Mikaela Shiffrin鈥檚 journey toward her 100th World Cup win took an unexpected turn on Saturday when a crash during the second run of the Killington giant slalom sidelined the ski racing legend. But while Shiffrin recovered off the slopes, the U.S. Ski Team delivered one of its strongest collective performances of the season, offering a glimmer of hope and momentum for American skiing.

Shiffrin was on the cusp of winning her 100th World Cup race when disaster struck.

The 29-year-old ski phenom lost her edge and crashed heavily in the Killington giant slalom. She somersaulted and hit two gates before abruptly stopping in the fencing. She asked ski patrol for a sled because she 鈥渨as in shock, entirely unable to move and worried about internal organ trauma,鈥� she said in a U.S. Ski Team statement. She went by ambulance to the local hospital for evaluation.

Doctors determined that she had had no damage to her ligaments, bones, or internal organs. She suffered a puncture wound to the right side of her abdomen and severe muscle trauma but did not get stitches for the wound 鈥渂ecause it鈥檚 too deep and there鈥檚 risk of infection,鈥� Shiffrin said in the statement.

鈥淪he is pretty sore. Her return to snow is TBD (to be determined) and more information will be forthcoming,鈥� stated the U.S. Ski Team.

Having difficulty walking, Shiffrin skipped Sunday鈥檚 slalom and instead cheered for her teammates from her lodging in Killington.

Paula Moltzan and Nina O鈥橞rien both scored career bests, with fifth and sixth, respectively, in the GS on Saturday. And 19-year-old Elizabeth Bocock鈥攊n eighth after the first run鈥攃ollected her first World Cup points by finishing 23rd. Katie Hensien also had a good race, climbing from 21st after the first run to 13th.

How the Day Unfolded

On a cold, blustery day, the usual raucous Killington crowd was waiting to see what could be Shiffrin鈥檚 100th win. She skied the first run so flawlessly that it looked like nothing would stop her. With a rare combination of strength, balance, endurance, smarts, and touch for the snow, Shiffrin has rarely DNFed鈥攕ki racing lingo for did not finish. In 274 World Cup starts across 13 seasons, she had only DNFed 18 times.

The last time she didn鈥檛 finish in a GS? Seven years ago.

So when she came onto Superstar鈥檚 steep final pitch on her second run and leaned in, losing her edge and somersaulting into the next gate, the crowd gasped, then sat silently as ski patrol converged on a downed Shiffrin. The crowd cheered as they brought her down in a sled, and Shiffrin raised a hand to wave. (For on-demand access,听 subscribers ($89.99/year) can watch these races anytime.)

A Home Snow Win

Shiffrin came to Killington hoping to reach the 100-win milestone on home snow. She spent a formative part of her childhood training just 38.4 miles from Killington鈥攁t Storrs Hill in New Hampshire. As an 8-year-old, Shiffrin and her older brother Taylor ate SpaghettiOs in the car after school, then trained under the lights. From there, she enrolled at Burke Mountain Academy in Vermont鈥檚 Northeast Kingdom. The crowd was filled with many who knew her, and the Killington Cup was a race she loves.

鈥淚 love being here,鈥� she said the night before the GS. 鈥淚 love the crowd. I love the people. I love how gritty and determined everybody is to pull off the best World Cup race possible and how supportive everybody is. It鈥檚 so raw and real and New England.鈥�

She had specifically targeted the Killington GS this year. She wanted to execute her best skiing on this hill, which had bedeviled her in previous races. In six previous Killington Cup GSs, she finished on the podium only three times. Without going into technical details, she called the hill 鈥渁 nuisance in GS.鈥�

But on the first run of GS, it looked like she had mastered the nuisance. Only Olympic GS champ Sara Hector was within a half-second of her.

Since partnering with the Share Winter Foundation earlier this year, Shiffrin has been skiing for something greater than herself, and the records finally mean something. She has shifted her perspective and sees the record/milestone conversation as an opportunity to bring more attention to the sport鈥攁nd thus more money to an organization that aims to get more kids on snow.

Now, the 100th World Cup win is indefinitely postponed. Shiffrin still has a chance to celebrate the milestone win on home snow鈥攁t Beaver Creek, Colorado, near where she also spent much of her childhood and now owns a home. The women鈥檚 World Cup heads to Beaver Creek, Colorado, for speed races on December 14-15. Shiffrin plans to race the super-G on Sunday, Dec. 15. But that race is only two weeks away. Will Shiffrin recover by then?

Tremblant World Cup Canceled

In more ski-racing news: next weekend鈥檚 Tremblant World Cup was canceled. While Killington received 21 inches of snow on Thanksgiving Day, Tremblant was not as lucky. Due to a lack of snow, race organizers were forced to cancel the two women鈥檚 World Cup giant slaloms. The races were slated for next weekend, Dec. 7-8. 2024.

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Perhaps you saw headlines about a major backcountry rescue that occurred near Vermont’s Killington ski resort this past Saturday, January 20. from Vermont backcountry in freezing temperatures. saves 23 skiers and snowboarders lost in frigid Vermont backcountry.听

Perhaps you wondered, like I did, how nearly two-dozen skiers and snowboarders somehow got trapped and needed to be extracted amid bone-chilling conditions. Was this a birthday party gone wrong? Did the local ski club throw its annual kegger a little too deep in the woods? What the hell happened?

I phoned up Drew Clymer, the SAR coordinator for the Vermont State Police, who helped organize the operation, to try and understand how so many people got lost at the same time. Apparently, four different groups of skiers and boarders who were enjoying a day of skiing and riding at Killington Resort made the unfortunate decision to duck the ropes atop the Snowdon Six Express lift and head into the backcountry.

“These were all front-side resort skiers,” Clymer said. “We were rescuing skiers in the backcountry, but that doesn’t mean they were backcountry skiers.”

They descended into a steep gully called Brewers Brook that is known to accumulate powder. But when the skiers and boarders reached the bottom, they realized what lay ahead: a 2.5-mile boot-pack out over steep and icy terrain. They were cold and tired and lost. According to Clymer, nobody had touring equipment like climbing skins or splitboards. In total, 21 skiers and snowboarders were down there together鈥攕ix were children. Multiple people in the party eventually called 911.

Rutland Herald,听one skier in the group was even a Killington Resort employee. A resort spokesperson told the paper that the employee was fired after the incident.

