While ski resorts around the world keep growing more appealing to non-skiers, offering breweries, distilleries, Michelin-starred restaurants, world-class shopping, and wellness centers right on the slopes, they haven't forgotten their roots.
That's great news for die-hard skiers and snowboarders who book a ski trip with one goal in mind: to conquer the slopes. And to conquer them thoroughly. The after-ski scene can be a welcome break at the end of a full day on the mountain, but for a true skiing enthusiast it's ultimately just the thing that comes after the main event.
Resorts in the United States and Canada can hold their own against Europe's most elite ski areas. From heli-skiing to uphill travel and private backcountry tours, here are the eight best destinations for skiers who genuinely care about the riding.
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Telluride Ski Resort
Once a Victorian mining town, Telluride is now home to one of Colorado's most stylish ski areas. Getting there is about as tricky as you'd expect from a getaway for the jet set, and it's well worth the journey.
With 41% of the terrain rated advanced (that leaves 23% for beginners and 36% for intermediates), strong skiers will find plenty to keep them busy on the mountain all day long. Skiers and riders looking to take their snow adventure to the next level can book a heli-skiing tour and drop into untouched, pristine powder.
Telluride is one of only two resorts in Colorado that offer heli-skiing (Telluride Helitrax runs its heli operation out of town), but it isn't the only way to sample fresh powder in this stretch of the Rockies.
Black Iron Bowl is an area of the resort reached by a combination of lift and a hike. Once you get there, it serves up untouched, challenging terrain for advanced skiers and snowboarders. The recommended way to cap off the day is with a locally sourced pork chop and a craft beer at the Smuggler Union restaurant and brewery.
Telluride Ski Resort 565 Mountain Village Blvd, Telluride, CO 81435, (866) 754-8355
Silverton Mountain
Although Colorado has dozens of ski areas across the bulk of the southern Rockies, only two offer heli-skiing: Telluride and Silverton. Silverton is "unique" for its single-run option, says Chris Linsmayer, public relations director for Colorado Ski Country USA. Instead of chartering a helicopter for a full day or several days, heli-skiing newcomers can buy a single ride for just $39.
That price makes a usually pricey venture affordable and low-risk, at least in terms of the financial commitment.
But if jumping out of a helicopter and dropping into a stretch of what Linsmayer calls "the highest and steepest ski area in all of North America" doesn't appeal to you, there are plenty of other ways for an advanced skier to appreciate Silverton.
The website bills the area as "all thrills, no frills," so there's no doubt about what the mountain delivers, and beginners might want to stick to the after-ski options. Avalanche Brewing Company and Golden Block Brewery help cement Colorado's solid reputation among beer lovers.
Silverton Mountain 6226 State Hwy 110, Silverton, CO 81433, (970) 387-5706
Park City Ski Resort
A charming, quintessential ski town if there ever was one, Park City, Utah, offers world-class skiing for all levels and plenty of off-slope entertainment.
In 2015, Park City merged with neighboring Canyons resort to form a single Park City ski resort. The merger made Park City the largest single ski and snowboard resort in the United States. The combined resort covers more than 7,300 acres, with 348 runs and 14 lifts between them.
You won't find heli-skiing in this part of the Rockies, but thrill-seekers can team up with a professional guide who leads guests on a journey to discover the mountain's best runs.
The Peak-to-Peak Guided Mountain Tour takes skiers and riders to the areas with the best conditions (otherwise known as soft, fluffy snow that seems to go on forever). And the Silver to Slopes Historic Mining Tour is available for intermediate skiers and up. It's a chance to test out Utah's beautiful slopes while learning about the region's mining history.
Park City Ski Resort 1345 Lowell Ave, Park City, UT 84060, (435) 649-8111
Powder Mountain
Average snowfall at this Utah resort comes in at 500 inches. That's snow blanketing more than 8,464 acres of skiing with a total of 164 runs. The folks at Powder Mountain, who affectionately call it "Pow Mow," are so enchanted by the area's natural snow (and low ice factor) that they've even coined a name for it: creamy corduroy.
While other resorts brag about their cutting-edge snowmaking technology, Powder Mountain takes pride in, well, not needing to make snow at all. Ski Utah's slogan is "The Greatest Snow on Earth," and visitors only need to drive 55 miles from the Salt Lake City airport to experience the unrivaled powder of these Rockies.
