|
| |
 Skiing and
Snowboarding
The exhilaration of swishing downhill with two waxed strips
attached to your feet or possibly one phenomenally agile slab as in
"snowboarding", is hard
to beat. Enough of the riddles everyone know we are talking about skis
and snowboards. But this is only a small part of the sport. You need
the right ski slope and conditions to be able to enjoy using these
pieces of equipment. Here we will provide you with the information to
help you determine where to go on your next skiing trip. At this time
we are covering the slopes of Canada and the United States and will be
adding the slopes of other countries as well. For those of you that
crave the the fresh powder we
have a page devoted to it and deals with heli-skiing,
& cat skiing
the danger of Avalanches
and the equipment
required for powder skiing. In this section we cover resort sorted by
state or province and seeing how Canada really has only two provinces that offer
skiing we started there.
Cross country skiers Click on any of these link to
take you directly to the portion that you are interested in
. Alberta British
Columbia California
Colorado Idaho
Montana New York
Pennsylvania Utah Vermont
Washington Wyoming At
the bottom of the page we have links to Bios on some of the most notable
skiers
|
Canada
Alberta
Kananaskis
Valley - Site of the 1998 Winter Olympics Those who hanker to
explore little-known resorts need to try to the Kananaskis Valley,
site of two ski areas as different, and as complementary, as peanut
butter and jelly. Nakiska hosted the Alpine events of the 1988 Winter
Olympics and provides miles of tree-lined trails on a 2,400-foot
vertical mountain than was state-of-the-art just over a decade ago.
Lake
Louise is the thousand-pound gorilla of Alberta skiing. In
fact, it is a contender for king of all Canadian skiing, ranking by
many measures as Canada's largest ski area. Sprawled across 4,200
acres, this huge ski center is just a tad smaller than vast Vail and
comprises 113 named trails along with ski-anywhere bowls, glades, and
chutes. It also boasts one of North America's longest ski seasons,
usually cranking up in mid-November and stretching to mid-May.
Marmot
Basin is a gem of a resort tucked away in the relatively remote
reaches of Jasper
National Park in Alberta's Canadian Rockies. And by the sheer
quirk of geographic happenstance, it's a place most skiers never
reach. The bigger resorts at Banff and Lake Louise, some 150 miles
south, swallow the lion's share of visiting skiers like a six-foot pit
of powder. And, unless you're the Marmot marketing director, this is a
good thing for you and the other fortunate skiers who get to enjoy the
wide-open runs, inviting terrain, and gob-smacking views all to your
lucky, lucky selves.
Mt.
Norquay long a local favorite, would be a
substantial ski area in any context other than Alberta. Its 1,650-foot
vertical encompasses some significant steeps plus some splendid
cruising terrain. As the closest of these ski areas to the Banff town
center, it is ideal for combining a half day of sliding with a half
day of shopping—or for a few quick hours of skiing on a travel day.
Sunshine
Village has the Banff area's only
slopeside lodging, featuring a small, high-mountain village surrounded
by ski slopes. To reach the village (cars are prohibited), skiers and
snowboarders ride a six- passenger gondola from the parking lot.
Skiing began back in 1928 in the vast Sunshine Village bowl, which
offers all levels of terrain. Today Goat's Eye Mountain supplements
this snow-sure aerie. Served by the world's fastest high-speed
chairlift and boasting some of North America's most sure-fire
challenging terrain, Goat's Eye has put Sunshine on the map.
Top
of page
British
Columbia
Apex Alpine
Fine fall-line skiing is the main attraction of Apex Alpine, 20 miles
west of Penticton, B.C. It's a family resort with 67 groomed runs on
2,000 feet of vertical. An alpine-style village, Apex is at the base
of the ski trails, where businesses pay homage to the region's
heritage—mining. There's the Dividend Dining Room, the Longshot Bar
& Grill, Gunbarrel Saloon, and more.
