Last year my friend and her family moved there from Big Bear, CA. They are originally from the O.C. in CA. Her husband boards and she as babies. She wants to learn to ski. She slipped on the stairs and both both legs 2 winters ago. Her husband required surgery for his fall while snowboarding that shattered his arm! But, alas, they got a huge house in Springs and good jobs and another baby on the way. The snow and wind was so intense that they had a time to groom those slopes. Else where I heard it was a veritable mess in the back country with drifts and winds and piles of unstable snow. Most years, just nice. I am from CA and they hate CA folks. I would have to change my license plate, ASAP and explain I grew up in CO prior to CA. Silly, a type of racism, or geocisism. But, they aren't used to their area getting "wrecked" with the population surges as we have sadly become in California. ??? what to do??? Ski, midweek!!!!!!!!!! Makes it all worth it. Carol