Ski resorts have been cutting new and easier trails to the top, so that recreational skiers who spend only a week or so on the slopes each season can share the sheer joy of the grandeur of creation. Here are some favorites in Colorado, Switzerland and Vermont.

By Anne Z. Cooke

If they talk you into trying it, watch out.

As every Aspen, Colo., skier knows, there's nothing more addictive than swooping in lazy half-circle turns down light, white powder, the wind in your hair and the sun on your back.

But for me, there's a deeper reason for skiing, at Aspen or anywhere. I thrill to the joy and splendor of being there, in the mountains, the most mystical features on Planet Earth.

The cathedral in the sky is where I long to be. Earthbound and awkward in the lift line, on the chairlift I'm up, up and away to the top, the apex, the very tip of the highest peak. At the summit, I'm ruler of the universe, for a moment -- and a humble speck dwarfed by the immense grandeur of creation.

No two mountains -- and no two ski areas -- are alike. Each one is unique, with its own trees, rocks, land forms, combinations of altitude and latitude, and patterns of sun and shade. All determine where snow falls, when it melts, how the snowcats groom it, and, most important to skiers, where the chairlifts go.

Until recently, only experts and confused beginners made it up to the summit. Generally, the easy stuff was always near the bottom; the scary zone was in the clouds. But ski resorts have been cutting new and easier trails to the top, so recreational skiers who spend only a week on the slopes each season -- or two at the most -- can share the joy. Here are some of my favorites:

AJAX MOUNTAIN, Aspen, Colo. For years, Ajax Mountain, 11,212 feet of vertical mass looming behind Aspen, the town, gave me the heebie-jeebies. Looking up from Durant Avenue, some runs seemed positively vertical. But Ajax can fool you.

``All the great intermediate runs are at the top,'' says Aspen spokesperson Kelly Murphy, one of a group of gung-ho athletes who actually run (ITAL) up (uqTAL) Ajax for exercise. ``Plenty of skiers stay on top all day, then ride the gondola back down.''

To get there, make your way toward the Silver Queen Gondola through the hubbub at the village base, where the Ajax fan club -- tycoons, hot-doggers, parents, kids, singles and teenagers -- are lining up to climb aboard.

As the gondola rises, the Roaring Fork Valley appears, stretching away between snow-capped mountain ridges. At the top, stop at the on-mountain concierge to check the daily grooming schedule and find out which mogul runs to avoid. The concierge, who dispenses coffee, pastry and information from a wood hut, wants to make you happy. (This is Aspen, remember?)

Some truly great trails start here, flaring high, wide and handsome over the humps and valleys that feed back down to the Ajax Express, a high-speed quad. Look for Silver Bell, Silver Dip, Dipsy Doodle and Deer Park going over the top. Copper Cutoff and Bellisimo are off to the right. Or ski down to the Gent's Ridge double-chair.

If these runs make you smile, ski back to the base on Spar Gulch, a study in angles. This long, swooping run cruises for two miles between parallel ridges, from the Ajax Express down to Kleenex Corner, where you hang a left, then a right on Little Nell. (Reconsider if Little Nell is icy.)

About half of the runs on Aspen's 675 skiable acres are rated for intermediates. The rest are either double-black diamond nightmares, or easier expert runs -- slopes that better intermediates can manage in good snow conditions. Fresh, groomed snow is the best, of course; melted and re-frozen crud is questionable.

Aspen is never cheap. But this mother of all ski resorts is most affordable if you stay seven nights and buy a multiday lift ticket. Whether you book a snazzy hotel room or share a bare-bones condominium, figure on no less than $120 a night for two in a double room, plus $55 per lift ticket.

We indulged ourselves at the 19-room Lenado Hotel, a cozy inn with country furnishings, hot tub, heated boot storage and fabulous full breakfast, for $375 per night. Aspen is the place to indulge. The Lenado, like everything else here, is close to the free ski shuttle. For lodging or activities, call Aspen Mountain at (800) 525-6200 or (970) 925-1120, or general reservations at (800) 262-7736 or (970) 925-9000.

GLACIER DES DIABLERETS, Lake Geneva Region, Switzerland. It sounded spectacular -- but ominous. To us, glaciers were three-story hunks of blue ice fractured by bottomless crevasses. But skiing on Glacier Des Diablerets, at 10,590 feet, atop the Alps above the village of Les Diablerets in French-speaking Switzerland, is not only safe but easy.

This glacier, looking nothing like the hunks that calve into Alaskan waters, is an enormous expanse of snow-covered ice a mile deep and so stable that permanent ski lifts have been installed on its broad surface. Some skiers spend all day skiing over this treeless snow-bound world, carving long turns on gentle slopes and inhaling the panoramic views.

Two T-bars and a chairlift connect to semi-groomed trails, including a moderate hill, or you can ski the powder in between. We tried them all, then popped off our skis and hiked up the ridge to a rustic alpine hut perched on the edge, which serves excellent food and wine.

