New York Times Travel Feature! Extreme skiers are flocking to Silverton Mountain in the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado because it is deep powder on steep, scruffy un-groomed trails. The Silverton Mountain region is a backcountry ski area for the experts who want a challenge.

Traveling east to west in Colorado, visitors go from the Great Plains and to the Rocky Mountains. Its cities, Boulder, Colorado Springs, Denver, and Greeley, are people friendly with excellent restaurants, cafes, colleges, and outdoor adventure facilities-all with beautiful vistas only minutes from the mountains. Visitors enjoy touring the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, whitewater rafting in Canyon City, and Central City with its quaint re-creation of the Old West culture and the mining days. The mountains offer year-round adventures from hiking, mountain biking, climbing, and rafting in the warm months to skiing, snowshoeing, and snowboarding through the fall to the spring.

Many hikers find the Continental Divide Trail, which follows the Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico, very challenging and return annually to appreciate its vistas.

Vail, Aspen, Breckenridge, Snowmass, Steamboat Springs, Copper Mountain, and Telluride are some of Colorado's famous ski resorts. Rocky Mountain, Mesa Verde, and Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Parks provide beautiful camping and exploring adventures for the vacationer. After the outdoor adventures, tourists can relax at Hot Springs. Art and music abound throughout Colorado where many of the communities have summer festivals.

What do vacationers do in Colorado in the summer when they cannot ski? Well, there is always whitewater rafting, trekking, and mountain biking or lulling in the hot springs. However, for visitors who want the most bang for their buck, there is Telluride. In Telluride, visitors can hike to Cornet Creek or visit Bridal Veil Falls, the highest in Colorado. For climbers interested in gaining some expertise, there is San Juan Outdoor School. But most of all, Telluride summers are filled with festivals and music. Every weekend there is something special in Telluride. Its restaurants vary from old west to Asian fusion, and lodging varies from moderate to luxurious. Outdoor adventurers can visit the local outfitters and find experienced guides to lead them through the challenging mountain climbs. Shopping in Telluride also is an adventure with everything from Western cowboy and funkie to designer attire. For visitors, who just want to hang around, star watching can become habit forming because many of the Hollywood glitterati go to Telluride to relax.