Western US and Canada
Alberta, Canada
- Banff
- Banff is not a ski area, but it's a great place
to stay if you plan on skiing either of the first two
places listed below. The town of Banff is located in the
heart of the Banff National Park, the oldest and
largest national park in Canada. Banff is located
about 20 minutes from Sunshine and 45 minutes from
Lake Louise. The drive through the national forest to
the ski areas is breathtaking. If you take the local
bus system, which I recommend, you may even get a
little history lesson, from the bus driver, on the
national park, the surrounding mountains and forest,
and the local wildlife. If you do stay in Banff don't
miss the hot springs at the Banff Springs Hotel, and
watch out for the elk walking down main street.
-
Lake Louise
- This place is huge, 4.000 skiable acres,
3,257ft.of vertical. On a clear day the scenery is
unbeatable. If cruising is for you check out the
Womens Downhill, this is where the have the World Cup
races. The Back Bowls are great if the sun is out,
but if the light is flat avoid them like the plague.
If the weather is good try Boomerang. If you have a
chance to sitesee go see the Chateau Lake Louise, you
can ice skate right on Lake Louise.
-
Sunshine Village
- Sunshine is a unique place. It's a 20 min.
gondola ride from the parking lot to the base lodge.
From here the lifts go off in every direction.
Sunshine is not unlike Lake Louise in that it is
almost completely above treeline. When the weather is
clear the views are fantastic. If it's snowing or the
light is flat try Goat Mountain. It has some trees on
it's lower slopes to add contrast. Sunshine has 3,514
ft. of vertical and 2,268 skiable acres.
Lake Tahoe, California/Nevada
- Heavenly
Valley
- Heavenly is another huge place 4,800 skiable
acres and 3,500 ft. of vertical. One of the best
things about Heavenly is you can ski two states in
one ski area. It's got some great cruising runs and
Gunbarrel is a classic mogul run that drops straight
towards Lake Tahoe.Talk about nightlife, Stateline's
casinos are right down the road. And you never get
tired of the fantastic views of the lake.
-
Kirkwood
- Kirkwood is a different kind of Lake Tahoe ski
area. For one thing there is no view of the lake,
it's 35 miles south of the lake. But what it lacks in
views it make up for in tough steeps and bumps and no
liftlines. It also gets the most snow in the Tahoe
area. Kirkwood has 2,300 skiable acres and 2,000 ft.
of vertical.
- Squaw
Valley
- Squaw valley is not for the faint of heart. It's
one of the top ski areas on the continent for "scare
yourself silly steeps". It can get a little crowded
on the limited number of cruising runs, but there's
plenty of other things to do. Try ice skating or
bungee jumping on top of the mountain. Squaw
has 4,000 skiable acres with 2,850 ft. of vertical.
Colorado
-
Arapahoe Basin
- If you are an expert skier you will love A-Basin.
The bumps and steeps of Palivacinni are legendary.
The summit elevation is 13,050. The highest ski area
in the U.S. That's why they usually ski till July
sometimes August. Remember to bring your sunscreen,
at that elevation the sun can be brutal. If you are a
novice you may want to spend half the day at A-Basin
and then head just down the road to Keystone, as
there is not a lot of beginner terrain. A-Basin has
490 skiable acres and 2,250 vertical ft.
- Beaver Creek
- If you like to be pampered, "The Beav" is for
you. But don't be fooled, there is an abundance of
great ski terrain here. And some of the best grooming
you will find in Colorado. Like it's sister Vail,
Beaver Creek can be a little pricey, but it never
seems to have the crowds that Vail gets. Beaver Creek
has 1,625 skiable acres and 3,635 vertical ft.
- Breckenridge
- I don't remember much about the mountain at
Breckenridge, I only skiied it twice, and I was just
learning. But, I do remember the town of Breckenridge and
it is a riot. You can't beat the nightlife here. It is a
big place 2,031 skiable acres with a vertical of 3,398 ft.
and it can get crowded on weekends.
- Copper
Mountain
- This has got to be my favorite place in Colorado. It's
easily accessable, right off I70, and the terrain is almost
perfectly divided. Beginners on the right, intermediate in
the center, expert on the left. Andy's Encore seems to go
on forever, and there is not a better cruiser than Rosie's
Run when it's been groomed. On the top is the crowning
glory, the powder-laden, above timberline bowls:
Hallelujah, Resolution, Union, and Copper. Unfortunately
there is not much to do at Copper after the lifts shut
down, but I'm usually too tired from all that great terrain
to notice. Copper Mountain has 2,433 acres of skiable
terrain, 600 in Copper bowl alone, with 2,601 ft of
vertical.
-
Loveland
- Loveland is the place to go in Summit County on
weekends. It is also very easy to get to. It's right off
I70 just before the Eisenhower Tunnel. In fact you are
skiing right on top of the tunnel. It's a small place and
most tourists drive right by on their way to the other,
better known, ski areas in Summit County. So it's never
crowded, even on weekends. There are great bumps off of
chair 1. Zip Basin off chair 8 is nice if it's not too
windy. I say "too windy" because it's always windy, some
days are just worse than others. Loveland has 836 acres and
1,680 ft. of vertical.
- Steamboat
Springs
- You like tree skiing? Then Steamboat is the place for
you. Instead of skiing the runs, try skiing the trees
between the runs. They get a lot of snow here and it's
light and fluffy. This is where the name "champagne powder"
came from. But don't let it's reputation fool you, there is
plenty to ski here besides the aspens. Steamboat has a lot
of everything, trees, bumps, and great groomed terrain.
It's a great family vacation spot. There's plenty of things
to do in downtown Steamboat Springs, like tons of shopping,
horseback riding, and hot air balloon rides, just to name a
few. Steamboat's vertical is 3,668 ft. and there are 2,929
acres of skiable terrain.