Big White/Kalona
boasts just that: "We use only dry, natural Okanagan
Powder," is what their literature says. The village sits at 5,800
feet (the highest base area in B.C.) and the lifts carry skiers up to
7,500 feet. That's the same elevation as Whistler and Blackcomb, but
the air and snow are considerably dryer this far inland.
Kicking Horse Mountain
Resort The Purcell Mountains of eastern British Columbia are
where heli-skiing was born in the 1960s, and until the 2000-2001
season, people just flew over the high bowls and ridges of the front
range. That's when a major resort finally opened, promising more than
4,000 vertical feet and big-resort amenities to challenge Whistler
Blackcomb as the king of western Canadian skiing. Kicking Horse lets a
firm base develop until mid-December, but come for opening week to get
first tracks on Blue Heaven, accessed by the recently constructed
Stairway to Heaven quad. If the early-season snow is thin, you can
always sign on for a day or two of heli-skiing with local operators
based in nearby Golden.
Silver Star
First-time visitors to Silver Star love the frontier ambience of the
1890s Victoria Gaslight village. With a street full of wooden
buildings and no cars, Silver Star has a compact touch of elegance,
even with 3,200 beds, restaurants, plenty of shopping, and an aquatic
center.
Whistler-Blackcomb
This is the granddaddy of Canadian skiing. Perhaps one of the largest
and most efficient resorts anywhere. This seem to be sa favorite
location for Europeans and Aussies. The down-under accents on the slopes here will convince
you that half the skiers and snowboarders in Australia spend their
summer (our winter) at on these mountains.
So weel developed is this place that they
can handle 50,000 lifts per hour. That as much as the population of
some small towns. That is not to say that they are always that busy
but if they were then they could handle it. With their ability to
handle so many people you will find yourself getting to the top often
and more runs in a day.
USA
Skiing Locations
California
Alpine
Meadows - Of all the major resorts around Tahoe, Alpine is
probably the last place you'd want to come to learn to ski. A handful
of short, beginner runs are found at the base of the mountain, but
that's about it. To enjoy the rest of the mountain, you'll need solid
intermediate skills
Boreal Mountain
Playground - When you've
got a vertical rise of just 500 feet, you do everything you can to
establish an identity, and a catchy name is a good place to start. The
playground concept is a way of highlighting Boreal's terrain parks, of
particular appeal to snowboarders and new-school trick skiers. But
Boreal's real selling point is as a place for first-timers to learn to
ski or snowboard. The area claims to have taught more than 300,000
“never evers.” If you want to learn the sport before heading to
the bigger resorts in the Tahoe area, Boreal is a good place to start.
Donner
Ski Ranch - Donner is the kind of unpretentious place where
it's OK to be out of the loop in the world of winter fashion. People
at Donner ski and snowboard in quilted 49ers jackets with blue jeans
tucked inside their boots, happily oblivious to the existence of such
stuff as technical outerwear. Donner's base lodge is rickety enough to
look like it might blow over in a strong wind. Yet unpretentious,
rickety funkiness is at the heart of Donner's appeal. It is the kind
of mom-and-pop-style ski area that regrettably is dying across
America—a ski area where you can kick back and not feel cowed by
hard-skiing hotshots or the dictates of ski fashion. Anyone who wants
a bigger, more demanding mountain should be across the road at Sugar
Bowl.
Heavenly
Lake Tahoe - Heavenly is unique in that it sprawls across state
boundaries. Part of the ski area is in California and part is in
Nevada, and for my money, the Nevada part is the better part. The fall
line is more sustained, meaning that runs tend to be longer.
Homewood
- Homewood is something of a surprise. Roughly halfway between
the communities on the north shore and the congestion of the south
shore, it is in something of a no-man's-land and is often overlooked.
