It is hard to concentrate on driving the snowmobile – I’m distracted by the beauty of the trail winding its way through pockmarked, milky-barked aspens. It’s as if I’m travelling along a VIP white carpet. Our destination is even more spectacular. We are in the ghost town of Alta, with weathered, tumbledown buildings left from its mining past against a backdrop of stupendous peaks painted in the ethereal orange, pink and purple glow of sunset.

The scenery plays a starring role everywhere in Telluride, a Colorado jewel that is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful ski towns in the world. It is not a one-act play, with the terrain just as good to ski or snowboard on as it is to look at.

Back in the mining days during the late 1800s, when workers were travelling to this remote outpost, it is said the coach driver would yell, “To hell you ride.” If this is hell, I want in.

The town of Telluride is not easy to get to. There is no freeway full of traffic nearby. No feeder cities to clog the slopes on the weekend. The town sits in a box canyon, soldier-straight cliffs standing sentinel over its pretty pastel Victorian-era buildings, listed as a National Historic Landmark District in 1961.

The town of Mountain Village is a 13-minute gondola ride over the ridge. This is where you’ll find most of the accommodation, as well as the ice rink, ski and snowboard school and a good smattering of Telluride’s 60 restaurants and bars. The gondola is the first and only free public transportation system of its kind in the USA, making it easy to head down to the town if staying at Mountain Village or vice versa. You can also ski all the way from the top of the resort to the town.

When you hit Telluride, you’ll have access to 810 hectares of delicious terrain, with 17 lifts accessing 147 trails. The biggest chunk of terrain – 41% of it – is for advanced/expert skiers and snowboarders. Intermediates have 36% of the resort to play in and there is plenty left over for beginners.

Head to the top of Revelation Bowl (at a heady 3815 metres) and ski down the blue See Forever trail, with its 4.8km of eye-wateringly beautiful views. Peel off down North Chute, Cimarron or Stumper to swoop down to the town, or veer off onto The Plunge higher up, an addictive black run to The Plunge chair. The longest run on the mountain is the Galloping Goose, which starts at the top of the Prospect Express and takes you on a 7.4km meander past some of the mansions on the hill. Hell, this ain’t.

Off the slopes, there are plenty of other offerings, including the snowmobile tour to Alta, snowshoeing, snow biking, ice skating, dogsledding or Nordic skiing. Have an ale at the New Sheridan Bar, the Last Dollar Saloon or at the Telluride Brewing Co, or kick up your heels with a Telluride Mule at Telluride Distilling Company.