Minneapolis, MN – There’s one thing any die-hard skier will notice as he or she gazes out the porthole window of their plane on the final approach into the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport: it’s damned flat out there. My eyes scanned from one horizon to the other for any skiable topographic features, and unfortunately I … Continue reading Bright Lights, Twin Cities
Pincher Creek (AB), Canada – Pulling into the town of Pincher Creek, Alberta, one certainly doesn’t feel that they’ve arrived at a ski mountain. Situated 30 miles east of Castle Mountain Resort, though, the 600 or so beds contained in a number of motels constitute the closest lodging to the ski area. The town is … Continue reading Castle Mountain: The Best Ski Hill You’ve Never Heard Of
Large snow removal trucks sped across the Calgary International Airport tarmac as a number of reporters piled into a small twin-prop for a quick, 30-minute flight to Golden, British Columbia, home of Whitetooth Ski Hill. The story which held everyone’s attention was the unveiling of a $200-million undertaking: the Canadian Rockies’ first new ski resort … Continue reading Watch Out for the Kicking Horse!
Magog (QC), Canada – We sat around the table chuckling arrogantly at the Mont Orford trail map. Triple black diamonds are the overzealous creations of a marketing department run amok, and we were certain that Orford’s were no exception. We prepared ourselves for a day of gentle corduroy cruising. Boosting our spirits was the steady, … Continue reading Mont Orford: A Rough-Cut Gem
Fernie (BC), Canada – Ever since Charlie Locke’s "Resorts of the Canadian Rockies" (RCR) purchased Fernie Snow Valley in June of 1997, rechristened it Fernie Alpine Resort and doubled the size of their lift-serviced terrain during the 1998/99 season, the southeastern British Columbia hill has been transformed overnight from a ski-bum secret into a darling … Continue reading Fernie: Growing Pains
Jeffersonville, VT – Smugglers’ Notch has been racking up numerous awards over the past decade for their family programs: Better Homes and Gardens, Family Circle, Travel & Leisure, Parents, FamilyFun, Mountain Sports & Living and others have all recognized the resort’s prowess in this regard. Even SKI Magazine‘s October 1999 issue named Smugglers’ Notch Resort … Continue reading Smugglers’ Notch: The Family’s Wild Cousin
Fayston, VT – Tucked into a sharp bend of State Route 17 in north-central Vermont lies a trip back in time, to a ski resort relatively untouched by the hand of "progress." A place where natural snow is the rule, a place where primary lift access is provided by the country’s last diesel-powered single chairlift, … Continue reading Mad River Glen: A Journey to Mecca