Every year as the leaves fall off the trees and Thanksgiving
approaches, skiers and snowboarders dig into their closets, dust off their
goggles, search for the other mitten and get ready to start thinking about the
upcoming ski season. Every year there is also always a host of lists complied
about the biggest and best resorts with world famous and well-known resorts
like Vail, Aspen and Whistler Blackcomb usually topping the lists.
While these places are
certainly great places to ski (and I have skied and enjoyed myself at all
three), there are a huge number of places that have just as amazing of terrain,
but maybe don’t always make the “best of” lists. They may not have as many of
the bells and whistles as the bigger, more famous resorts, but if you go up to
the mountain to ride some great, serious terrain on light, fluffy powder, then
these places are where you are going to want to go.
That’s why this list is
different than the others—it’s a list of the best ski areas in North America by a skier for a skier (or snowboarder). Keeping in the spirit of independent travel that BootsnAllers are known for,
this is a list of ski areas where not only will you get the greatest terrain,
best snow and beautiful scenery, but you’ll also be able to spend a lot more
time bombing groomers and making fresh tracks than waiting in lift lines at the
bottom of the mountain.
The list is heavily skewed toward resorts in the West because
of the quality of snow and terrain there. Although skiing is easily accessible
and a favorite weekend activity for many East Coasters, let’s face it, the
conditions are usually icy and after one day riding the champagne powder of the
Rockies, you may never want to ski in the east
again.
So, here are the 12 Best Ski Resorts in North
America:
Skiers dwarfed by the Grand Tetons
1. Grand Targhee, Wyoming
Located 42 miles from the much glitzier Jackson Hole
resort in the Grand Tetons of Wyoming, Grand Targhee offers skiers and
snowboarders amazing terrain and fabulous snow. Consistently winning
awards and being ranked as the resort with the best snow conditions in the
world, Grand Targhee gets over 500 inches (40 feet) annually and touts the
logo “Snow from heaven, not hoses.”
Targhee’s two mountain peaks also
offer 3,000 acres of skiing; including 1,500 acres reserved for snow cat
skiing for those who love to get into the backcountry and uncover powder
fields. The mind boggling beautiful scenery and superb snow conditions
make Grand Targhee the Holy Grail of skiing and the area was recently
ranked by Mountain Sports and Living Magazine as the #1 Best Resort in
North America for both snow quality and elbow room.
If you are looking for
a place where you can cut fresh tracks in light as air powder, get away
from the crowds and do some serious riding, then this Wyoming spot is the place for you.
Skiing on top of the Continental Divide has its benefits
2. Loveland, Colorado
A
ski area perched at the top of the Continental Divide, Loveland
is one of the highest ski areas in North America–with a base elevations
starting at 10,800 feet and the second highest chairlift in North America summiting at 12,697 feet, with a hikeable
summit at 13,101 feet.
Loveland’s high
elevation makes it consistently one of the first resorts to open, and its
unique spot perched atop the Divide provides Loveland with a lot of natural snow,
making it one of the best places to ski powder in the country. While Loveland does not
boast high speed quads, gondolas or tons of on-site amenities, this ski
resort has a huge amount of great terrain above timberline, fantastic
powder and stunning views of the Colorado Rockies.
The area, which is very
popular among locals, also rarely has lift lines and has significantly
cheaper lift tickets than nearby Vail. For those who love to ride Park, Loveland’s Love
Park terrain park
has rails, tabletop jumps, and kickers. One day dropping into the fluffy
powder below The Ridge at the top of the Divide and you’ll be hooked for
life on this funky, down home ski area in the Colorado Rockies.
Hiking the infamous Ridge at Bridger Bowl
3. Bridger Bowl, Montana
While tourists usually
flock to nearby Big Sky resort near Bozeman,
Montana, Bridger Bowl is a
resort synonymous for its lack of crowds, outstanding snowfall, great
terrain and affordable prices. In fact, Bridger Bowl is actually a locally
owned, non-profit ski area, which makes is a favorite among Montana locals. But
don’t let this no-frills face of this resort fool you, Bridger Bowl has
some of the finest terrain and best powder in North
America.
