NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - After a tough day on powdery slopes with frigid air biting through your ski mask, it must be nice to go back to your own private ski lodge.

How sweet it must be: the warmth of natural wood walls, a blazing fire, submerging sore muscles in the hot tub. No wonder second homes have sprung up like fireweed at ski resorts from Maine to California.

Ski-country homes, as a class, occupy some of the most brilliantly scenic places around, with views to die for of white-capped mountains and snow-blanketed pines. Throw in crisp, clean air and water and you have a formula for a very attractive lifestyle for active, sporty types.

But the sedentary should find pleasure in a home in ski country, too. Resort towns, such as Aspen, Park City, and Lake Placid are often quaintly beautiful, and the après-ski scene lively. Even anti-social non-skiers can enjoy themselves just by putting on some music, cracking open a bottle of cabernet, and cozying up to a hot fire.

There's no need to rough it; most ski areas sport an abundance of homes that meet the highest level of comfort. Hot tubs, gourmet kitchens, and redwood decks are just some of the amenities to expect.

Of course, these places make great warm weather homes as well. They're often near national parks or forests, where the hiking and fishing are great. Wildlife tends to be common here and roads and traffic rare.

As a retreat from the workaday world, one offering four-season activity, ski country homes are hard to beat.