Yet it's a pretty substantial ski area that packs a pretty substantial
wallop. There are lines on Quail Face that are seriously steep even if
they are short; otherwise, Homewood terrain reflects a relatively even
balance between intermediate and expert runs. But the un-intimidating
family atmosphere—attested by the resort's unofficial logo,
"Smile, you're at Homewood"—makes it one of Tahoe's best
beginner resorts. In-your-face views of Lake Tahoe are a Homewood
specialty, but with that comes a downside. Because its base is at the
edge of the lake, Homewood isn't blessed with the abundant, light snow
of some other Tahoe areas. In mid-winter, Homewood can be a great
getaway spot, but early and late in the season, when the snow cover is
thinner, you're better off going elsewhere.
Kirkwood
Mountain Resort - Steeps might be Kirkwood's forté, but there
is also a fair amount of beginner terrain from the Snowkirk and Bunny
lifts. The Bunny Lift is a particularly good spot for first-timers;
it's out of the main flow of skier traffic, so you won't be
intimidated by crowds of faster skiers whizzing through.
Mammoth
Mountain - For once the hyperbole actually applies. A summit
elevation of 11,053 feet and hefty 3,100-foot vertical drop are just
some Mammoth stats that don't need any embroidering by Bay Area
marketing whizzkids. The mountain is served by 27 lifts numbered in
the order they were built, giving a nod to in-the-know locals who are
able to think in creative, non-linear ways.
Northstar-at-Tahoe
- Look at the trail map, and it might seem that there is relatively
little beginner terrain. But trust me—most of the intermediate runs
at Northstar ski more like novice runs, and most of the advanced runs
ski like intermediate runs. I've heard north-shore locals deride
Northstar, calling it “Flatstar” because of its absence of steeps.
But hey—if steeps are your thing, you should be skiing Alpine or
Squaw.
Sierra-at-Tahoe
- With trails cutting through dense evergreen forests, Sierra-at-Tahoe
evokes images of its sister resort, Northstar-at-Tahoe—only Sierra
has a slightly steeper pitch. The compact base area and no-frills,
laid-back atmosphere (as exemplified by its motto, “Just Chill”)
also make Sierra, like Northstar, a good place to bring the whole
family. The base area offers affordable, kid-friendly value meals, and
the Parent Predicament lift ticket allows considerable family
flexibility; for the cost of a full-day adult ticket, one parent can
ski while the other stays with the child until they’re ready to swap
duties. Parents can also opt to leave their brood with Wild Mountain,
a licensed daycare facility. But don’t let this cast the impression
that it’s a families-only resort; the four new terrain parks have
become quite the draw for area freestyle and daredevil skiers and
‘boarders alike.
Squaw
Valley - Squaw is the American birthplace of extreme skiing.
About twenty years ago, Squaw locals began skiing impossible lines
from the Palisades, essentially a cliff with snow stuck to it. In the
early 1980s, Scot Schmidt, arguably the father of extreme skiing,
arrived in Squaw to pull 100-foot cliff jumps. Thus was a reputation
born, and it still lives today. To earn your spurs as an extreme skier
or snowboarder—or “free rider” in the current nomenclature of
mountain sports—all road leads through Squaw.
But the extreme reputation
aside, Squaw is actually a reasonably well-rounded ski area. There's a
good amount of skiing for all ability levels, and the relatively new
Resort at Squaw Creek is an exercise in extreme pampering. Squaw
skiing can be ridiculously intimidating, but it doesn't have to be.
Sugar
Bowl - The basic Sugar Bowl recipe: Take everything you've got
at Squaw, simmer until reduced by about a half, and add snow. I know
that Squaw reports more snow in an average winter, but somehow the
snow seems deeper and more plentiful at Sugar Bowl. After all, it's
just a couple of miles from where the infamous Donner party got snowed
in the grisly winter of 1847. Don't sell the Sugar Bowl steeps short
even if they actually are short; there's some seriously challenging
terrain here. The Mt. Judah skiing is best for intermediates; novices
will do better across the road at Donner Ski Ranch. Top
of page
|
|
Colorado
Arapahoe
Basin - Where the spirit of freedom and big-mountain challenges create
life-altering experiences.
