Travel: Vail resorts

The rest of us had cackled, but as I floundered in the powder, trying to uncross trapped skis and clear snow from goggles, he performed a forward roll and continued skiing, seamlessly, to the point where the slope flattened out.

It was Saturday, the sun was shining, and with a holiday weekend in prospect most of Denver's skiers seemed to have headed for the mountains. But once we clambered aboard the snow cat the crowds were left behind. A mere 25 minutes from the top of Keystone's new River Run gondola lift we were deposited in a silent wilderness.

There were 15 of us aboard the cat, a converted piste machine with a big cab for passengers: three guides – Dave, Brant and JB – 11 customers and Lily the avalanche dog. Clients included four brothers, one of whom had brought his son.

To ensure so far as possible that in the event of a snow slide only one of us would be buried, we were told we must wait for the preceding skier or boarder to complete each stretch of powder before following. And as always on such excursions, we were provided with two-way radios.

Conditions were not perfect. Wind had scoured the rim of the bowl like an ebbing tide, leaving icy ripples and exposed rocks. As we gingerly negotiated the first 50 metres or so, those of us who had borrowed the operators' "fat" skis were reminded – sometimes by thumping falls – that while they are designed to float in deep snow, they are the devil to control on hard pack. It was a small penalty to pay, however. The guides were adept at spotting where the untracked powder was best and at its best it was sublime. We gathered at the tree line, then went swooping down through the forest to where the cat was waiting to take us up again.

The expansion of snow cat skiing in Keystone – including the erection of a "yurt" where skiers can enjoy a full-blown lunch rather than grabbing a bite between runs in the vehicle – was one of several major developments to have taken place in Vail Resorts' four Colorado ski areas since my last visit. Keystone's new gondola, which opened this winter, carries some 2,400 visitors per hour – more than double the capacity of its predecessor.

The biggest change, though, was at Lionshead, part of the base complex at Vail itself, which had begun to look tired, over-concreted and unwelcoming. Now there was an ice rink, served by escalators from the development's upper level. Some walkways and roads enjoyed sub-surface heating to save Vail's well-heeled clientele from slipping on ice. And smart new accommodation had opened, including the swish Arrabelle.

There seemed a certain irony in the fact that all this investment, part of a multi-million-dollar programme, was underway as the world plunged into its worst financial downturn in living memory. Not that you would have picked up any whiff of catastrophe in Vail, where buying property, even if values have fallen, is still beyond the reach of most mortals – someone was advertising a parking spot for 275,000.

British visitors, of course, were constantly aware that the pound no longer bought two dollars. Sterling's slide also emphasised the price differences between Vail and nearby Breckenridge. In the latter, eating out tends to cost significantly lower.

But two dollars to the pound was always generous and if the magnificent French brasserie-style Centre V in the Arrabelle was somewhat heavier on the credit card than the average Tex-Mex, the plats du jour and souffles were so delicious we were inclined to overlook the exchange rate.

Out on the Keystone snow cat there was talk of stocks and banks and the Bernie Madoff scandal. But no sooner was I was shin deep in the powder than the words of former Prime Minister Jim Callaghan came to mind: "Crisis? What crisis".

the facts A day's snow cat skiing in Keystone costs 139, including a lift ticket to and from the mountain-top starting point, powder ski rental and lunch (2008-9 season price) – details at keystone.snow.com You need to take ski poles. Numerous tour operators offer packages to the area, including locally based Ski Independence (ski-i.com). Flights from Glasgow to Denver start at 346, visit cheapflights.co.uk for details.

Visit www.holidays.scotsman.com for more great holidays

This article was first published in The Scotsman Magazine on 06 February 2010