Three activities combine for a perfect day on and off the slopes.

Morning: Nordic Skiing

Human-powered skiers can access 90 km of free ski and snowshoe trails between Aspen, Snowmass and Basalt. With the variety of trails and terrain, easy access, user-friendly signage and high-quality grooming, some call Aspen’s Nordic (aspennordic.com) system its “fifth resort.” Start out at the Aspen Cross Country Center for rentals, lessons and almost 5 miles of mostly flat trails on the Aspen Golf Course before exploring the Snowmass Cross Country Center (hillier trails on the golf course), the scenic and serene North Star Loop east of Aspen, historic Ashcroft Ski Touring (trails that lead to the ghost town and Pine Creek Cookhouse) and Spring Gulch west of Carbondale for twisty trails with thrilling descents.

Afternoon: Lunch With a Side of Art

Grab lunch at the rooftop cafe of the Aspen Art Museum (aspenartmuseum.org), where Rooftop Cafe showcases locally sourced ingredients in an innovative rotating weekly menu. Order the Love Your Farmer featuring items chosen and sourced by local farmers. Then, wander through the free galleries of the museum, exploring the innovative contemporary art. Take a walk across town to the Aspen Institute campus for a tour of the Resnick Center for Herbert Bayer Studies (thebayercenter. org), Aspen’s newest museum with an inaugural exhibition showcasing artwork from its namesake artist who helped define much of Aspen’s aesthetic.

Evening: Snow Cat Dinners

For a memorable winter dining experience, snuggle under a blanket and ride an open-air snow cat up the Aspen Snowmass (aspensnowmass.com) ski resort to a midmountain restaurant where a cozy fire and a delicious meal await. Dining at the iconic Cloud Nine restaurant halfway up Aspen Highlands after the ski area closes offers a quieter experience than the restaurant’s legendary Champagne-spraying, dancingin- ski-boots lunch. Expect elegant alpine fare with a modern, Colorado twist (think Colorado rack of lamb and housemade tagliatelle with black truffle and local mushrooms). On Snowmass, Lynn Britt Cabin, a historic, Western-themed cabin, serves gourmet Colorado cuisine like elk, lamb and trout in a family-friendly, relaxed atmosphere.