GALENA, Ill. — If getting the ski and snowboard groove on this winter will require a little more frugality than normal, northwestern Illinois welcomes you.

Chestnut Mountain Resort doesn't offer the high-altitude thrills of Vail or Aspen, but marketing director Stewart Stoffregen assures visitors that they can find a family-friendly ski experience at the resort near Galena, Ill., about six hours north of St. Louis. Yes, that's still a bit of a haul, but remember: The drive to the resorts west of Denver is 14 to 15 hours. Flying is faster but far more expensive.

Clearly, Chestnut Mountain is doing something right, because this season marks its 50th anniversary.

"We are often ranked as one of the top Midwestern ski resorts, and we are always ranked as one of the most family-friendly," Stoffregen said.

With nine lifts and 19 runs ranging from bunny slopes to black diamond, the terrain offers surprising variety for the Midwest. Send the thanks, in part, to the vast snow-making equipment at Chestnut. The resort, situated along the Mississippi River, enjoys an obvious supply source. The 72 snow guns dotted along the trails help augment the 35 to 50 inches of snow that typically fall each year.

The ability to make so much snow also gives the resort some say in making the pitch on some trails steeper or more gentle. Some snow-snobs insist the powder of the Rocky Mountains is superior to anything man-made in the Midwest. Maybe so. But Chestnut works hard on grooming and trail maintenance, which also allows it to stay open for night skiing.

The resort typically opens the day after Thanksgiving.

"When we open, it's at 100 percent because of our snowmaking," Stoffregen said. That's different from many Western resorts, which usually can open only a fraction of their runs at first because they rely on natural snowfall for so many.

Once Chestnut opens the lifts, the deals are there for the taking. Lift tickets are $15 — and no, that's not a typo — until Dec. 18. Jan. 8 is the start of Fantastic Fridays, where the lifts stay open and the lights stay on until midnight. And two all-day lift tickets will go for the price of one each Tuesday in January and February.

Compare that to the $85 full-price tickets at many Colorado resorts. (Granted, almost no one pays $85, but even with discounts and advance purchases, lift tickets will run $50 or so a day.)

BEGINNERS WELCOME

Chestnut also caters to first-time and beginner skiers and snowboarders with lessons, rental equipment and a terrain that mostly separates the easier slopes from the more advanced trails.

Group, semi-private and private lessons are available from the team of about 50 instructors and guides. Lessons for children are available — and encouraged. Watching frustrated parents try to explain skiing to their 4-year-old is not for the faint of heart.

For St. Louis-area snow-beginners looking to find their ski legs, it makes sense to get a taste of the sport without investing thousands of dollars to go west.

"Most of our customers are here for a weekend or maybe a three- or four-day trip," Stoffregen said.

The bulk of Chestnut's skiers and boarders make the drive from the Chicago area, less than three hours away. But 5 percent to 10 percent of the visitors are coming up from the St. Louis area. If they scoot out of work a few hours early on Friday, they can be on the trails at Chestnut in time for a few hours of snow that night. Plus, all 19 of the runs are lighted for night-skiing, something the vast Western resorts cannot offer.

Folks who want to stay right on the snow can opt for the Chestnut Mountain lodge, with 120 rooms, two full-service restaurants and an indoor pool. It's also steps away from the Alpine Ski Center, where more than 2,400 sets of skis and boots, plus hundreds of snowboards and boots, are available for rental. There's also a gear shop selling the gloves, hats, goggles and more that many skiers seem to upgrade every year. The prices are more reasonable than those of mountain towns in the West.

Example: The pair of ski gloves we paid $74 last season on the mountain at Breckenridge, Colo., could be had for $54 at the Chestnut shop.

The resort changed ownership a year ago, and the new owners are spending plenty on upgrades. The lobby features inviting leather couches and chairs, but where's the giant fireplace? "That's in the plans," Stoffregen promised.

This year marks the debut of the Sunset Grille restaurant, which added a huge outdoor deck overlooking the Upper Mississippi River Valley, a varied menu and tasty food. (My bacon and eggs breakfast was as good as any I've ever had.) During ski season, the deck will give diners a chance to watch boarders and skiers. When it's not ski season, it's a great place to watch birds and enjoy the view, which takes in portions of Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin.

Plans are also in the works to update and modernize the lodge's bars, opening them up to more natural light and more skiers looking for an apres-ski party place.

If being that close to the snow doesn't matter, there are dozens of other lodging options. The charming town of Galena offers hotels, resorts, bed-and-breakfasts and rental homes. It's just eight miles down the road from Chestnut Mountain.

Visitors who want to take a break from the snow can head toward downtown Galena's shops. The eight or so blocks of brick storefronts and handcrafted (non-neon) signs compare favorably with ski towns in the West. Along with the requisite fudge factories and souvenir shops are artisan stores and independent restaurants. Check out the Atomic Toy Company, Earth's Treasures, Poopsie's and World Class Imports.

Galena's zoning rules make the downtown feel like a mountain town even if it is situated along the banks of the Mississippi River. A quick meal at the Green Street Tavern yields a little history lesson as the menu lets visitors know the building has housed railroad and telegraph offices, a news agency, saloons and a dye-making facility.

No, Chestnut Mountain is not Colorado. To its credit, it's not trying to be.

As Stoffregen puts it, most skiers and boarders can make maybe one trip west a year. For anyone who wants to be on the snow more than that, "our resort is perfect. You still have the chance to ski, to ride and keep your skills. And it's a lot closer to home if you live in the Midwest."