It was a peak season bluebird ski day and there I was, cruising down a perfectly groomed trail, soaking up the sun and taking in the breathtaking mountain views as if it were my own private paradise.

That’s because I’d made a smart move and headed to a resort that gets less buzz but lives up to greatness: Colorado’s San Juan Mountains and Purgatory Resort. While a majority of the ski-loving world was managing lift lines at more familiar spots, I was in the place where crowds seldom build, where trails tend to stay well-maintained and fresh and where the scenery rivals – or beats – most any resort.

I’d pulled it off: A Colorado ski escape peak season minus long lines, sold-out rooms and three-deep lines at the Apres bar. You can as well.

Purgatory Resort (https://www.purgatory.ski/), perched high above historic Durango, is a less crowded but just as worthy spot that this mountain sport enthusiast is delighted to have reconnected with. But: shhh. Let’s keep how easy it is to get to and fun it is between us, shall we?

I’d last visited Purgatory in 1999. I’d forgotten how easy the journey is: While there are no direct flights from my home base of New England, there are easy stopovers. Through Denver, I was able to leave Boston midday and point my rental car toward the 40-minute or so drive to the ski area before dinner time.

My lodging was part of the Purgatory Mountain Lodge, a set-up of multi-bedroom condo-like units (regulars even have welcome mats and decor outside their abodes). Soaring ceilings make it airy, and the view is whoa. Every morning and afternoon I sat out on my balcony and watched the light change the look of the Needles range. Magnificent. Staying there comes with access to their club with slopeside pool and private bar and dining.

Purgatory opened almost exactly 60 years ago in December 1965, but the work in creating the resort started centuries ago by a master planner named nature. Shifting oceans, active volcanoes and slow but impactful glaciers worked to create the landscape and the topography, tossing up more than a few awe-inspiring mountain peaks (I don’t think I’ll ever stop gawking with delight at Engineer Peak) and creating a kind of roller coaster type feel on trails.

Ebbs and flows, double fall lines and banks make even the most gentle trails extra interesting, and super playful.

Nature did that, but Purgatory knows how to lay out a mountain as well. First, a little thing that’s a big thing: they may just have the best signage in the industry. It’s easy to know where to go, how to get there and exactly what you’ll find there. That’s a big bonus to any ski area.

The mountain presents in two parts: Front side and backside (which is actually not in back but way down the far end of the resort – a spot that feels like you’ve truly landed far from the central part of the area, but easy to get to and get back from.

It’s a learner and intermediate paradise. There’s an interesting and dynamic way down for every level from just about any part of the mountain. Almost never does a learner have to stick to a semi-boring cat walk; Purgatory has fun options that are real skiing.

Then there’s the family zone; perhaps the largest section dedicated to that I’ve seen. It might have more skiable acreage than some smaller ski areas. And rather than a single wide open trail with “ski slow” signs, it’s made up of genuine trails dotted with trees; a ski area within the ski area. It’s delightful.

That said, Purgatory has plenty for the hard-core. Tree skiing is everywhere (and I love how it reconnects with trails; the tree skier and non tree skier can easily stick together all day long. For the true adventurer, there’s a cat skiing operation you can join most days, taking you into true back country for powder lines with certified guides.

There’s great mid-mountain dining at both Powderhouse (with a great outdoor deck set up for sunny days), Dantes (where you can grab casual or sit down for fancier) and the Backside Bistro.

The base is semi-sleepy at night, but in the daytime, compact enough to navigate but full of all you need: a great rental shop, upscale demo shop, small market (check it out for breakfast sandwiches), a fun outdoor bar, some great restaurants and of course, the “beach,” a long line of comfy chairs facing the sun and the action.

Durango is a quick 20 minute ride downhill. There you’ll find lots of dining, shopping and nightlife; the perfect compliment to the resort area.

Here’s a bonus: Purgatory comes in as more affordable than many resorts as well. Many lift tickets come with extra resort credits to spend while there, and kids under 12 ski free – as in no strings, totally free.

I left wanting more, but also realizing that as the lead of a multi-generational ski family, I’d just hit gold. The grandkids will be heading there with me, for open trails, lots of family friendly trails, gnarly stuff to aspire to and a chance to breathe deep the Colorado air; no crowds at all.