The sheer size of the group鈥攊t swelled to 23 after two more skiers descended into Brewers Brook鈥攎eant that local cops couldn鈥檛 handle the group alone. Local dispatchers phoned state agencies, and eventually the local Killington Search and Rescue team, which sent 12 rescuers on skis and snowshoes into the backcountry. They led the group to safety. The entire operation took about six hours to complete. And afterward, SAR teams were left to contemplate why so many people made the same bad decision at the same time.

“This isn’t a scenario where people drifted off the side of the trails,” Clymer said. “These skiers make an intentional decision to duck the ropes and ignore the signs and put themselves in danger.”

Apparently, this scenario is not new. Clymer said the local SAR team had to rescue five from the ravine this past Thursday, and a whopping 15 on Friday. The reason for so many rescues, Clymer said, is the enticing powder that currently sits just beyond the resort boundary. After a crummy early season, Northeast resorts finally got fresh snowfall this past week. Killington received 15 inches of snowfall on Wednesday, January 17.

“It’s powder fever,” Clymer said.

It’s the latest story in the long history of people getting into danger while skiing just outside a resort鈥攖errain often referred to as “sidecountry.” In 2022, a Colorado skier named Nick Feinstein while skiing just outside the boundary of Breckenridge Resort. In 2021, an avalanche swept down an out-of-bounds slope , Washington鈥攖he slide buried six skiers, killing one. Park City, Utah to an out-of-bounds area called 9990 in 2021 following several fatalities. In 2011 a who had exited Snowmass Resort in Colorado. One of the party members did not survive.

Some resorts erect gates or ski area boundaries allowing access to popular backcountry areas while warning skiers and riders they are leaving controlled terrain. That鈥檚 not the case at Killington, Clymer said, where the resort boundary is clearly marked with ropes and warning signs. Like that of other resorts, Killing鈥檚 rules require visitors to stay off closed trails and out of closed areas. Placards atop Snowdon Mountain explicitly state that danger awaits skiers who head into Brewers Brook, he said.

But the ropes do little if nobody respects them.

“You look over the ropes and see waist-deep powder, and there are ski tracks everywhere,” Clymer said. “Sometimes it’s just too hard to say no.”

The post Why the Hell Did 23 Skiers Require Rescue near Killington Resort? appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

The Ford F-150 Lightning, the electric version of Ford鈥檚 super-popular pickup truck that came out last year, is my fantasy. I have a standard gas F-150 but with the Lightning, I could save hundreds of dollars鈥� worth of gas every month. The only thing holding me back from purchasing this particular electric vehicle? Something known as range anxiety. I travel a lot and I鈥檓 not sure the Lightning鈥檚 reported 320-mile battery range can handle the long miles I demand from my truck.

But the road-trip landscape is getting exponentially more EV-friendly every year. Several years ago, the average max range of an EV per charge was around 100 miles. Today that has more than doubled to 216 miles, according to the non-profit .

Even better news, the network of public charging stations is about to boom, with more than 51,000 already operating in the U.S., according to the Department of Energy. The federal government has allocated $7.5 billion to building more public EV chargers over the next several years to boost that number tenfold to 500,000 across the country by 2030.

In other words, it鈥檚 getting easier all the time to take an EV road trip. Just ask Liv and Patrick Leigh, veterans of multiple 1,000+ mile adventures in their Ford Mustang Mach-E, documented on their blog, 鈥淲e had a lot of anxiety heading out on our first EV road trip,鈥� Liv says. 鈥淏ut after several long trips and seeing friends crisscross the country in EVs, we know it can be done.鈥�

The key to a successful EV road trip, according to the Leighs, is to plan ahead, using apps like or , which offer maps of every public charging station in the country and update you on their status, so you鈥檒l know in advance if one is broken or busy. That advice is worth repeating: Download an app with real-time data.

There are plenty of EV-friendly road trip options out there, and most major car rental agencies now offer electric vehicles you can try out if you鈥檙e curious. In addition to gas savings and a lessened environmental impact, it鈥檚 possible that EVs actually make the Great American Road Trip even better than ever.

鈥淲e’ve learned to enjoy road trips even more now that we are taking an EV,鈥� Patrick Leigh says. 鈥淧reviously, in our gas car, road trips were all about getting to our destination as quickly as possible. 鈥� Now the EV gives us an excuse to stop, stretch our legs, talk to people, and enjoy the journey.鈥�

I鈥檝e mapped out seven scenic and adventurous road trips that you can pull off in an electric vehicle. Each starts from a large city, so you can rent an EV if you don鈥檛 have one, and all of them make the most of the burgeoning public charging network, which I’ve noted for each below. Maybe someday you鈥檒l see me out there in that Lightning.

1. The Classic Desert Road Trip: Las Vegas to Grand Canyon National Park

Length: 350 miles

Driving from Vegas to the Grand Canyon is about as iconic a road trip as you can get. With copious DC Fast Chargers along the southern route, including a brand-new one installed by Electrify America near the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, this classic route is an ideal option for EVs.

Day 1: Las Vegas to Flagstaff, Arizona

253 miles

This is a big-mileage day to get you out of Vegas and closer to the Grand Canyon, but there are some potential adventure stops along the way. Las Vegas is loaded with DC fast chargers, so juice up here. Then head south on Highway 93, crossing over the Colorado River below Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam as you enter Arizona. If it鈥檚 hot and you feel like taking a dip, head to , on the Arizona side of Lake Mead. Or keep heading south and hike the easy trail to , which is just a quick detour away. There鈥檚 a fast charger at the Kroger grocery store in the town of Kingman, about 100 miles into the trip, if you want to top off.

Your destination for the night is Flagstaff, Arizona, where has a mix of inn rooms and cottages surrounding communal outdoor space with fire pits, tables, and lawn games, also a sauna and plunge pool (from $114 a night). You can charge your car at the DC Fast charger at the Walmart off Route 66.

Day 2: Flagstaff to Grand Canyon National Park

80 miles

Head north from Flagstaff for 80 miles on Highway 180 and Highway 64 to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. There鈥檚 a hyper fast DC charger at the Grand Canyon Visitor Center in the Grand Canyon Village. If it鈥檚 your first time visiting the Grand Canyon, you鈥檙e obligated to hike the , which descends from the lip of the canyon to the Colorado River in 9.5 miles of switchbacks, dropping 4,500 feet in elevation. Most people don鈥檛 hike the whole trail, though, so consider an 11-mile out-and-back to Plateau Point, passing through wild gardens and petroglyphs before ending at the outcropping that gives the hike its name, with impressive views of the Colorado River and sandstone canyon walls.