From the outdoor deck we looked straight down into a deep valley and south toward 15,863-foot Mont Blanc in France. Later, we skied back to the valley on a series of intermediate trails, though we could have ridden down on connecting gondolas that unload at Reusch and at Col de Pillon. Both are shuttle bus stops on the route back to Les Diablerets.

This alpine village is a central location for skiing at nearby Villars, Gryon, Leysin and Les Mosses, all in the Alpes Vaudoises, a region noted for affordable family skiing, with a total of 78 lifts and 132 miles of runs. We spent a memorable day skiing from Les Diablerets, up and down six separate peaks, crossing through both Villars and Gryon. A six-day regional ski pass, also good on buses and trains, is $165 for adults, $130 for ages 16 through 19, and $55 for 15 and under.

Though it's just a village, Les Diablerets has great restaurants, night life and numerous other organized winter sports, including snowboarding, Nordic skiing, skating and sledging (a hilarious sport involving sliding down ski trails and access roads on funny little wood sleds).

We stayed at the Eurotel Victoria, a spacious, low-key hotel with swimming pool and restaurant. Crime is unknown; indeed, you pick up your room key from a rack (ITAL) in front of (uqTAL) the reception desk.

Fax the hotel at 011-41-24-492-2371. For other ski information, fax the Tourist Board at 011-41-24-492-2348; e-mail diableretsbluewin.ch, or access the web at www.alpes.ch.

Passengers flying on Swissair can check skis or luggage through to any train or bus station. There is a $15 charge per bag. For regional information, fax the Swiss Tourist Office in Lausanne at 001-41-21-613-2610; e-mail infolake-geneva-region.ch. Access the web at www.lake-geneva-region.ch.

STERLING AND SPRUCE MOUNTAINS, Smugglers Notch and Stowe Mountain Resort, Vermont. Smuggled whiskey is probably not on your mind as you slide away from the lift at the Notch, a low pass in Vermont's Green Mountains. Most skiers are assaying the weather, looking for high winds and snowstorms. Is a blizzard blowing in from the east?

If not, you can ski at two great Vermont areas on a single day -- Smugglers Notch and Stowe Mountain Resort -- crossing over from one to the other on the historic colonial-era smugglers' route through the Notch. It feels mighty high and lonesome up here above 3,000 feet, but the trails on both sides are rated for intermediate skiers.

``Watch the weather,'' warned ski patrolman Dan Alfieri, as we headed toward the Notch trail. ``If the winds get bad at Stowe, they close the Spruce Peak lift. The only way back is by bus, and it's a 40-minute ride.''

To ski over the Notch, drive to the Sterling Mountain base area or ski over from Smugglers Village and ride up on the Sterling Summit double chair. It's old and it's slow, but the locals like it that way.

``We've talked about replacing it with a faster lift, but we don't want to pack people onto the slopes,'' said Ski School Founder Peter Ingvoldstad. ``Narrow trails where you can ski through the woods without seeing anyone else is part of the charm of New England skiing.''

To ski a warm-up run on Sterling, push off to the right, slip, slide and finesse your way down a cat track near the top, then follow the signs for Upper Rumrunner. Avoid Hangman's Drop and Chute for obvious reasons. After one small steep hump, you jump onto Black Snake and then to Lower Exhibition for a nice cruise back to the lift line.

The next time up, ski through the Notch, cross the left side of the frozen pond on Snuffy's Trail, and bear left on Sterling Run for a curvy cruise down to the base of Big Spruce Lift. For the rest of the day, enjoy Stowe's 480 skiable acres. Stowe, founded in 1934, is probably New England's most venerable ski resort. A one-day Stowe lift pass is included in the Smugglers ``Club'' ski package.

Skiing on Spruce Peak is best after a recent snowfall. Otherwise, cross over to Mt. Mansfield, kept white by snow-making. Though 60 percent of Stowe's runs are rated for beginners and intermediates, they tend to be wooded and narrow.

Lift tickets at Stowe and Smugglers are often offered at discounts or as part of ski packages. At Smugglers, they're included for skiers who stay at the resort. That said, regular one-day adult tickets are $48 at Stowe and $46 at Smugglers. Call Stowe at (800) 247-8693 or (802) 253-3000; Smugglers at (800) 644-8851 or (802) 644-8851.

RECOMMENDED READING

You could run to the bookstore and buy a glossy guide to ski resorts that's mostly fluff and fanfare. Or you could order the two most thorough guides available, ``Ski Europe'' and ``Ski America,'' by Charles Leocha and a top-notch team of skiers/reviewers, published by World Leisure Corp., at $18.95 each.

Each resort review is frank and complete, detailing the ski terrain, resort personality, area statistics, lesson information, other winter activities, child care and where to stay and eat.

The only missing elements are color photos and trail maps, probably because this would raise the price. This is an essential reference book. To order, e-mail leochaaol.com, or call (617) 569-1966, or write to World Leisure Corp., P.O. Box 160, Hampstead, N.H. 03841.

(c) 1998, Anne Z. Cooke. Distributed by Los Angeles Times Syndicate.