The Anti-Aspen

On runs here you can ski wherever you want -- across the open powder, through the trees or down a packed path that leads in a gentle circle back to the lift. In general, the trails are structured as half-hearted suggestions, starting points for your own creativity.

Dave, Mark and I explored chute after chute, pausing like frontier explorers to study the terrain ahead and plot our individual routes down.

At no point were we ever exactly sure where we were, but neither did we greatly care. There was something liberating about our innocuous lostness, something freeing about the notion that we were not being railroaded down a pre-approved space. Thanks to the contours of the mountain, we inevitably ended up at the lift, hearts pounding, thighs aching, ready to head up again. I fell hard and frequently, but always the powder was there to catch me coldly and gently, making me pay for my errors only in the excruciating effort it took to dig myself out.

That, however, was a price I was willing to accept, although I didn't have much choice in the matter anyway.

By the time I left Wolf Creek, there were 11 inches of new snow, and it was still falling.

Ben Brazil is an out-of-shape skier and freelance writer in Wichita Falls, Tex.

Details: Wolf Creek Ski Area, Colo.

GETTING THERE: Wolf Creek sits near the top of Wolf Creek Pass, a half-hour from Pagosa Springs and South Fork, the towns where most skiers stay. The closest airport is in Durango, Colo., 60 miles west of Pagosa Springs via U.S. Highway 160. Connecting flights from Washington to Durango are available on America West, Continental, United and Northwest, with round-trip fares from $425. Fares from D.C. to Albuquerque or Colorado Springs cost half that price but entail three- to four-hour drives.

GETTING AROUND: Renting a car is essential. Just be extra careful: Roads on the upper reaches of Wolf Creek Pass can get icy.

SKIING: Wolf Creek (970-264-5639 or 800-SKI-WOLF for snow report, www.wolfcreekski.com) opens when there is enough snow -- usually in late October or early November -- and closes in early April (April 6 this year).

The mountain's 1,600 acres are serviced by five lifts and one "magic carpet" conveyor belt for children's ski school. Adult gear rentals begin at $13 per day ($32 for three days) and are available at the ski area base, which also has two restaurants with great burgers. Adult lift tickets are $43 per day.

WHERE TO STAY: Cabins, hotels and, yes, dives line Highway 160 in Pagosa Springs and South Fork, but Pagosa Springs has far more amenities. I stayed in one of the town's many condos, which can be rented for about $100 to $500 per day through such agencies as Sunetha Accommodations (800-365-3149, www.sunetha.com).

A good hotel choice is Pagosa's Spring Inn (165 Hot Springs Blvd., 800- 225-0934, www.pagosahotsprings .com), with doubles from $109 -- and that includes access to the adjacent hot springs facility (see below). The hotel also lists winter specials, such as the Ski & Soak Safari, which includes the springs, full-day lift ticket, rental and food discounts, and one night's lodging; double rates are $87 weekday, $97 weekend.

The closest property to the slopes is the High Country Lodge (Highway 160, between mile markers 147 and 148, 800-862-3707, www.highcountrylodge .com), which offers cabins and doubles beginning at $65. The Be Our Guest Bed & Breakfast and Guesthouse (19 Swiss Village Dr., 970-264-6814, www.beourguest-bnb.com) has a friendly dog on the porch, warm, wood-paneled living areas and rooms starting at $65 per night, or hostel-style bunks for $25.

For economical lodging in South Fork, try the Spruce Lodge (29431 W. Hwy. 160, 800-228-5605, www.colorado directory.com/sprucelodge), a renovated logger's lodge with doubles from $45.

WHERE TO EAT: For burgers and breakfast pitas, hit downtown Pagosa Springs' venerable Malt Shoppe (124 E. Pagosa St.). For excellent upscale food and a stunning view, try the Greenhouse (entrees from $10 to $23), off Piedra Road, which intersects Highway 160 on the west side of town. Great steaks and a rustic atmosphere -- but no alcohol -- can be found at the Ole Miner's Steakhouse, 21/2 miles east of Pagosa Springs on Highway 160.

WHAT TO DO: Even if you're not a guest at the Spring Inn, you can still loosen stiff muscles at the Springs, a 16-pool mineral hot springs complex. Cost: $12. Rub elbows with the locals at Bear Creek Saloon (475 Lewis St., just off the main strip), probably the best bar in town.

INFORMATION: For a good list of activities and lodging options, try the Pagosa Springs Area Chamber of Commerce (800-252-2204, www.pagosaspringschamber.com). The South Fork Visitors Center (800-571-0881, www.southfork.org) has similar information.

-- Ben Brazil