Located on the eastern side of the Continental
Divide, the area gets a ton of big powder dumps throughout the winter.
Bridger Bowl is also most famous for its challenging and outstanding
terrain—it is flanked by two large bowls to the north and South, offering
skiers and snowboarders everything from long slopes to glades, chutes,
gullies and smaller bowls. With its famous Ridge and powder filled chutes
and gullies, Bridger Bowl was one of the first areas where the now hugely
popular extreme skiing movement took hold (made famous by filmmakers like
Warren Miller). This is the ski area run by and loved by skiers (rather
than corporate guys trying to make big bucks).
The Wall at Kirkwood: Tahoe’s best skiing
4. Kirkwood Mountain Resort, California
While this resort may not be as well known or
glitzy as neighboring Heavenly, this is a mountain for those who love to
ride deep powder and don’t want to wait in huge lift lines. Consistently
one of the areas that gets the most snow in North America, Kirkwood is synonymous
with big powder dumps that leave skier and snowboarders riding in powder
up to their knees. But don’t let all the deep powder distract you from the
excellent terrain at this Sierra’s area. With plenty of ridgeline skiing
at the top of the resort, Kirkwood is
popular for its cliff drops and cornice skiing, which combined with its
fluffy powder make it one of the best areas in North
America.
Mt. Baker is a powder lover’s heaven
5. Mount
Baker, Washington
A ski area uniquely positioned on the Shuksan Arm in
Washington state, which connects the almost 11,000 foot Mount Baker with
the 9,000 foot Mountain Shuksan, Mount Baker claims the world record of
snowfall in one season, when it got 1,140 inches of snow during the
1998-1999 season. However, Baker is famous for more than its big Cascade Mountain powder dumps. With its
challenging “The Chute,” and Gunner’s Bowl, as well as a huge amount of
backcountry terrain accessible from several chairlifts, Mount
Baker is a favorite among those who like big powder and
riding big mountains. Paired with stunning views of the Cascades and the
impressive Mt. Shuksan peak, Mount Baker
has more than 1,000 acres of lift serviced terrain that is almost always
basking with a coat a fresh snow.
The best skiing East of the Mississippi
6. Stowe
Mountain Resort, Vermont
The only east coast ski area to make the list, Stowe Mountain is located on the tallest mountain in Vermont and is known for its extensive intermediate and advanced ski trails. Located in the “snowbelt” of Vermont, Stowe Mountain also gets plenty of fresh powder–unlike some of the other east coast resorts known mostly for their icy conditions. Stowe is also known for its “Front Four”—National, Goat, Satyr and Liftline–steep runs on the front side of the mountain, which prove to be some of the toughest and most challenging terrain east of the Rockies.
For those skiers back east who can’t make it West, Stowe is your best bet for fidning great runs and great snow.
Snowboarders now allowed at the Alps of the West
7. Taos Ski Valley, New Mexico
One of the last resorts in the country to prohibit snowboarding, Taos finally opened
its slopes to boarders last spring. While some traditionalists may cringe,
boarders were eager to enjoy Taos’
challenging and varied terrain. Nestled
in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains
with 1,300 acres of great terrain, Taos offers steep chutes, launchable
cliffs, great tree skiing and notorious fall line moguls. Pair that with
three miles of interconnected ridges with hike-accessible Kachina Peak
and you’ve got the makings of one of North America’s
premier ski areas.
With steep chutes reminiscent of the Alps, Taos is also home to
steep glades with two of the steepest lift accessed runs in the entire
country. Although the dry New Mexico
climate means this area gets less snow than some of the other powder
havens in the country, the challenging terrain and light powder makes Taos one of the top
ski areas on the continent.
