Cordova, AK – I had first met Points North owner Kevin Quinn at the L.A. ski show a decade ago, and we shared a ship to Antarctica in 2011 along with some of his guides and several of his customers where he helped my friend Liz and gave her a powder lesson one afternoon. So … Continue reading Points North Offers Alaskan Heli-Skiing Value
West Yellowstone, MT – At one point while cross-country skiing in Yellowstone National Park last February, I paused to consider my position — and the bison that was lumbering toward me on the ski track. Since I was on skis, I technically had the right of way. But since the buffalo had about 2,000 pounds … Continue reading Winter in Yellowstone: A Cross-Country Skiing Paradise
Ushuaia, Argentina – Antarctica is one of tourism’s final frontiers. The first tourist cruise to the frozen continent took place in 1969 but tourism remained rare there until the 1990’s. Nearly 7,000 tourists landed in Antarctica in 1992-93, growing to 13,900 in 1999-2000 and peaking at 33,000 in 2007-08, although economic conditions have limited tourist landings … Continue reading Antarctic Cruise Belongs on Any Skier’s Bucket List
Meadow Creek (BC), Canada – It’s been years since I signed up with Ski Plus Tours for my first ski vacation in the British Columbia interior, a guided road trip in 1997. Lead guide Brad Karafil operated on a flexible schedule, allowing him to follow weather patterns and utilize personal contacts to choose resorts or … Continue reading Snowcat Skiing with White Grizzly
Bend, OR – With over 3,000 skiable acres, 10 chairlifts (seven of which are high-speed detachable quads) and a vertical drop of 3,365 feet that follows all 360 degrees of a volcanic cone, Oregon’s Mount Bachelor is one of America’s largest ski resorts. By all rights it should be a world-class ski and snowboard destination, … Continue reading Mt. Bachelor: A Pacific Northwest Behemoth
Niseko, Japan – In January I spent three days skiing in Japan’s Hakuba Valley, site of the 1998 Olympic alpine events, and eight more days on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, which over the past decade has attracted a growing number of powder skiers from all over the globe thanks to the world’s greatest … Continue reading Skiing Japan: Hakuba and Niseko
Pincher Creek (AB), Canada – The most common form of a rhombus is of course referred to as a diamond, and Castle Mountain is a diamond in so many forms. Unlike the ski resorts located inside the National Parks of Alberta, Castle is instead in a remote narrow valley well south of Calgary and approaching … Continue reading Castle Mountain: A Hidden Rhombus