- Vail
- The big daddy. Year in and year out Vail is voted the
No.1 ski resort in North America by the readers of Ski and
Skiing magazines. And why, not the back bowls on a powder
day have to be experienced to be believed, and the front
side has cruisers galore. Unfortunately I have always found
the place to be too crowded and the people too rude for my
taste. But I keep going back, why, 4,644 skiable acres,
3,330 vertical ft. and 341 in. of snow annually.
- Winter
Park
- You like bumps, Mary Jane, Winter Park's more
daring sister is the bump queen of Colorado, possible North
America. Outhouse is hard to believe even when you are
standing at the top looking at it. But the Winter Park side
has a lot to offer also, with lots of long cruisers. Just
make sure you have a trail map and study it religiously
because if you don't you could be in for a lot of poling.
Winter Park is the closest big ski area to Denver so it can
get crowded. But with 2,581 skiable acres, 3,060 vertical
ft. and 370 in. annaul snowfall it's not to be missed.
Idaho
- Sun Valley
- You may find this hard to believe, but Sun Valley my
most favorite place ever. This place is a cruisers
paradise. 7 high speed quads, and liftlines are nearly
nonexistent. The grooming is exquisite, and you can just
pile up the verts. But don't assume that cruising is all
there is, Limelight and Exhibition are world class bump
runs and bowl area is great. Beginners and lower
intermediates have their own mountain (Dollar/Elkhorn) just
down the road. There are plenty of resturants in the town
of Ketchum, and the local bus system can't be beat. Sun
Valley's vertical is 3,400ft. and they have 2,067 skiable
acres with an annual average snowfall of 313 ft.
Montana
- The Big Mountain
- The Big Mountain at Whitefish is one of the best places you never skiied! Very few people know about this place, so there's never a crowd! Yet, the mountain is truely outstanding! Their policy is: if you can see it, you can ski it. And there is plenty to ski! How about 3,000 skiable acres, with some of the best tree skiing you have ever seen. If you are into cruisers wait till you see the grooming here. The Hibernation House is touted as "The friendliest lodge on the mountain" and they certainly live up to that description. The only problem here is the weather which can only be described as fickle. Fog is not uncommon, but when the sun does come out be prepared for some of the most breathtaking views of Glacier National Park and the Flathead Valley! The Big Mountain has 2,300ft of vertical to go with those 3,000 skiable acres, and an annual average snowfall of 330 inches!
Utah
- Alta
- Going to Alta is like a step back in time. Lift tickets are about 30 bux. That's right, 30 bux!! They have no high speed quads, and don't allow snowboarding, but what they do have is powder and lots of it. 500+ inches of snow on average annually will do that. Lodging is pretty scarse but Salt Lake City is only 20 minutes away and Snowbird is right down the road. Alta has 2,220 skiable acres and 2,100ft. of vertical.
-
Brighton
- Brighton is located in the Big Cottonwood Canyon, not the Little Cottonwood Canyon like Alta and Snowbird. They supported snowboarding much earlier than most Utah ski resorts so it's a very popular spot with knuckledraggers. It's has two halfpipes and a snowbaord park. It's a good place for beginners, a very good place for advanced skiers, and an excellent place for intermediates. There is not much of a bed base, but as with all the Cottonwood Canyon's resorts, Salt Lake City is less than 30 minutes away. Brighton has 850 skiable acres with a vertical of 1,745ft. They do have one thing that Alta and Snowbird have and that's 500 inches of snow annually!
- Deer
Valley
- Deer Valley is another place know for their grooming, but don't let that fool you. If you know where to look you can find plenty of bumps and some great tree skiing( get a copy of the special expert's only trail map) If you like to be pampered you will love this place. if you are on a budget you would be better served to look elsewhere. Deer Valley has 1,100 skiable acres with 2,200 vertical feet. They don't get as much snow as the Canyon resorts, but 325 inches annually is nothing to turn your nose up at!
- Park City
- While Park City doesn't have as much heart in your throat steep terrain and Alta and Snowbird, it's bowls and chutes are serious. What it does have is terrain for everyone from the never-ever to the expert. The skier best served by Pack City is the intermediate cruiser. If you like cruising on the groomed you will love it here! They have 2,200 skiable acres with 3,100 ft. of vertical. Mother nature dumps 350 inches of snow here annually.
- Snowbird
- 50% of Snowbird's terrain is rated black or double black, and these ratings are for real not for public -relations! This is an expert's mecca!! And everybody else can expect to be pushed to their limit, but when you leave Snowbird you will be a better skier. Snowbird's 3,450 vertical feet and 2,500 skiable acres are annually covered with 500+ inches of the lightest driest snow on the planet!
- Solitude
- Like Brighton, Solitude is located in the Big Cottonwood Canyon. All they have is: great intermediate runs, steep moguls, epic backcountry access, no crowds, and affordable skiing. What more could you ask for? How about 1,200 skiable acres on 2,047 feet of vertical, with 464 inches of snow per year!
Wyoming
- Jackson Hole
- I think I may have a new favorite! This place is sick. 4300+ vertical feet on 2500 acres of some of the sickest terrain you have ever seen! Chutes, cliffs, bowls, trees and any thing else you can think of. Corbett's Coulior is absolutely amazing. Depending on the snowpack, it's anywhere from a 10 to 30 foot drop just to start. There are rock walls on either side so when you land you better be on top of your ski's and ready to make that first turn. The rest of the mountain is equally outstanding, with plenty of terain to keep just about everybody happy including the intermediate, advanced, and expert skier. The only place it may be lacking is beginner terrain. The views are wonderful and the wildlife abounds. There is elk, mule deer, moose, you name it. The town of Jackson, ten miles away is a real hoot.
WINTER
FUN
