is offered with a guest services ambassador and ski patroller guide.

This is just one example of Aspen playing the generous host, and why it’s still considered one of the world’s leading ski resorts. There are free shuttles between all four ski mountains; buy a 14-day ski pass and only pay for eight; and mountain ambassadors (local volunteers) give directions, help guests into their ski boots and hand out complimentary sunscreen and hot cider.

Some people come to Aspen for its 6.7m super pipe, others for its five-star spa treatments or laid-back eclectic vibe. It’s a town that embodies its history, yet continues to reinvent itself. �

Elk on Snowmass

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SKI HOT SPOTS

 The promise of powder might be what lures skiers and snowboarders to Niseko, some 100km south-west of Sapporo on Japan’s northernmost island of Hokkaido. But

it’s the quantity and quality of white stuff at the country’s most popular ski resort for Australians, which keeps them coming back.

Lined up against the likes of Chamonix (France), Aspen (US) and Whistler (Canada), Niseko gazumps them all with annual snowfall averaging 14m. In terms of skiable area, Niseko’s 356ha is a little larger than Chamonix (308ha), but much smaller than Whistler (3307ha) and Aspen/Snowmass (2239ha). That said, Niseko United’s eight-hour adult lift pass is, at ¥5300 ($58), a bar-gain compared to Chamonix’s €56.50 ($81), Whistler’s $CA109 ($114), or Aspen’s $US198 ($214) for two days.

More favourable prices mean more time can be spent on the pristine slopes of Mount Niseko An’nupuri (1308m) and its 69 interconnected runs, serviced by 28 lifts including three gondolas and seven high-speed chairs. Niseko has a vertical drop of 900m and its longest run is a respectable 5.6km. Ski terrain is skewed slightly towards the intermediate skier (40 per cent), with beginner and advanced 30 per cent each.

Dotted around the base of the mountain are Niseko’s four main resort villages – An’nupuri, Niseko Village, Grand Hirafu and ❯

For more powder than you can poke a ski stock at, and plenty of après-ski action, Tony Magnusson fi nds it is hard to beat Niseko on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido.

POWDER MONKEYS

Green Leaf Niseko Village, Mount Yo-tei in the background

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Hanazono – with runs all skiable on one pass. All except Hanazono offer night skiing with lifts open until 8.30pm and an extensive area under lights to cater for all levels of skier. Other resorts in the area include Moiwa (it is not part of Niseko United, but Moiwa lift pass holders can purchase discounted An’nupuri passes), Chisenupuri (separate lift pass required) and Weiss, which offers back-country cat skiing and boarding. Shuttle buses operate between all villages.

Powder is the cashmere of snow – it is silky soft, breath-light and bone-dry. In Niseko, powder is easily accessible from the gondolas and chairlifts. And for those wanting to go off-piste, Niseko is a rarity in Japan. Back-country skiing is permitted as long as the gates are open, rules are followed, common sense is applied and skiers are equipped with beacons, shovels and food.

Beginners may find it easier to navigate powder than they expected, partly because high-friction powder slows skis and boards. Falling over in light cover is like tumbling onto a feather mattress, but crashing in deep powder is another matter entirely. “I can vouch for the fact that getting one’s legs buried in deep powder hurts a lot,” says skier James Hatherly. (In such conditions, powder leashes are recommended.) Negotiating powder requires better balance and a lower centre of gravity than with other types of snow.

NISEKO’S TOWN CENTRE, Grand Hirafu, is home to a lively après-ski scene that runs from funky cocktail lounges to world-class restaurants. Hidden behind an old vending machine door, Bar Gyu+ (gyubar.com), aka The Fridge Door Bar, is a cosy wooden drinking den that serves yuzu mojitos and Japanese single-malt whiskies to a jazz soundtrack. Down the road, the traditional Japanese izakaya Ebisutei is well known for its oden, an odd-looking, but delicately flavoured winter stew best enjoyed with warm sake.

For high-end dining in Hirafu, locals recommend Kamimura (kamimura-niseko.com), a Michelin-starred French restaurant run by Hokkaido local Yuichi Kamimura, who trained under Sydney’s Tetsuya Wakuda. He serves a ¥13,000 ($139) degustation menu (think duck and veal consommé with foie gras ravioli) in a sleek dining room with spectacular views of Mount Yōtei, the area’s other mighty peak.

Maccarina, a local-produce-driven eatery in the nearby village of Makkari, offers six-course dinner menus at ¥7350 and ¥9450

($79/$101) and has also nabbed a Michelin star.

Niseko has a wide range of accom-modation from budget to prestige. For ski-in, ski-out convenience, it’s hard to go past Niseko Village, a quieter option than lively Hirafu. The Hilton Niseko Village (hilton.com) has 500 rooms, an award-winning spa and five restaurants including Sisam, which serves refined fare such as grilled Hokkaido scallops with truffle sauce and snow crab with potato royal. A gondola and a chairlift are located right at the hotel entrance, along with a ski school and hire facilities.

Green Leaf Niseko Village (thegreenleafhotel.com) is more affordable and has a funkier feel than its upmarket neighbour, thanks to a recent makeover, an outdoor rooftop bar (with wood-burning fire pit) and a capacious dining room with vaulted ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows. It’s a short ski to the nearest chairlift and a shorter tramp through the snow to The Crab Shack, which has charcoal-grilled crab legs and shabu-shabu on the menu.

And while both hotels have onsens, The Green Leaf’s outdoor hot springs (rotenburo) win in the aesthetic stakes thanks to a border of landscaped boulders and overhanging evergreens intermittently depositing snow on bathers’ heads. There is something deeply reviving about being immersed in 42 degree mineral-enriched spring water while snowflakes turn to droplets in the rising steam.

There’s much to be said for choosing a more sedate base. Go easy on the après-ski and you’re more likely to be the one making first tracks on fresh powder in the morning. Gazing across the quiet valley to Mount Yōtei before gliding down a blanket-smooth slope with just the swish of skis for company, it’s easy to imagine being a prince (or princess) of powder, if only for a moment. �

For airfares to Japan call Qantas on 13 13 13 or visit qantas.com

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More information at niseko-village.com or niseko.ne.jp/en

Outdoor onsen and Tomioko Bar (right) at The Green Leaf