Aspen Highlands
- Aspen Highlands, though part of the larger Aspen
Resorts network (along with Aspen Mountain, Snowmass, and Buttermilk),
is somewhat removed from the glam and glitterati found in this Mecca
of winterized chic. Quite simply, Aspen Highlands is all about skiing,
and because of that its as a local’s favorite, and is consistently
ranked as one of the most challenging courses in the United States.
Highland Bowl alone is worth the price of the lift ticket, delivering
truly epic Rocky Mountain skiing. Then there’s the Olympic Glades
for fabulous tree skiing and the area nicknamed Steeplechase, with a
series of demanding double-black freefalls carved into the
mountainside.
Aspen Mountain - Aspen in Colorado skiing at its most fulfilled—epic
terrain with plenty of variety, an après-ski and town scene that
pulls celebs and star gazers alike, and customer service that should
serve as the benchmark for all North American resorts, including
“ski ambassadors” who give complimentary mountain tours. (Best
service idea? It's pretty cool to check your equipment at the end of
the day at the bottom of one mountain, pay a few bucks, and find it
waiting for you at another mountain the next morning.) But make no
mistake: this is not a mom-and-pop resort. In fact, it’s a mistake
to refer to Aspen as a singular resort when in fact Aspen is made up
of four distinct skiing regions—Aspen Mountain, Snowmass, Aspen
Highlands, and Buttermilk. And while all are accessible under one lift
ticket and connected via a free ski bus, each resort has its own
distinct style, offering variety unsurpassed in North America.
Beaver Creek - Colorado's most luxurious resort continues growing,
with the debut of a real village center. Luxurious lodgings in an
elegant and monumental mountain style, fine dining, and subdued
nightlife are the resort's hallmarks, but Vail-based skiers commute to
ski the Beav's wide, handsome runs or take on the more challenging
terrain and gawk at the spectacular views. Beaver Creek proper has
enough terrain variety, optimal conditions, and serious vertical rise
to justify a trip, but add Bachelor Gulch and Arrowhead mountains and
the stats are downright dizzying: 4,040 feet of vertical rise, over
1,600 skiable acres, 146 trails, three terrain parks, and a half pipe.
All mountains are linked via lifts, creating a
"village-to-village" ski experience. Lift passes are also
valid at Vail, Breckenridge, Keystone, and Arapahoe Basin.
Breckenridge - Breckenridge is a charming Victorian town with
lift-served skiing on three interconnected mountains and challenging
off-piste skiing on a fourth. There’s easy-street skiing and
snowboarding on Peak 9, tough stuff on Peak 10, and splendid
backcountry-style skiing on Peak 7—146 trails in total, with a
vertical rise of over 3,000 feet… Given all that, it’s not
surprise that this Vail-owned resort is the second-most visited in the
U.S.
Buttermilk - Although it’s the smallest of the four Aspen resorts
(the others being Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands, and Snowmass), size
is always relative—with 430 skiable acres and a vertical rise
that extends over 2,000 feet, Buttermilk still demands respect as some
of the region’s best skiing.
That said, Buttermilk distinguishes itself first and foremost by its
low-key terrain, offering a congenial area for new and intermediate
skiers and families. Almost 75 percent of the resort is dedicated to
beginners and intermediates, an attractive ratio for budding novices
and two-season skiers and ‘boarders ready to brave a blue-level
piste Buttermilk also operates some of the best ski and snowboard
instruction in the world, while aspiring hucksters can learn to hit
the lip at either the beginner’s ski and snowboard school park or
the intermediate park.
Copper Mountain
- Copper ranks as one of Colorado’s most logically
designed skiing mountains, with an excellent lift network, a
2,600-foot vertical rise, and Summit County’s biggest area—a full
2,433 skiable acres with 125 runs. Top-notch daycare facilities,
kids’ ski schools, and a modest 75-mile drive from Denver also make
it one of Colorado’s most convenient destination resorts.
Crested Butte - Long known as one of the friendliest and most charming
town in the Rockies, Crested Butte has a way of making any outdoor
activity unsurpassable. Over 100 years of rich history and diverse
terrain, ranging from pancake-flat field to Everest-steep inclines,
have afforded this little mountain town a top-notch reputation for
skiing, mountain biking, hiking, and any other outdoor sport you can
think of.
