Monarch delivers

Here's a few reasons we like the Gems (a collection of the smallest ski resorts in the state):

- You rarely have to stand in a lift line.

- Anything goes, fashion-wise.

- You don't have to take out a loan to buy a lift ticket.

These pictures were taken Thursday at Monarch. It was a perfect day - blue sky, no wind (even at the top of the mountain on the Continental Divide), and no crowds.

Read more about the Gems next Friday in Out There.