Hilaree Nelson is one of the boldest ski mountaineers in the world. The 46-year-old lives in Telluride, Colorado, and has skied from the summit of 26,906-foot Cho Oyu听in the Himalayas, the sixth-highest mountain in the world; made the , also known as the Peak of Evil; and, last year, with her boyfriend, Jim Morrison, nailed the , at 27,940 feet, the fourth-highest mountain in the world. She鈥檚 also a听听and a mother of two.
When she鈥檚 not shredding big-mountain lines around the world, you can find her lapping runs at her home mountain听or revisiting her roots at Stevens Pass in Washington鈥檚 Cascade Mountains, where she first learned to ski at the age of three. Here are her favorite resorts and inbounds runs from听over four decades of skiing.听
Taos, New Mexico

Lift Ticket: $110
鈥淭his was the 听when I was a 19-year-old dirtbag. All the super-steep K听chutes off Kachina Peak are awesome, high-adventure lines, and they鈥檙e pretty accessible. There鈥檚 a lift to the top听now, but it rarely opens. The peak is open to hikers more often, and I actually like that you have to work to get there.
鈥淲hen I was a ski bum, I stayed in the town of Taos, which is a 30-minute drive from the resort. But now that I鈥檓 an adult with kids, I like staying up on the mountain. The last time I was there, we got a room at . It鈥檚 super nice. You walk out and you鈥檙e on the hill.鈥
Telluride, Colorado

Lift Ticket: $139
鈥溙齣s my home mountain, so it鈥檚 obviously my favorite. The hike-to terrain is some of the best anywhere, especially off Palmyra Peak, which is technically inbounds but takes 45 minutes to an hour to get to. The top doesn鈥檛 open very often, so maybe that adds to the allure.
鈥淭he Mak-M鈥揝tairs鈥揚lunge combines three different runs鈥擪ant-Mak-M, Spiral Stairs, and Plunge鈥攐ff of Chair 9. It鈥檚 a big听giant-bump run, meaning it鈥檚 a good way to get in shape. You just lap it. It鈥檚 steep, north facing, and always dependable. Dynamo, off Chair 14, a.k.a. the Gold Hill Lift, is probably my other favorite. It鈥檚 off a high-speed quad, and it鈥檚 this fast, straight-to-the-bottom run,听which you can do in three minutes. It鈥檚 steep, rarely very moguly, and there are all these little secret shots off of it.
鈥淭he town of Telluride is small, but cool. The lifts come right out of town, and you can walk everywhere. But unlike many ski resorts, it feels real because it was a mining town in the 1800s, and then the ski area came in the seventies.鈥
Crystal Mountain, Washington

Lift Ticket: From $59
鈥淚 grew up in Washington, so I like 听a lot.听It鈥檚 updated all of its lifts, and it鈥檚 a big mountain with really fun skiing. The snow is good,听and there is a lot of it. There鈥檚 also great hike-to terrain that鈥檚 still inbounds, and it鈥檚 not super crowded since everyone can be pretty spread out.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no real town, and the apr猫s at the base is pretty minimal: there鈥檚 only one bar. But it听has听a really cool camper scene in the parking lot, which is pretty unique.听The mountain allows it听and even has听hookups and services for RVs. It鈥檚 a total ski-bum scene.鈥
Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Lift Ticket: $154
鈥溙齢as amazing sidecountry access, and I tend to go out the backcountry gates if I have the option. But there鈥檚 lots of steep skiing inbounds, too. I love Cody Bowl, Rock Springs Bowl, and the Hobacks, below the tram. I like all the terrain off the Thunder and Sublette quad chairs, and Corbet鈥檚 Couloir is an incredible, classic inbounds run.
鈥淭he local scene in Jackson is a little more intense, a little more aggro. It reminds me of Chamonix [France] in that way, but I still have tons of fun there. Plus, it has more of an apr猫s-ski听bar scene compared to these other places.鈥
Squaw Valley, California

Lift Ticket: $169
鈥淚 love the people at 听probably more than those at any other resort. There鈥檚 this really cool听local scene where you can go and meet up with people. Everybody鈥檚 friendly and a high-quality skier. It鈥檚 just fun. The resort gets crowded, though, but I鈥檝e never been there when it鈥檚 too crowded, because I鈥檓 able to ski weekdays.
鈥淭he terrain off Squaw Peak is really nice. The Palisades are obviously well-known, and I like the Headwall below the Headwall Express Lift and everything off听KT-22.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a good town at the base, but it doesn鈥檛 feel as authentic as Telluride, since it was built after the lifts. I usually stay in with my boyfriend. Lift tickets are pricey, but the resort is on the听, which is reasonable. California resorts also stay open the longest鈥擲quaw has run lifts through the Fourth听of July before. It has really sunny days, and it鈥檚 super fun to ski spring corn snow.鈥
Stevens Pass, Washington

Lift Ticket: From听$84听
鈥 has fantastic skiing. I grew up skiing there听and love that it鈥檚 small and rootsy. Lift tickets are still under $100. There鈥檚 no town, no bars, no apr猫s-ski, but it has a really cool parking-lot scene. That鈥檚 it: the听parking lot, the听lodge at the base, and the mountain. Some of my favorite runs are Nancy Chute and Bobby Chute off Cowboy Mountain, and I love everything off Big Chief Mountain. It鈥檚 a quick听drive from , so its easy to make a day trip out of it.鈥