The smallest and gentlest of the four mountains, Buttermilk has the best beginner terrain in the valley — long, low-angle green runs from top to bottom and a dedicated ski school. About a third of the mountain is rated beginner, an unusually high proportion for a Colorado resort.
The opposite face of Buttermilk holds the Winter X Games venue, with the world's largest superpipe (22 feet) and a slopestyle course that is one of the proving grounds for Olympic-level freestyle skiing and snowboarding. Outside the event in late January, the venue is open to the public and you can ride the superpipe if you can drop in. The on-mountain Cliffhouse restaurant has a Mongolian barbecue that has been on the menu for decades.