I like to hit Elk Camp a little early. Perhaps that has more to do with stretching out my afternoons than it does getting first crack at what’s cooking at the rotisserie station.

Either way, that’s where you’ll find me come lunch time, where I often order the roast chicken and a French baguette. Elk Camp’s menu is driven by what’s fresh, locally sourced and seasonal; think lots of organic options, and surprising twists on standard ski-slope classics like the grass-fed beef chili or the grilled cheese with gruyère, cheddar and provolone on sourdough bread.

And I’ve yet to find a better-stocked salad bar at 10,000 feet.

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Here’s the game plan for Sundeck: After laying claim to a window-side table (seriously, one of the best views in Colorado for watching an approaching snowstorm) head to the salad, stir-fry and pizza stations and take inventory of the daily offerings. You can never go wrong. Last week, I languished over whether to order a mixed-green salad with seared yellowfin tuna, a ginger-chicken udon noodle bowl, or a slice of the wood-fired chicken-jalapeño-cilantro pizza.

I can justify just about anything when it comes to food, so I convinced myself that the afternoon’s turns would be enough of a workout to order both the noodle bowl and the pizza slice. It was a good call.

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Aspen Highlands might be the ultimate grab-and-go mountain. Between Highland Bowl, the runs off Deep Temerity, Olympic Bowl and the sublime mid-mountain cruisers, many skiers and riders have to pry themselves off the mountain just to nab lunch.

When that happens, they invariably order a quick lunch at the recently renovated Merry-Go Round. Many love the vegetarian options here like the veggie lasagna, mixed-green salad with salmon and goat cheese, or the to-die-for vegan pho. I’m partial to the specials, like the barbecue brisket, which is braised for 24 hours to reach optimal tenderness.

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The Cliffhouse atop Buttermilk is justly famous for two things — its almost Himalayan view of Pyramid Peak, and the Mongolian barbecue.

The latter is the perfect option for those of us who like to have lunch made-to-order. You select veggies from the bar, and then pick a winning combo of protein, sauce and starch.

I’m a fan of spicy-coconut green curry and shrimp over soba noodles. If you want to be back out on the slopes in a hurry, head to the fridge case where delicious, made-that-morning spring rolls await.

The Cliffhouse also has a wicked-good juice bar as well if you want to go light. A glass of ginger-carrot-apple in the middle of the morning goes a long way.

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KEVIN DAY
Kevin Day is a Colorado-based writer, photographer and content developer. Born and raised in Denver, he has been skiing since he was 12 years old and hiking since he could walk. His obsession with the mountains, food and wine has taken him all over Colorado, as well as Italy, Switzerland, Germany and Ecuador.

He has also done volunteer trail work with the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative, including a stint on Pyramid Peak.