2. The Island-Hopping Road Trip: Miami to Key West

170 miles

Much of the South is an EV-charging-station desert, but Florida is an outlier, with more than 2,500 public charging stations, the third-most of any state in the country. A lot of those stations are located in South Florida, making this fun, beach-centric road trip from Miami to the southern tip of America an EV breeze.

Tesla drivers in particular will find plenty of super chargers throughout the islands, but there are Electrify America Fast Chargers in Miami, Key Largo, and Key West. Many of the hotels and resorts also have chargers for guests, so consider an overnight at EV-friendly lodging.

Day One: Miami to Key Largo

70 miles

While still in Miami, hop on the daily paddle of Jones Lagoon, inside Biscayne Bay National Park, with the . The half-day adventure has you paddling a SUP through narrow channels between mangroves looking for turtles and baby sharks in the shallow, clear water ($99 per person).

From the park, head south 70 miles on Highway 1 to Key Largo, where you can snorkel on Molasses Reef, inside the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The live barrier reef is several miles off the coast, but sits in just 10 feet of water, making it an ideal spot for viewing. offers two afternoon trips to the reef daily ($70 per person).

Fuel up at the ElectrifyAmerica fast charging station at the Tradewinds shopping center in the middle of the island. has charging stations for guests, and its own private beach (from $412 a night).

Day Two: Key Largo to Key West

100 miles

Moving south through the Middle Keys, take time to kayak the half mile from Islamorada to an 11-acre island and park only accessible by small boat (entrance fee is $2.50 per person). Here you can hike through the ruins of a 19^th-century town that existed solely to salvage items from ships run aground on nearby reefs, or paddle the healthy seagrass that surrounds the island.

Returning to the road, you can visit the Monroe County Public Library on Marathon Key, which has a free public Level 2 charger. Your next destination is ($8 parking fee), which has one of the prettiest beaches in the entire country. Then continue south to Key West, where you can rent a bike to cruise the eight-square-mile island ( rents bikes of all kinds from $14 a day), and hit , a public beach lined with palm trees and easy, shallow-water snorkeling.

A number of hotels have slower Level 1 chargers that guests can plug into overnight, including the , which is located on the waterfront of Old Town Key West, putting you within walking distance of popular destinations like Mallory Square and Duval Street (from $360 a night). But there鈥檚 also an ElectrifyAmerica ultra-fast charger at the Bank of America on Key West, so you鈥檒l be able to recharge wherever you stay.

3. The Perfect Western Road Trip: Denver to Moab

360 miles

This is one of my all-time favorite road trips. Even though the majority of this drive is on the much-maligned I-70, the pit stops along the way are bucket-list worthy, and the final destination is highlighted by two of the most stunning national parks in the West. The I-70 corridor, loaded with DC fast chargers established by a number of different companies, is one of the most EV-friendly roads in the Rockies.

Day One: Denver to Glenwood Springs

75 miles

Get your junk miles out of the way as you head west on I-70 for 75 miles to Frisco, where your detours will be determined by the season. If it鈥檚 winter, you鈥檙e skiing at Breckenridge or Keystone. If you鈥檙e here during summer or shoulder seasons, take your mountain bike for a spin in the , which is free and has dedicated uphill and downhill trails designated by difficulty. The place has dirt jumps and a massive pump track, but don鈥檛 overdo it: there鈥檚 more mountain biking ahead.

Refuel at the DC fast charger at the Frisco Walmart, and drive past Vail (potential for fly fishing in the summer and powder in the winter) as you make your way to Glenwood Springs, where relaxation will be your priority.

Check out the , which are essentially natural steam rooms, and consider getting a room at the , so you can have immediate access to their hot springs-fed pool (from $199 a night). You have two options for refueling in Glenwood Springs, a ChargePoint fast charger at Starbucks or an ElectrifyAmerica at Target.

Day Two: Glenwood Springs to Palisade

75 miles

There are enough charging stations to get you all the way to Moab, but please鈥攕pend a day or so in Palisade, one of Colorado鈥檚 hidden gems and one of my favorite towns. If you鈥檙e here in ski season, gets 250 inches of snow a year, on 600 acres. If it鈥檚 bike weather, get a shuttle from and ride the 32-mile Palisade Plunge, a pedal-heavy downhill trail with plenty of technical bits and cliffy exposure (shuttle rides from $34 a person, available seasonally).

Day Three: Palisade to Moab, Utah

124 miles

There鈥檚 a DC fast charger at the Stop n Save in Grand Junction, just west of Palisade that you should hit on your way out of town, but also a fast charger at the city offices in the town of Fruita, near the border of Utah. In the way that people have long known to fill up on gas here, charge up before heading out into the desert.

OK, now you鈥檙e taking I-70 west to Highway 191 south into Moab, where you can choose from hiking in Arches National Park or Canyonlands National Park, or mountain biking in Dead Horse Point State Park. If I had to choose just one adventure, it would be the 7.6-mile traverse of the area inside Arches, which also takes in the postcard-worthy Landscape Arch.

Get a room at , in Moab, which has a fast charger and an outdoor pool and hot tub. There鈥檚 another charger for Teslas on Main Street. Be sure you charge your vehicle fully in town if you plan on exploring the desert, and keep an eye on your battery life, as there are currently no public chargers in the outlying areas.

4. The Vermont Ski Road Trip: Burlington to Killington

200 miles

Cold will reduce your EV battery life by about 25 percent (in below-freezing temps), according to a study by . That jumps to 50 percent if you鈥檙e running the heater. The good news? This particular road trip is low on total mileage with super chargers along the way and chargers at each resort. Recharge while you ski!

Day One: Burlington to Jay Peak, 70 miles

The town of Burlington has 80 Level 2 chargers, including a handful of plugs at Burton Snowboards that are open to the public on weekends and weekday evenings. There鈥檚 also a ChargePoint fast charger at Burlington鈥檚 Electric Department. After fueling up, head north 70 miles to only five miles south of the Canadian border, which enjoys some of the best snow east of the Rockies (more than 300 inches most seasons) over its 385 acres of terrain (lift ticket prices still TBD). The glades hold the best snow on this windy mountain. You鈥檒l find good tree runs off every lift, but Beaver Pond Glade has beautifully spaced trees with countless options for lines. Not into skiing? Jay Peak grooms more than 20 miles of fat-bike trails.

Jay Peak Resort has 14 Tesla chargers, and at the base of the resort has Level 2 chargers as well as Tesla connectors (average rate is $400 a night).

Day Two: Jay Peak to Stowe Mountain Resort

Wake early and head an hour south (60 miles) to , where almost 500 acres of skiable terrain is split across two mountains (lift tickets from $143 a day). The terrain is notoriously steep, with the famous Front Four trails (Goat, Liftline, National, and Starr) offering double-fall line, double-black pitches. For something less intimidating, check out Main Street, a long intermediate cruiser with views of the surrounding Green Mountains.