Durango - This friendly resort in southwestern Colorado is a charmer
with a reputation for the mildest, sunniest weather—but still good
snow. The beguiling terrain ranges from a separate beginner area to
mogul-dotted steeps. Formerly known as Purgatory, Durango offers a
Total Ticket can be used for a day of alpine or cross-country skiing,
a snowmobile tour, hot springs visit, ride on the historic Durango
& Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, and dinner sleighride or casino
tour. The delightful town of Durango offers economical lodging and
plenty of dining and nightlife. Mountain TranSport, a fleet of new
buses, connects town and resort
Eldora Mountain
- Close to Denver and just 21 miles from Boulder (you
can even get here via Boulder bus), this frills-free area offers
unsurpassed convenience. The frontside trails are narrow classics
cascading down to a small base complex, while Corona Bowl and the
Indian Peaks Area on the backside offer true challenge and sensational
views of the mnemonic Indian Peaks Wilderness.
Keystone - Keystone is a total resort, with skiing on three
interconnected mountains, fine lodging and dining, and excellent
off-slope activities. A pedestrian-friendly development, part of a
$700 million master plan, is at the base of the River Run Gondola,
which accesses the eastern end of the original Keystone Mountain. This
congenial peak also offers the Rockies' largest night-skiing
operation. Adjacent North Peak is famous for its challenging mogul
runs and the Outback behind that boasts noteworthy glades. The lift
pass can also be used at Arapahoe Basin, Breckenridge, Vail, and
Beaver Creek with free or low-cost buses linking all. In addition to
fine cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and ice skating on a natural
lake groomed into rink-like smoothness, Keystone is the closest resort
to the booming Silverthorne Factory Outlets.
Loveland
- Loveland, the ski area that arcs across the east side of
the Eisenhower Tunnel along Interstate 70, is one of Colorado's
highest areas in terms of both altitude and annual snowfall. Chair 9
takes skiers and riders higher than any other four-passenger chairlift
in the world. Loveland's terrain sprawls over a vast basin, largely
above the timberline, and it is always one of the first ski areas to
open and one of the last to close for the season. An excellent and
totally separate beginner and novice area called Loveland Valley
provides topnotch learn-to-ski terrain. The nearest accommodations are
down the valley in Georgetown, but even if it's not a vacation
destination, it's a great stopover for a half day's skiing en route
between Denver and one of the resorts to the west—or a convenient
sneak-away during a business trip to the Mile High City.
Monarch - The full name of this high, snow-blessed area is Monarch Ski
and Snowboard Resort, signaling its commitment to riders. It is a
small and casual ski area whose vertical is modest, and whose nearest
lodging is three miles down the road, but it also carries a big
reputation for excellent snow. In addition to lift-served skiing and
snowboarding on a high bowl, Monarch operates Great Divide snowcat
skiing for those who want to play in the prodigious powder.
Snowmass - As a ski area, Snowmass is the giant among the four Aspen
options—and one of Colorado's biggest as well, with the nation's
second-greatest vertical. It is huge, sprawling over a complex
landscape of peaks, ridges, gullies, and open slopes that offer the
greatest range of terrain, from the gentle precincts of Fanny Hill to
the broad cruising expanse of the Big Burn to a wide variety of
steeps. Innovative programs and on-slope facilities abound. As a
resort, Snowmass offers a congenial slopeside village and some of the
best accommodations for families. It's subdued compared with nearby
Aspen, but the action is just a bus ride away.
Steamboat
- Steamboat is the place where the phrase "champagne
powder" was coined, and the winter of 1995-96 really proved it
with nearly 530 inches of snow at the summit—260 in January alone.
The mountain is an enormous three-peaked behemoth looming above a
vibrant little resort development. The traditional Western town of
Steamboat Springs provides additional accommodations, dining, and
entertainment, and free buses connect the resort. It's a sublime place
for families, energetic singles, and vacationers who simply want to
ski and be.
