Keystone or Copper Mountain?

Neither place has a beach, and swimming means a lodge pool or a hot tub in both. Copper Mountain's lakes and reservoirs are snowmelt-cold even in July. At Keystone, Dillon Reservoir lies right below the resort and is part of the view, and it is mostly closed to swimmers but good for sailing and paddleboarding.

Keystone eats somewhat better. As well as the slopeside grills and pizza, it has a few more ambitious dining rooms, including one at the summit reached by gondola, and menus that feature Colorado lamb, elk and trout alongside local craft beer.

Copper Mountain keeps to skiers' food: burgers and chilli on the mountain, and pizza, Mexican and pub-style places in the village. From either resort, Frisco and Breckenridge are the evening drive for more choice, and plenty of visitors simply cook in the condo.

Neither resort has sights of its own, so treat both as bases rather than places to see. Copper Mountain is a village of condos and lodges around the lifts. Keystone, built in the 1970s, is no richer, but it has old mining-era cabins and ruins in the Snake River valley above Montezuma, close enough for an afternoon's look.

Evenings are much alike: après-ski in ski boots, dinner, then bed. Copper's village plaza has music and some noise on busy winter weekends, while Keystone's crowd of families and early risers empties the decks at River Run even sooner. In both cases a proper night out means Breckenridge's Main Street, about half an hour away.

Both rank among the great mountain bases of Summit County, with bowls above 3,600m and a long, reliable snow season. Copper Mountain sits under the Tenmile Range with terrain divided neatly by ability. In summer the Colorado Trail crosses the resort, the paved path runs over Vail Pass, and Mount Elbert is within an hour.

Keystone has three peaks with tree skiing and long groomers, and Arapahoe Basin is only minutes up the road. Its summer side leans towards Grays and Torreys Peaks, the alpine tundra of Loveland Pass, and sailing on Dillon Reservoir. Copper's village is slightly higher, so the altitude bites a little harder there.

The two resorts share most of the same outings: Breckenridge's Victorian main street, Frisco, Georgetown with its historic railway, and Denver about an hour and a half away when I-70 is clear. What differs is which way is easier.

Copper Mountain is better placed for Leadville's silver-boom streets and for Vail, just over the pass. Keystone is closer to Dillon and to the towns over the Continental Divide, such as Georgetown, Silver Plume and the old mines of Idaho Springs.

Both resorts are made for family ski trips, with large ski schools, gentle terrain and tubing, and both share the caveat that young children can struggle with the altitude for the first days. Copper's strength is its car-free core and its indoor action-sports centre with trampolines and foam pits, which helps on a stormy day.

Keystone has a slight edge in winter treats: the giant snow fort on the mountain and the huge frozen skating rink at Lakeside Village. In summer it adds paddle boats on the lake.

Getting there is the same chore for both: no train, about two hours from Denver's airport, and I-70 in winter brings snow and weekend traffic. Once you arrive, Copper is the more compact resort, with villages tied together by walkways, lifts and a shuttle. Keystone is spread over three bases joined by free shuttles, but its county buses go directly to more towns, including Dillon, Silverthorne and Breckenridge.

Keystone has the better shopping, mainly because the Silverthorne outlet centre is ten minutes away and draws shoppers from across the county for brand-name clothes and outdoor wear. River Run Village adds a few gift and clothing stores.

At Copper Mountain the shops stop at ski rental, gear, sunglasses and resort-branded clothing. Anything more means driving to those same outlets or to Breckenridge's boutiques.

Copper Mountain is the less punishing of the two, somewhat easier on the budget than the grander resorts around it. Staying in Frisco or Silverthorne instead of slope-side cuts the cost further.

Keystone is expensive at every turn, especially in the Christmas, New Year and spring-break weeks. The free buses and supermarkets in Dillon and Silverthorne help, and in both places summer is noticeably cheaper than winter.

Keystone has a real summer programme: outdoor festivals on the resort's village stages and concerts at Dillon's open-air amphitheatre by the reservoir. All year round, Silverthorne's performing arts centre, ten minutes away, has a professional theatre company staging plays and musicals.

At Copper Mountain, live performance means bands on the plaza on summer concert weekends and acoustic sets at après-ski. From either resort, Breckenridge's summer classical festival is within reach.

Relaxing at either resort comes down to an outdoor hot tub after a day on the slopes, and neither has a bathing tradition of its own. The difference is in the extras. Copper keeps it simple, with pools and massages at its athletic club and very quiet evenings in the village. Keystone has proper resort spas offering a wider choice of treatments, and outside the Christmas and spring-break weeks it is just as calm.

Natural hot springs mean a drive from both. Idaho Springs, along I-70, is the nearest for each, a little further from Copper, and Glenwood Springs is much further on.