The has ski in/ski out digs (from $400 a night).

Stowe operates a handful of throughout the picturesque downtown, but you can also head straight to the and get some of the best IPAs in the Northeast while filling up at their DC Fast charger.

Day Three: Stowe to Killington

If you have an extra day, continue south for 85 miles to Killington Mountain Resort, but make sure you stop at the Ben and Jerry鈥檚 Factory, in Waterbury, where you can get a scoop from this iconic ice-cream brand and recharge at their DC fast charger. Killington Resort itself has a full assortment of chargers throughout the base area, so again you can As for the terrain, Killington, dubbed 鈥渢he Beast of the East,鈥� has 1,500 acres to choose from. The most iconic line on the mountain is Outer Limits, which offers 1,200 vertical feet of bumps. Park rats should check out The Stash, a hidden park developed in partnership with Burton with features scattered throughout the trees.

5. The Classic California Road Trip: Pacific Coast Highway from San Francisco to Big Sur

150 miles

California has more than 73,000 public charging stations, roughly a third of all such stations in the country, so if you suffer from range anxiety, consider any road trip in the Golden State the perfect option. This particular route is a mega classic, following the Pacific Coast Highway from San Francisco to Big Sur, hitting state beaches and inland forests.

Day One: San Francisco to Santa Cruz

80 miles

As you head south from San Francisco, stop at Pacifica, a beachfront town with good surf, a walkable pier, and dramatic coastline. Get the lay of the land by exploring Mori Point, a 110-acre swath of beach and bluffs that is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. You can peruse the black sand of Sharp Park Beach, or hike a through wildflower meadows that culminates with a bluff-top view of the Pacific.

Your next stop is the town of Half Moon Bay, where you can watch big wave legends surf Mavericks Beach, and top off at the DC fast charger at the Bank of America on Main Street. As you move below Half Moon Bay, you鈥檒l pass a series of State Park-managed beaches, most with dramatic landscapes where the cliffs meet the water, so you can鈥檛 go wrong with any detour. But has a mile of soft sand, an ever-evolving collection of driftwood art, and a very cool rock bridge jutting out of the sand ($8 parking fee). If you want to spot some wildlife, Reserve has a large population of breeding elephant seals that lounge on the beach during the winter ($10 entrance fee).

Hole up for the night in Santa Cruz, at , a funky but upscale inn in the center of town (from $156 a night) with an outdoor pool and fire pits. Charge your vehicle at the DC Fast Charger at the Whole Foods in the center of town.

Day Two: Santa Cruz to Big Sur

60 miles

If you鈥檙e itching to surf, head to Cowell鈥檚 Beach, a mellow break that鈥檚 protected from big swells and has a laid-back vibe that makes it beginner friendly ( has rentals from $30 a day). After testing the waters, continue south on Highway 1, hugging the coast and, if you like, hitting , which protects 1,000 acres of high dunes and pristine beach.

There are a couple of DC fast chargers as you approach Monterey, and an ElectrifyAmerica DC fast charger at the Target in Monterey proper. Juice up if you need to, and keep heading south toward Big Sur, with its awesome juxtaposition of cliffs, forest, and waves. You could spend a week in this nook of California and never get bored. Still, make time to explore Pfeiffer Beach, a day-use area in ($15 entry fee) which has cliffs, natural bridges, and purple sand. No kidding.

There鈥檚 no shortage of upscale digs in this lush corner of California, but it鈥檚 hard to beat the location of , which has renovated motor lodge rooms or cabins (from $385 a night) and its own hiking trail through towering redwoods where you鈥檒l find swimming holes on the Big Sur River. EV drivers can also refuel overnight at the Level 1 charger at the lodge.

DC fast chargers are scarce in Big Sur (so are cell and internet service), but Tesla drivers can juice up at the Ventana Supercharger on the south end. And as long as you topped off in Monterey, you should have plenty of juice for the return trip north.

Keep in mind that road closures do pop up on Highway 1 in Big Sur because of rock slides. Check page for current status.

6. A Stunning Pacific Coast Road Trip: The Southern Cascade Loop Scenic Highway

205 miles

We鈥檝e called the 440-mile Cascade Loop, which travels from the coast of Washington into the mountains and back, one of the prettiest drives in the country. It鈥檚 also one of the most EV friendly, and has been for almost a decade, thanks to Washington State鈥檚 emphasis on adding charging stations to its scenic byways. The northern portion of the highway is closed in the winter, but the southern part is open and awesome. You can see one itinerary in the link above, but below, we鈥檝e detailed a 200-mile option along the southern corridor with winter in mind. Think: Bavarian villages and endless cross-country ski trails.

Day One: Everett to Leavenworth, 100 miles

Pick up the southern leg of the Cascade Loop in Everett, just north of Seattle, and take Highway 2 east towards Leavenworth. Follow the Skykomish River and climb 4,000 vertical feet to , an 1,125-acre resort that sits at the top of the Cascade Range and pulls down more than 450 inches of snow a year (lift tickets from $100). Advanced skiers should head straight for the 7^th Heaven Chair and aim for the steep chutes that collect great powder and offer big bumps. Stevens Pass also offers the rare treat of night skiing.

Then head further east to the town of Leavenworth, a Bavarian-themed village that goes all out in the winter; the entire town is decked out with holiday lights from Thanksgiving to Valentine鈥檚 Day. The town also operates a small ski hill (named appropriately, 鈥淪ki Hill鈥�) with a tow rope and sledding run. In other seasons it is a center for hiking, boating, mountain biking, and climbing and bouldering.

There are a few DC fast chargers in Leavenworth, including one at City Hall and another at the Safeway grocery store. Grab a room at , a budget-friendly adventure inn in the heart of downtown with its own beer garden (from $109 a night).

Day Two: Leavenworth to the Methow Valley

Head down the east side of Stevens Pass on Highway 2 and take Highway 97 north into the Lake Chelan Valley, where more than 30 wineries dot the shores of Lake Chelan. Drop into the family-owned , where rows of grapes overlook the blue water of the lake and the tasting room is open daily. Show up in November and you can experience harvest season and taste wine straight from the barrel at certain events.

Continue north, taking Highway 153 directly into the heart of the Methow Valley, which boasts the largest network of groomed cross-country ski trails in the country. You鈥檒l have 130 miles of trails to choose from. Grab a day pass ($30, rentals ($30) and lessons (starting at $50) if you need them at .

