Taos Ski Valley, NM – Taos Ski Valley is perhaps the last major North American ski resort still operated by its founding family. Swiss immigrant Ernie Blake developed this tough and remote area after World War II and succeeded in creating a unique ambience via small European-style family lodges and personalized service, particularly the ski … Continue reading Taos, New Mexico: A Ski Resort Guide
Big Sky, MT – Southwestern Montana’s Big Sky ski and snowboard resort was founded by legendary news anchor Chet Huntley, and for 20 years it appealed mainly to low intermediate skiers and those attracted to nearby Yellowstone National Park. The construction of the Lone Peak tram in the 1990s, however, brought lift access to some … Continue reading Big Sky and Moonlight Basin, Montana: The Sum of Their Parts
Las Leñas, Argentina – Las Leñas is the largest but perhaps most controversial ski area in the Southern Hemisphere. Advocates compare its scale to Vail and Snowbird combined, though the long and steep off-piste terrain is perhaps more analogous to low density European areas like Alagna or La Grave. Detractors point out that 80% of … Continue reading Las Leñas: A Ski Resort Guide
Whistler (B.C.), Canada – We dispatched snow statistician and First Tracks!! Online Contributing Writer Tony Crocker to British Columbia’s famed Whistler Blackcomb Resort last March to experience two sides of the ski and snowboard megaplex. Tony, likewise, delivered a report with two sides! Read on for the “Yin and the Yang” of Whistler- Ed. Extremely … Continue reading Extremely Whistler, Extremely Canadian
Photos by Henry Georgi Fernie (BC), Canada –Combine exceptional powder, exceptional terrain, exceptional food and exceptional service, and you have Island Lake Lodge. Island Lake Lodge is perhaps the most famous snowcat skiing operation in Canada. A couple of outfits in the Selkirk Mountains are older, but Island Lake, founded by Scot Schmidt and the … Continue reading Powder Island (Lake)
Crested Butte, CO – Crested Butte is in many respects the “anti-Colorado resort,” bearing little resemblance to the bustling areas along I-70. Its isolation by road, over four hours from any significant population center, has preserved a small town ambience. The terrain is also like nothing else in the state. Its centerpiece, the North Face, is almost indecipherable by trail … Continue reading Crested Butte: The Anti-Colorado Resort
Heliskiing and snowcat skiing are perhaps the sport’s ultimate vacation, but each carries distinct advantages and disadvantages for the experienced adventure seeker. The choices at times can seem overwhelming. Let’s look at the world of British Columbia beyond the chairlifts. n GEOGRAPHY 101 Let’s start with a geography lesson. Highway 5 is the demarcation between … Continue reading Snowcat vs. Heli