Pow Mow caps the number of ski passes sold per day at 1,500 to preserve the skiing experience and keep these pristine slopes from getting crowded. Visitors might run into crowds at the after-ski live music shows at the Powder Mountain Powder Keg, but making friends is easy when you're swapping stories about the riding.
Powder Mountain 6965 E Powder Mountain Rd, Eden, UT 84310, (801) 745-3772
Mammoth Mountain
The highest ski resort in California, Mammoth is known for pulling in an enormous amount of snow every season, averaging 400 inches. You won't find heli-skiing here, but the alternative for hardcore fitness fans is skipping the chairlift and hiking up a very big hill.
This season, Mammoth is enthusiastic about launching its uphill travel policy, which will let skiers and snowboarders experience the whole mountain in a new way.
Skiers attach something called climbing skins to the underside of their skis, and the against-the-grain texture of the skins helps the climber make their way up the mountain.
It's an "option for guests who just want to get a really good workout," says Mammoth Mountain marketing manager Gabe Taylor. And it's a good way to see the backcountry when the weather isn't cooperating and the lifts may be temporarily closed, Taylor says.
Mammoth Mountain 10001 Minaret Road Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546, 760-934-0745
Whistler Blackcomb
Between the two mountains, Whistler and Blackcomb, there are 200 runs and 16 alpine bowls making up more than 8,000 acres of terrain. This part of the Coast Mountains in British Columbia, Canada, is considered the largest ski area in North America.
Notable this year is the new 10-person Blackcomb Gondola, which together with the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola and the Whistler Village Gondola forms the "world's first three-gondola connection," says Mary Zinck, a manager at Tourism Whistler.
Easier access to the mountaintops means more chances to explore as much of the sprawling region as possible, but for truly extreme skiing there's the backcountry. Whether tickets are available to access this typically unmarked and unpatrolled untouched powder is determined by ski patrol.
Prospective backcountry skiers can wait out unfavorable conditions at the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre, a First Nations museum and cultural center marking its 10th anniversary this year.
Whistler Blackcomb 4545 Blackcomb Way, Whistler, BC V0N 1B4, Canada (800)-766-0449
RED Mountain Resort
Located in Rossland, British Columbia, Red Mountain considers itself the original ski destination of Western Canada. The resort area offers up to 4,200 acres of skiing, and "untouched" is a word RED Mountain loves to use to describe its slopes. There's some beginner terrain here, but most of the mountain is geared toward expert, advanced, and intermediate levels.
But if standard lifts to the summit don't seem extreme enough, there are options for snowcat and helicopter skiing. Like heli-skiing, cat-skiing takes skiers and riders into areas of undiscovered, untouched powder, often in the mountain's backcountry.
Because it uses snowcats, a type of tracked snow vehicle, to access the terrain, it's a more budget-friendly option than taking a helicopter to the top.
At the end of a demanding day of cat-skiing, which can mean covering up to 18,000 vertical feet in a day, guests could do a lot worse than curling up in a booth at the Velvet restaurant and lounge at The Josie hotel. Its hearty, seasonal culinary offerings in a cozy setting make for the quintessential apres-ski.
RED Mountain Resort 4300 Red Mountain Rd, Rossland, British Columbia, Canada
Big Sky Resort
While Montana's most elite resort doesn't offer heli-skiing, it has plenty of options for enterprising skiers and riders, plus cutting-edge technology.
You won't be able to helicopter to the top of the mountain, but starting next month you'll be able to hop on the Ramcharger 8. This high-speed lift features heated seats and a weatherproof bubble. It'll help skiers and snowboarders squeeze in more runs, if, you know, tallying up your ski runs per day is your thing.
Experienced skiers and riders won't want to miss Lone Peak, Big Sky's iconic summit. The resort limits how many skiers can drop from the 11,166-foot peak at once, making it a one-of-a-kind feature of the resort. It's the closest thing Montana has to heli-skiing, says Stacie Mesuda, public relations manager at Big Sky Resort.
It's worth noting that the longest run from Lone Peak stretches six miles, and you're sure to find plenty of untouched patches of snow in this part of the North American Rockies. A six-mile ski or snowboard run certainly seems to earn a massage, and the Solace spa can help tailor one to your individual needs.
Big Sky Resort 50 Big Sky Resort Road, Big Sky, MT 59716, (800) 548-4486