, in Winthrop, offers direct access to the Methow Valley Ski Trails, as well as 20km of trails on the property, and a charging ports for guests (from $207 a night).

7. A Lake Michigan Road Trip: Traverse City to Manistee

150 miles

Michigan has one of the most robust charging infrastructures in the Midwest, increasing the number of chargers in the state by more than 200 percent in the last three years. Considering the car as we know it was born in Michigan, we appreciate seeing the state evolve with the tech. This road trip is short, but delivers, as it follows Highway 22 around Leelanau Peninsula, a skinny spit of land jutting out into Lake Michigan. There are cherries, lighthouses, beaches and dunes. Hit it now, before the snow hits, or wait until late spring. You鈥檒l begin and end in towns with DC fast chargers and have plenty of Level 2 options along the way.

Day One: Traverse City to Leland

60 miles

Juice up at the Hall Street Public Parking charger and head north on Highway 22 as it hugs the Grand Traverse Bay, offering countless views of Lake Michigan. When you hit Northport, head north of town to the tip of the peninsula to hike on the edge of Cat Head Bay. One of the oldest lighthouses in the Great Lakes Area sits on the edge of the park, and you can hike the 4.6-mile which will lead you by a small, interior lake and a sandy beach on Lake Michigan.

Moving south, take a pitstop at Hallstedt Homestead Cherries, a u-pick farm.

You鈥檒l pass which protects 1,700 acres of forest and sandy bluffs that鈥檚 popular with nesting eagles, aiming for the small town of Leland, which sits on an isthmus between Lake Michigan and Lake Leelanau, home to 鈥淔ishtown,鈥� a collection of historic fishing shacks. It鈥檚 a supremely walkable town with easy access to public beaches and boat launches. puts you in the heart of the action, with rooms overlooking the Leland Dam (from $179 a night). You can walk to Van鈥檚 Beach to catch the sunset, then peruse town for some fish sausage. Yes, that鈥檚 a thing.

Day Two: Leland to Manistee

Continue south on Highway 22 and drive directly to ($25 entrance fee per car), home to massive sand dunes that rise 450 feet above Lake Michigan. Spend some time here climbing the dunes (yes, it鈥檚 allowed) and relaxing at the Platte River Point, where the river of the same name flows into the lake.

Heading further south, grab a beer at in Frankfort and end the day in Manistee, where you鈥檒l want to catch another sunset at Fifth Avenue Beach, and stroll the pier to the Manistee North Pierhead Lighthouse. The , in Manistee, will put you on the water and it has a Level 2 charger for EVs (rooms from $171 a night). The Marathon Gas Station has a DC fast charger where you can refuel.

Graham Averill is 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine鈥檚 national parks columnist. He鈥檚 been an avid road-tripper ever since becoming obsessed with the Beat poets as a teenager. An electric road trip is enticing to Graham because he likes the idea of taking a nap while his car charges mid-trip.

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You won鈥檛 find spring music festivals and the听typical end-of-season听festivities at ski resorts this year鈥攖he pandemic is still not over, as much as we want it to be鈥攂ut that doesn鈥檛 mean spring skiing has been canceled.听Conditions ranging from听powder to听slushy corn snow are on offer well into April in many states, and best of all, most of the midwinter crowds are now gone. Here are some of our favorite picks around the country for spring ski trips.

Breckenridge, Colorado

plans to stay听open through Memorial Day weekend, making it one of the longest operating ski resorts in the country. With a summit elevation of nearly 13,000 feet, snow at the top of the mountain stays cold here even as the weather starts to turn.听Breck鈥檚 big spring festivals,听like Breck Pride and the听concert-packed Spring Finale,听are on hold this year, but the ample sunshine and laid-back vibes are not.听 for skiing (day tickets from $179), so plan ahead. For a day off from the slopes, head to the听, which has听doubled its fat-bike rental fleet due to increased demand. And the 60-room (from $179), a five-minute walk from the Quicksilver Lift, has three snow cabanas serving homestyle shared plates from the hotel鈥檚 Cabin Juice restaurant. Finally,听be sure to check out the new 听in town for its eclectic tasting menu and music-inspired wine list, offered in one of two cozy six-person yurts in its front yard (from $115 per person, minimum of four people; 脿听la carte dishes are available inside).

Mount Hood Meadows, Oregon

Spring at听听usually means beer festivals, banked slalom races, and pond skimming. This year听some of that will still take place, but mostly听you鈥檒l come for the sunshine, a ski season that extends听into May, and the chance to听 at the base听(overnight parking permit from $4). The ski area currently sells a听 (from $239) that鈥檚 valid for the remainder of the season. For a fun听Pacific Northwest road trip, hit up听, also on Mount Hood,听known for its extra-long season, and听, less than three hours away in Bend, with听great spots to听 come this time of year.

Killington, Vermont

is known for having one of the longest seasons on the East Coast, typically staying open into May or even June. Show up on a sunny spring weekend and you can lap soft bumps under the Superstar quad, then tailgate in the parking lot with coolers and grills. The resort鈥檚听 (from $249) gets you unlimited access from now until the end of the season at both Killington and neighboring听; your pass will also score you听 at the 听(from $266).

Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, California

Billed as the spring-skiing capital of the U.S.,听听frequently gets听ample amounts of snow through March and April, which means the two neighboring resorts can stay open well into May (they鈥檝e even been known to reopen for the Fourth of July). Typical spring skiing here includes music festivals like听 (on hold until听2022) and on-mountain revelry like the听 and the Cushing Crossing Pond Skim, also听both likely on hold this year. No matter: you can still ski perfect corn snow off Sherwood Chair at Alpine, then hang out in a lawn chair in the Subway parking lot while eating a bratwurst from the听. Ikon听pass holders can score up to 30 percent off lodging at the听 (from $598) through Memorial Day.

Mount Bohemia, Michigan

Spring skiing in Michigan brings mild temperatures, deep snow depths, and sweet late-season deals. Head to the Upper Peninsula鈥檚 , which averages over 270 inches of lake-effect snow annually听and has two main lifts and four shuttle busses that access 585 acres of rugged, ungroomed terrain. Mount Bohemia tends to stay open until the end of April,听and on spring weekends, you can ski until 5 P.M. Sleep in a 鈥攖he resort鈥檚 spring-break special includes lift tickets, meals, and lodging from $75 per person听per day.

