As Told to Gordy Megroz
1. Chamonix, France
If you like a mountain in its natural state鈥攏ot always prepared by groomers鈥攖hen Chamonix is the best. You have to enjoy the sunny side of the mountain, then you have to ride Vall茅e Blanche. It鈥檚 a cookie-cutter run down and around the glacier that takes the better part of a day, but you can鈥檛 live as a skier and not do that run. Then go relax in town. You can鈥檛 walk down Rue du Docteur Paccard and not feel the 200-plus years of mountain culture.
2. Vermont Resorts
I am so over the glamorizing of powder. I just want snow. Let鈥檚 talk about real skiing鈥攃rust and hardpack and wind. You鈥檝e got that in the East. I think the smaller the mountain is, the greater the passion and the heart. I love Suicide Six, and Killington has great skiing. I met my wife in the bar at Stratton. And there are moguls. That鈥檚 what a black 颅diamond is: it means it hasn鈥檛 been groomed.
3. The Pacific Northwest
They鈥檙e ski areas鈥攏ot resorts鈥攁nd they鈥檙e all great. Only one or two of them have lodging. Here鈥檚 what you do. Fly into Seattle and ski Crystal; go do a day in Alpental, drive to Mission Ridge in Wenatchee, Washington, and then drive back over to Stevens Pass. If you have time, go ski Mount Baker, but don鈥檛 plan on seeing Baker鈥攃hances are it鈥檚 all socked in with a snowstorm.
4. Heavenly, California
It鈥檚 actually kind of flat, but we do have one great run: the Gunbarrel. Going up and down that trail made me really fall in love with mogul skiing. It鈥檚 1,700 feet, about a 25-to-30-degree pitch, completely ungroomed top to bottom. Plus, a chairlift going over a mogul run is one of the coolest things ever. You鈥檙e inspired watching other skiers.
5. Telluride, Colorado
The improvements are amazing鈥攂lew me away the last time I was there. They鈥檝e put in new lifts and opened up some of the gates to allow natural skiing experiences. In the past, I never would have lumped Telluride in with 颅Mammoth, Big Sky, or Jackson Hole, but now there鈥檚 no doubt it鈥檚 one of the trophy resorts.