Awe inspiring scenery and light-as-air snow near Banff
8. Lake
Louise Mountain Resort, Alberta, Canada
Located in Banff National Park in
the Canadian Rockies, Lake Louise Mountain is actually the second largest
ski area in Canada behind the better know Whistler Blackcomb near
Vancouver, British Columbia. With its incredibly vast and varied terrain,
jaw dropping scenery and light as air powder, Lake
Louise may not have the glitzy exterior of Whistler, but has
better terrain and fewer lift lines.
With everything from nicely groomed
intermediate runs to truly steep chutes and gullies, Lake
Louise has something to offer everyone and its stunning views
and down home feeling make it even more appealing.
The most vertical feet of skiing in the U.S.
9. Snowmass Mountain, Colorado
Less
famous than its sister resort at Aspen,
Snowmass is actually a bigger and better area aptly named for its location
in a large snow field near the Maroon Bells on the western slope of the
Colorado Rockies. Snowmass is a huge resort, with 3,128 acres is skiable
terrain, and while the mountain is known for its wide cruiser runs and
family-friendly atmosphere, Snowmass is also home to several terrain
parks, extensive extreme skiing terrain, mogul runs and steep glades.
The
resort also has the most vertical feet of skiing in the United States, and
a single run from the very top of the mountain all the way to the base
will have you skiing for ages without waiting in a lift line and loving
the beautiful scenery of the Aspen valley.
The Best of the Northwest
10. Mount Bachelor, Oregon
Located
on a volcanic peak on the eastern side of the Cascades range, Mount Bachelor is known for its super
deep powder and wide range of terrain. While the northwest is usually
known for its heavy, wet snow, Bachelor’s location on the dry, eastern
side of Oregon makes it famous for dry, light snow, which it gets about 29
feet of annually. Bachelor also has
a staggering 3,683 acres of skiable terrain with a vertical drop of 3,365
feet. Boasting wide-open bowls and runs through old-growth trees; Bachelor
has incredibly accessible terrain at all levels with powder that rarely
gets tracked out.
Recently featured in Warren Miller’s "Children of Winter" movie, Bachelor proves to be one of the best areas in the country for skiing through the trees and finding deep powder. Plus, despite recent revamps to the mountain, Bachelor is still in very way a skier’s mountain with its unpretentious attitude, free parking, slashed ticket prices and banned development.
No boarders allowed in the champagne powder
11. Alta, Utah
This
resort remains one of the few areas in the country to still prohibit
snowboarders–a rule angry boarders protest for good reason. The resort,
located in the Wasatch Mountains near Salt Lake City, Utah,
boasts some of the finest and lightest snow in the country. With its
lighter than air powder and varied, challenging terrain, Alta is a
favorite for serious skiers looking to shred some amazing terrain. With an
annual snowfall of 500 inches and the funky Catherine’s area offering
steep glades and excellent tree powder skiing, skiers flock to this area
which has lower ticket prices than nearby Snowbird, and shorter lift
lines.
Great Terrain, light snow and a super long season
12. Arapahoe Basin, Colorado
For
those skiers who simply can’t wait all summer for the snow to start falling and
ski season to start back up, Arapahoe
Basin is probably
the right mountain for you. With the highest skiable terrain in North America with a summit at 13,050 feet, A-Basin
(as its known by locals) boasts one of the longest ski seasons in the
continent. Known for its hardcore, yet relaxed regulars, A-Basin opens as
early as mid-October each year and stays open well into June and sometimes
even into July.
Located just on the other side of the Continental Divide
from Loveland (Number 2 on the list), A-Basin has spectacular views of the
divide, Lake Dillon, Montezuma Pass and nearby Keystone and Breckenridge
ski areas. A-Basin is most famous for its advanced and expert terrain,
although the mountain is home to intermediate and beginner groomers as
well.
With the newly opened cornice runs and powder filled bowls in the
Montezuma Bowl, skiers can get lost in deep, fluffy powder. For those who
are interested in getting even more off-piste, a hike can give skiers and
snowboarders access to a group of chutes called the North Pole offers the
adventurous some truly extreme skiing opportunities with in a Avalanche
blasted area.