Sugarloaf, Maine

usually hosts its popular Reggae Fest in mid-April. That won鈥檛 happen this season,听but spring at the Loaf is still a guaranteed good time, and the mountain usually stays open until the end of April. If you for next season, you can start using听it now to ski the rest of this month (from $569). The resort still听plans to host its popular East Coast Pondskimming Championships on April 17. Book a room at the听 (from $287), which has a brewery inside.听

Snowbird, Utah

Boasting Utah鈥檚 longest ski season,听 has been known to stay open until early July after听deep-snow winters. This year is looking promising, with more than 300 inches of snowfall already on the slopes. Plus, April and May can still bring big storms to Little Cottonwood Canyon. When it鈥檚 a bluebird day, there鈥檚 no better place to be than listening to live music on the Plaza Deck after a day听skiing laps off Snowbird鈥檚 legendary Cirque. From now until May 2, you can听 slopeside at Snowbird, including lift tickets, starting at $145.

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On Wednesday morning, we got more information on the much-anticipated .听 The Ikon is seen as a competitor to Vail鈥檚 , which turned the industry on its ear when it debuted in 2008, offering unlimited access to a half-dozen world-class resorts for less than $600. It has since dominated the industry, buying up Park City and Whistler Blackcomb and prompting independent resorts to band together to offer passes through the . Last year, Aspen Skiing Company joined KSL Capital Partners to buy ten resorts, including Mammoth, and Steamboat. Since then, skiers have been anxiously waiting for the pass that would gain them access to the company's holdings.

We finally got those details. The Ikon pass grants access to 26 North American ski resorts. Pass holders will be able to access to 12 of them, including Mammoth, Steamboat, and Squaw Valley, without restrictions. They will also get a handful of days at another dozen including Aspen, Jackson Hole, and Killington. Revelstoke, Sugarbush, and Banff鈥檚 Lake Louise, Banff Sunshine, and Mt. Norquay trio鈥攁ll of which were part of the Mountain Collective鈥攁re also joining the pass.

The Ikon will sell for $899 for a full pass, and $599 for a pass with holiday blackout dates and two fewer days at key partners like Jackson Hole, Killington, and Big Sky. While Vail hasn鈥檛 announced Epic Pass pricing for next season, we expect it to be fairly similar to this year鈥檚 $849 pass. Which means we can finally compare the two mega passes boot-to-boot with (almost) all the pieces in place.

Which pass gets me the most access?

The Ikon includes unlimited skiing at a dozen resorts including Steamboat, Copper, and Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows (see the ), and seven days each at Deer Valley, Jackson Hole, Big Sky, Killington, Revelstoke, and Sugarbush. Then there are four groups of mountains鈥攖he four Aspen/Snowmass peaks; Alta and Snowbird; Banff, Lake Louise, and Mt. Norquay; and a grouping of Sunday River, Sugarloaf, and Loon Mountain鈥攖hat also offer seven days per group. That鈥檚 a total of 26 resorts at 63,709 acres.

Telluride has jumped ship from the Mountain Collective to the Epic Pass, giving holders seven days at the resort. It joins unlimited skiing at 15 resorts, including Vail, Breckenridge, Park City, and Whistler Blackcomb, for a total of 46,000 acres. The Epic Pass also includes a handful of days apiece at 30 different European resorts in Italy, France, Switzerland, and Austria, some of which require booking lodging. That adds more than 100,000 acres to the mix, which throws the Epic pass far into the lead if you take a European ski vacation.

How many days will I have to ski to make the passes pay for themselves?

With lift tickets pushing $169 a day during holidays at both Aspen and Vail, you鈥檒l pay for either pass in six days of skiing at those resorts.

While most other resorts (hopefully) won鈥檛 hit those prices next season, you鈥檒l still easily pay for the pass in a five-day trip to the Rockies or British Columbia plus a couple of local New England or California weekends (where it鈥檚 easy enough to score an $80 ticket on Liftopia).

If you are lucky enough to live near a resort with unlimited skiing, the Ikon and Epic passes are a no-brainer. And if you take more than one ski trip in a year, it makes just as much sense. The only reason that serious skiers wouldn鈥檛 want one of these is if they live in Aspen, Jackson, or Telluride and don鈥檛 plan on traveling to ski. Then the resort pass (which fall in the $1,400-$2,000 range) is a better deal.

Who is happiest today?

Skiers who live in metropolitan areas in the Rockies.

Denver skiers can now pick from Ikon鈥檚 unlimited skiing at, in order of driving distance from the front range, Eldora, Winter Park, Steamboat, and Copper. Or they can buy the Epic and instead ski Keystone, A-Basin, Breck, Vail, Beaver Creek, or Telluride. It鈥檚 hard to lose.

Salt Lakers can pick between Park City鈥檚 unlimited Epic Pass, or go with the Ikon鈥檚 seven days at Alta/Snowbird and Deer Valley, with an easy drive to a week in Jackson Hole.

Who is not as happy?

Anybody living in Aspen. We suspect that many in the Roaring Fork valley assumed that they鈥檇 get all access to the local hill plus all the others, since the owners of Aspen (the Crown family) are also members of the group that runs the Ikon Pass.

Steamboat residents have to be a little torn. On the one hand, their season pass just dropped from $1,400 (or $1,200 for the early bird) to $899, now with skiing at a bunch of other resorts. On the other hand, here comes everyone.

What鈥檚 the better pass if I live east of the Mississippi River?

With full time access to Stratton, Tremblant, Blue, and Snowshoe鈥攁nd a week apiece at Killington, Sugarbush, and some combo of Sunday River, Sugarbush and Loon鈥攖he Ikon is the obvious choice for the Ice Coaster. (The Epic鈥檚 lone East Coast entry is Stowe.)

Midwesterners will probably want to go with the Epic, thanks to access to Afton Alps, Wilmot, and Mt. Brighton.

How about if I live in California?

Southern Californians are going to want the Ikon, with its access to Mammoth and Big Bear and the road-trippable Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows and June Mountain. For northern Californians, the choice is tougher. Tahoe resorts Northstar, Heavenly, and Kirkwood are part of the Epic Pass, and Vail also offered a last year for $549 with unrestricted riding at the California resorts and five days at the Rockies resorts.

Should I get one of the lower-priced passes?

The lower-tier Ikon Base pass ($599, if you鈥檝e forgotten) is pretty similar to the Epic Local Pass, which came in at $639 last year. Both restrict access in exchange for the lower price. The Ikon Base blacks out Presidents Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekends, as well as the week after Christmas (December 26 to 31). It also gives passholders five days apiece at the partner resorts instead of seven.

