>When I lived in Grand Junction, CO it was a 2.5 hour drive to Telluride. We would leave at 4am and ski til dark and then return both days. The drive was beautiful (one of my favorite scenic routes through the San Juans) but we missed most of it driving at night.

The amount of traveling/commuting is one of the differences between US and europe which trips me up every time.
Here people living within similar distances will drive to the ski resort for a weekend or perhaps 3 nights. Lodging is only slightly more expensive than a 5H drive over here and you get a few H earlier into the shower/have more sack time to regenerate from the afterski as well...

>Powderhorn was only a half hour drive but the runs were all intermediate level at best (they claim a few advanced and expert but barely so) and the drop is at most around 1500'

The size of drop seems to be very important to "american skiing" - I guess it is the difference in in height above sea level from gondola/lift entry to exit ? Are your runs more top to bottom compared to different runs/lifts higher up on the mountain ? Not enough run maps glanced over to be certain.

> I stayed away from Snowmass because the crowds made it a miserable experience. My sister tells me that all of the runs are like that now. Just too many people can afford to ski these days!

Yupp, especially weekend skiing has lost most of its appeal.

regards

thomas