Sunlight Mountain - This mostly mellow, mid-size ski area is a haven
for families, especially those on a budget—Sunlight's adult ticket
prices are $35 a day; multi-day rates are even less. In addition,
economical Ski/Swim/Stay packages save you even more. Still, there are
several short but genuinely super-steep runs that will intimidate all
but the really skilled. Sunlight is also ideal for sometime skiers who
like the opportunity to combine downhill sliding with dips in the
famous Hot Springs Pool, strolling around Glenwood Springs' pleasant
downtown and even hopping a low-cost bus to Aspen for a day of
shopping and sightseeing. Five two-hour lessons plus lift tickets are
packaged at $150.
Telluride - Telluride, located in a scenic valley deep in the San Juan
Mountains, has long been described as an up-and-coming resort. Now
it's arrived. Telluride Mountain Village, a glamorous ultra-upscale
resort development in the heart of the ski terrain, is the perfect
counterpoint to the quaint and historic town of Telluride. A
transportation gondola links the two communities day and night,
eliminating a tedious drive. The ski terrain features fabled steeps
and bump runs. Telluride has a small airport, and a larger, more
weather-resistant field is in Montrose.
Vail
- Vail is the 800-pound gorilla of American skiing. This massive
mountain is all things to all skiers and riders—a soothing beginner
environment, a nurturing place for small fry to make their first
turns, a mountain full of electrifying challenges, and most of all, a
huge ski area with abundant groomed cruising terrain for
intermediates. The country's largest ski school, unsurpassed
on-mountain services and facilities, and a fully interchangeable lift
ticket with Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, and Arapahoe Basin
are additional pluses. The large and lively town of Vail is segmented
into several interrelated centers, the original Alpine-style Vail
Village, rejuvenated Lionshead, tranquil East Vail, (relatively)
economical West Vail, and Cascade Village with practically private
chairlift access to the western part of the ski terrain. At the top,
Eagle's Nest boasts a day-and-night family entertainment area called
Adventure Ridge, with night skiing and snowboarding, sledding, tubing,
ice skating, and dining.
Winter Park
- Winter Park, extremely popular and close to Denver, has
long boasted of a reputation as Colorado's favorite ski area. It's
understandable that lucky locals who have the best skiing on earth at
their doorstep appreciate a ski area with grandiose and varied
terrain, constant upgrades to lifts and day lodge facilities,
consistently good snow, exceptional children's and beginner
facilities, and moderate prices. Locals don't mind the absence of a
tightly knit resort center or the virtual absence of ski-in, ski-out
lodging, but that's about to change. The skiing ranges across three
main peaks, Winter Park, Mary Jane, and Vazquez Ridge—topped by a
vast snowfield called Parsenn Bowl. Behind Parsenn is Vasquez Cirque,
435 high-expert acres. Winter Park also is home to the world's finest
program for teaching the disabled to ski. Top
of page
Idaho Top
of page
Montana Top
of page
New York Top
of page
See NY winter activities page
Pennsylvania
Top
of page
Utah Top
of page
Vermont
Top
of page
Washington
Top
of page
Wyoming
Top
of page
Below ore some offsite links to some
Notable Skiers
Top
of page
See
our Backcountry Fresh Powder page
We have an intense tutorial in our Survival
trips section on "How
to Make A Fire". It is worthwhile
reading as it may save your life and if nothing else it is fun trying
to emulate what is taught in this section.
The more
you get to do a sport the more you will enjoy it. We have found that
being prepared to leave at a moment notice will increase the number of
time that you will actually get out and do it. Ultimately the best way
to be prepared is to have all the necessary gear already stored in a
"gear trailer". This is a trailer dedicated to this purpose.
READ
ON.
See all
the Activities we currently feature and see what is yet to come.
Being physically fit will make your experiences safer and more enjoyable. We
are developing a page devoted to encouraging people to do just this. See the
Physical
fitness page.
This page is under construction |