Vail鈥檚 Epic Local Pass, on the other hand, at all to Breckenridge, Keystone, A-Basin, and the Midwestern hills last year, though it did black out peak periods at Park City and the Tahoe resorts, and allotted just ten days total at Vail, Beaver Creek, Stowe, and Whistler Blackcomb, with blackouts during Thanksgiving, Christmas week, Presidents Day, and Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekends. The听Epic is probably a better pass if you want to do some skiing somewhere holiday times.

What pass is better for families with kids?

Ikon, hands down. The Ikon pass for kids under 12 is $199 if you also buy an adult Ikon pass. Last year, the Epic Pass for kids under 12 was $449. (Though it wouldn鈥檛 be entirely surprising if Vail lowers their rate to compete with the Ikon.)

Which pass has better skiing?

This is like comparing Ford to Chevy. The Epic has some, well, epic skiing at Whistler, A-Basin, and Vail; Ikon has Squaw Valley, Mammoth, and days at Snowbird, Jackson, and Aspen.

If there鈥檚 one thing that differentiates the passes, it鈥檚 their respective mountains鈥� proximity to populated areas. The Epic Pass鈥檚 mountains are clustered near major cities鈥擠enver, Salt Lake City, Vancouver, and the Bay Area鈥攚hile the Ikon has farther flung partners like Jackson Hole, Revelstoke, and Aspen. If you want ease of access, go with the Epic; if you want to avoid the heavier lift lines, you鈥檒l appreciate the Ikon.

Wait, what about Crested Butte, Sun Valley, and Taos?

As of today, each is un-aligned with either pass. Each are a part of the Mountain Collective, however, which will continue next season (with the subtraction of Telluride). After that, though, we鈥檇 expect all three to be fielding offers from both Ikon and Epic.

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ALL NIGHT LONG
ASPEN, COLORADO
Think Hot Tub Time Machine, only without the time machine. No ski town has better dining, or gaudier parties. Apr猫s among plentiful fur at the Little Nell, at the base of the gondola. Feast on fish at Kenichi (think Nobu-quality sushi in the midst of a rave). Then work into the night with billiards at Eric’s Bar. For the liveliest scene, go during the Winter X Games (January) or the newly announced March concert series.

NO JACKET REQUIRED
CRESTED BUTTE, COLORADO
This funky little former mining town hosts some of the rowdiest community-wide parties in the state. Some are family affairs (Winter Carnival, Torchlight), several involve the burning of effigies (Vinotok and Flauschink), but mark Big Air on Elk on your calendar (March 12, 2011), when they cover the main drag (Elk Avenue) with snow and hold a big air competition in the middle of downtown.

OLD SCHOOL
KILLINGTON, VERMONT
Thrash yourself skiing bumps on Outer Limits, or rip groomers off Killington Peak. But save some energy for after hours. The same iconic bars where your dad raged in college鈥攖he Wobbly Barn and the Pickle Barrel鈥攕till (literally) shake most nights. Start off with beers on the Bear Mountain Lodge deck while pelting strangers with snowballs. (It’s local custom.) Then go deep at the Wobbly and the Pickle.

HOLLYWOOD NIGHTS
PARK CITY, UTAH
Utah may be the land of tiny (one shot only!) martinis and 3.2 beer. And then there’s Park City. Its Main Street is packed with more than 25 bars and clubs. Lindzee O’Michaels is the new local hot spot. O’Shucks is the place to be on Tuesdays ($3 schooners, $3 burgers). And, late night, Downstairs has big-name DJs spinning every Saturday, including guest appearances by owner Danny Masters (DJ Mom Jeans).

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Sugarbush

Fresh Tracks

Heli- and cat skiing have long been luxuries afforded only to western skiers. Sugarbush changes half that with its new cat program, which gives 13 skiers free rein on the venerable resort’s New England聳style trails any morning the fresh stuff falls. Congregate in Timbers Restaurant at 6:45 A.M., then pile into the Lincoln Limo, a flatscreen-TV-equipped cat that rolls the crew to Sugarbush South’s 4,000-foot summit. Reservations are best made a day in advance. (We suggest you bookmark NOAA’s storm-watch Web site, , and look for eastbound weather systems above the Great Lakes.) From $75;

: Stowe

Euro Style

Stowe Mountain Resort

With its exposed, alpine-style peak, international crowd, and plummeting trails, Stowe has always felt like a grand European resort. Now it finally has the lodging and amenities of one. Opened in 2008, the stone-and-timber Stowe Mountain Lodge affords Vail-style luxury (doubles from $230; ), while the nearby Spruce Camp Base Lodge聴a complex of apr猫s bars, retail shops, and outdoor fire pits聴provides post-skiing fun. The slopes have been upgraded, too: Intermediate-friendly Spruce Peak has two new high-speed quads and a fully automated snowmaking system, plus a ten-person gondola accessing Mount Mansfield’s superior steeps. Lift tickets, $84;

: Mad River Glen

Old-School

Mad River Glen

The only news coming out of Mad River Glen is that there is no news, and that’s how its 1,800 ski-hard shareholders like it. In fact, the closest thing to an upgrade happened in 2007, when Mad River renovated its legendary single-chair聴the last in the lower 48聴with an electric motor. Everything else remains the same. Which is to say, untamed. Steep trails follow the mountain’s fall lines, huck-worthy boulders abound in the glades, and lurching lifts ensure that slopes never get crowded. Showboat down the bump-rutted Chute, beneath the lift’s highly opinionated audience, then nurse your bruised ego over a pint of Magic Hat’s Single Chair Ale at the General Stark’s Pub. Midweek lift tickets, $39; weekend tickets, $62;

: Killington

Best Park

Due to its high prices and Manhattanite-choked slopes, Killington gets the worst rap of all Vermont ski areas. Which isn’t entirely fair聴on this coast, the resort’s size and terrain go unmatched. Spanning seven miles across six peaks, Killington serves up more than 3,000 feet of vertical. Then there’s the Stash, a year-old, all-natural terrain park designed with the help of Jake Burton. The half-mile-long park offers glades, log slides, and even a sugar-shack warming hut, whose steeply pitched roof doubles as a massive kicker. At day’s end, saddle up to the Lookout Bar and Grill’s mountain-view deck, then crash at the Killington Grand Resort Hotel and Spa. Doubles from $199; lift tickets, $77;

Skiing Back West

WESTERN PREP


Fly Like a Grommet


There’s a reason those X Gamers make their aerials look effortless: They’ve got the world’s best training facilities at their disposal. Oh, and talent. This winter, Woodward at Copper, a new action-sports training academy at Colorado’s Copper Mountain, begins offering at least half that recipe with a three-story Snowflex center. Coaches like Olympic gymnast Phoebe Mills and X Gamer Jess Cumming will have you landing flips (in a foam pit) after the first lesson. Daylong courses, $199;

NORTHWESTERN PAD


Trail Trailers


Mazama, Washington’s year-old, steel-and-wood Rolling Huts take minimalist prefab architecture into the adventure realm. Set on 40 acres in the ponderosa-heavy Methow Valley, the six fireplace-and-WiFi-equipped huts, designed by architect Tom Kundig to resemble a souped-up trailer park, provide direct access to the Methow’s 125-mile network of groomed nordic trails. Hut rentals, $110;

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The Classic

Powder Skiing

Once you experience Alta's powder, you too will be an Altaholic

ALTA SKI AREA, Utah: Not only does Alta get twice as much snow as less blessed resorts聴it averages 500 inches聴but its flakes are also lighter and drier. Maybe that’s why nearly 80 percent of Alta’s skiers return each year to the resort’s old-school lodges.

