 Alta,
Utah - Best for good skiers; mostly open and bowl
skiing. Good novice runs also. Heli-skiing available. Lift
tickets are a bargain compared to some other resorts. Many
ski lodges here do not accept credit cards. Connected to
four other resorts by the Ski Utah Interconnect, which are
back-country routes for advanced skiers. Must be accompanied
by a Forest Service-approved guide and travel in groups
of six to fourteen skiers. Tour takes six to eight hours
and must be reserved ahead of time.
Aspen,
Colorado - Geared to intermediates and experts
(glades, moguls, deep powder). Tends to draw a yuppie crowd.
Expensive. No beginner runs; novices must take shuttle to
Tiehack Mountain. Free nordic skiing accessible from Aspen,
MT.
Aspen,
Montana - Geared to intermediates and experts (glades,
moguls, deep powder). Tends to draw a yuppie crowd. Expensive.
No beginner runs; novices must take shuttle to Tiehack Mountain.
Free nordic skiing.
Big Sky,
Montana - Lone Peak dominates the imagination,
skyline, and skiing of Big Sky, and construction of a tram
up its east face (plus a south-side lift) five years ago
was the key to transforming the former intermediate hill
into an expert's sanctuary. Today, runs with technical rock
gardens spill in sustained pitches from the north, south,
and east sides of the peak. The upper mountain catches a
lot of weather, and the tram sometimes will get held because
of wind, wind-loaded snow, and low visibility, but there's
still great skiing on the lower reaches. Andesite Mountain
is a good option for warm-ups or high-speed carve sessions,
but the best choice is to hoof it to the A to Z Chutes,
a short hike above the Challenger lift. Just watch for rocks
wherever you are on the mountain; Big Sky is notorious for
eating bases. And never ski untouched snow surrounded by
tracks-the locals know where all the reefs are.
Breckenridge,
Colorado - Breckenridge is not
purpose-built but an original mining town with 171 listed
buildings. The town was founded in 1859 and is the oldest
continually inhabited community in the Colorado mountains.
The resort is the most popular US destination for European
skiers and the second most popular ski resort in the US
in terms of skier visits (1.2 million). Breckenridge offers
a fantastic environment for families and skiers regardless
of attachments or not. The town is beautiful and adds to
the ski holiday apres ski experience.
Crested
Butte, Colorado - Crested Butte is a paradox: it
is small yet marketed internationally, and has some of the
gentlest and most challenging skiing in the Rockies. Its
fame comes from its extreme skiing and two celebrities from
very different backgrounds. Bill Johnson, America's first
Olympic downhill goldmedallist (Sarajevo, 1984) and amiable
enfant terrible has been the resort's "ski ambassador"
for some years, and former president Carter and his wife
Rosalyn are regular visitors. Crested Butte has one of the
biggest programmes for disabled skiers in the country. It
is also celebrated for its free skiing for all comers at
the start of the season - a way of attracting skiers to
spend money in the shops and hotels from mid-November to
mid-December. Few resorts can offer both such pussy-cat
and petrifying skiing.
Jackson
Hole, Wyoming - Set beneath the spectacular Grand
Tetons, Jackson Hole, Wyoming boasts stunning scenery and
great snow. Yet skiers often pass it over for better-known
ski areas in nearby Colorado and Utah. The result is a superior
yet underutilized resort with small crowds and short lift
lines. More than half the ski area is suitable for advanced
skiers, making Jackson Hole one of the best places to push
your skills to the limit.
Park
City, Utah - Long, lighted night skiing run. Good
variety of beginner, intermediate, advanced runs. Excellent
bowl skiing. Nordic skiing available. Skiing for the disabled.
Main Street district is listed on the National Register
of Historic Places. Licensed day care for infants and children
is available by should be reserved ahead of time. Best place
in Utah for Apres-ski activities. Because of state liquor
laws, two-week "memberships" must be purchased
to enter bars and lounges (only "private" clubs
can serve liquor).
Snowbird,
Utah - Boasting the most vertical feet in the state—and
with nearly half its terrain designated "Advanced"
or "Expert"—Snowbird is a place where aggressive
skiers can really rack up the mileage. The site's sheer
variety—an array of steeps, bumps, tree skiing, and
wide-open filds full of Utah's legendary light powder—also
banishes boredom. Easy access from Salt Lake City and the
extended skiing season round out the qualities that make
Snowbird a top choice.
Snowmass
- Geared to intermediates and experts (glades, moguls, deep
powder). Tends to draw a yuppie crowd. Expensive. No beginner
runs; novices must take shuttle to Tiehack Mountain. Free
nordic skiing accessible from Aspen, MT.
Steamboat
Springs, Colorado - Excellent glades and race trails.
Short wait at lifts: electronic counter advises wait time.
Ski school. Skiing for the disabled. Heli-skiing available.
Great for families - first to have a Kids Ski Free program.
Friendly, relaxed, western atmosphere. Good for all levels
and all ages.
Sun Valley,
Idaho - Sun Valley has undergone some dramatic
improvements. Several high-speed lifts have been added,
new resort lodges have been constructed, and the snowmaking
system has been upgraded. Despite the facelift, the resort
still doesn't attract huge crowds—could it be the
remote location?—but that just means there's more
for anyone who manages to make it here. Experts spend their
time skiing Mount Baldy—a towering slope with nearly
3.500 feet of steep, vertical terrain.
Taos,
New Mexico - Special Lear-to Ski weeks. Very challenging
expert runs. Frequently ranked among the best US ski resorts
by ski magazines. One of the best ski schools in the world.
Novice runs tend to be more difficult than those at other
resorts. Many art galleries are in the area.
Telluride,
Colorado - Telluride, where Butch Cassidy robbed
the San Miguel Valley Bank in 1889, with a red-light district
which was never short of customers, has turned respectable
almost genteel. Yet in the old main street, dominated by
the "New" Sheridan Hotel, little has changed.
The ski slopes, famously steep in places such as Gold Hill
and the Face blackdiamond trails off lifts 7,8 and 9 (you
can see Telluride between your ski boots if you look down
from The Plunge) - also have acres of carefree cruising
such as See For Ever. San Joaquin Village is surrounded
by some of the easiest skiing. Telluride is a sophisticated
cult ski resort and claims to be "the most beautiful
place you will ever ski".
Vail,
Colorado - Considered to have the best bowl skiing
in Colorado. Frequently rated #1 by ski magazines. The most
high-speed lifts in the West. Ski school. Skiing for the
disabled. Expensive. European style village at base; free
shuttle throughout the village 7 am - 2 am Day care available
from age two months and up.
|