The Ride
KIRKWOOD MOUNTAIN RESORT, California: They measure storms in feet, not inches, at this low-key Tahoe resort. New this year is Burton’s Powder Progression Program, the first U.S. school that teaches boarders how to ride knee-deep powder.

The Secret
KICKING HORSE MOUNTAIN RESORT, British Columbia: It’s the anti-Whistler: no crowds, virtually no nightlife, and no wet snow. But the gondola system, which rises 3,800 vertical feet, might very well be North America’s single best lift.

The Exception
JAY PEAK RESORT, Vermont: Because it sits just south of the Canadian border, Jay receives an average of six feet of snow a month in winter, nearly twice as much as any other Eastern resort. Plus it boasts some of state’s longest, rowdiest runs.

The Mystery
MT. BAKER SKI AREA, Washington: The Pineapple Express (a subtropical jet stream) can be cruel to Northwest resorts. But when cooler temps prevail, it can be glorious: Last year, Baker received almost 350 inches before Christmas.

Classics

Total Package
PARK CITY MOUNTAIN RESORT, Utah: Award-winning terrain parks, impressive (and unsung) big-mountain terrain, and, thanks to the town’s lax attitude, the best nightlife in the state. Tip: Fly in early, bring your boarding pass to the ticket window, and ski for free the day you arrive.

Supersize
WHISTLER BLACKCOMB, British Columbia: With 8,000 acres of terrain and 33 feet of snow per year, this B.C. mainstay is the epitome of big-mountain skiing. The annual Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival (April 11 to 20) is the biggest snow-sports party on the planet.

High Variety
VAIL, Colorado: Vail’s 5,000 acres of trails have something for everyone, from immaculately groomed cruisers to famed powder-filled back bowls. Nightlife is equally diverse, with everything from five-star dining to Mardi Gras聳like mayhem at the season-ending CarniVail (Feb. 3聳5).

Historic
TELLURIDE SKI RESORT, Colorado: Sandwiched among the jagged San Juan Mountains, this tiny, surprisingly hip old mining town boasts as many restaurants per block as Manhattan. But unlike in the Big Apple, there’s a gondola that accesses 3,500 feet of vertical just a few steps from your hotel’s front door.

East Meets West
KILLINGTON RESORT, Vermont: In terms of reliable nightlife (100 bars and restaurants) and variety of terrain, the East Coast’s largest resort (1,200 acres spread out over seven hills) can’t be beat. No new snow? No problem. The mountain has one of the most extensive snowmaking systems in the world.

Snowboarding

High Variety
COPPER MOUNTAIN, Colorado: Can one resort have it all? Copper makes a strong case. Carve groomers, hop on the snowcat that accesses Tucker Mountain’s wide-open bowls and chutes, or take a lap through the Catalyst Terrain Park聴all in one morning.

Park & Pipe
BRECKENRIDGE, Colorado: With a dedication to maintaining one of the best pipes in North America, Breck has established itself as a perennial favorite among the jibber crowd. This year, the resort adds a new park progression system on Peak 8.

Powder
BRIGHTON, Utah: Easy access (it’s an hour from the Salt Lake City airport), mellow crowds, and 500 inches of great snow annually are three good reasons to hit this resort in Big Cottonwood Canyon. But it makes our must-go list because of its diversity, from three linked top-to-bottom terrain parks to sidecountry access with cliff drops and chute squeezes.

All-Mountain
NORTHSTAR-AT-TAHOE, California: Thanks to runs like The Stash, a top-to-bottom tree run, all-mountain freeriders can hone skills on natural jibs, bounce down a pillow line, or clear a road gap at this 2,490-acre resort near Truckee. .

Legend
STRATTON MOUNTAIN, Vermont: This historic hill is home to snowboarding’s marquee event, the U.S. Open, and served as the proving grounds for the first Burton snowboard. The reason on both counts? It’s a boarder’s paradise, thanks to few traverses and the best terrain park in the Northeast.

Backcountry Skiing

DIY
SILVERTON MOUNTAIN, Colorado: With its wall-tent base lodge, lone double lift, and seriously badass big mountain, this “resort” is the scruffy soul of North American skiing. Early and late season, experienced skiers can now opt to go self-guided for just $49.

Cat Power
BALDFACE LODGE, British Columbia: There are dozens of cat-skiing operations in the province, but those in the know head to Baldface for its combination of wickedly steep and vast (36,000 acres) terrain and gourmet cuisine.

Powder Hunters
SUN VALLEY HELI-SKI GUIDES, Idaho: If there’s fresh snow out there, these guys will find it: Their 750-square-mile playground includes three mountain ranges. Packages include unlimited vertical feet daily. Tip: Fly standby for just $625 day (normal rate is $925).

Get Schooled
JACKSON HOLE MOUNTAIN RESORT, Wyoming: Hire one of the resort’s guides ($235 a day) and sample the chutes and bowls just outside the resort’s boundaries, or sign up for the Grand Slam smorgasbord, a four-day package that includes heli-skiing, cat skiing, touring, and freeskiing ($1,895).

High Variety
PURCELL MOUNTAIN LODGE, British Columbia: Mixed group of nordic and downhill skiers? This helicopter-accessed eco-lodge has something for everyone, from snowshoeing to guided backcountry tours.

Nordic Skiing

Set a personal best or take in the scenery at these top nordic races and resorts.

Royal Gorge, California: Snow dumps by the foot on Donner Pass, near Tahoe, where you’ll find over 9,000 acres of skiable terrain. The resort’s Ice Lakes Lodge now has free wireless to go with the trailside location.

Soldier Hollow, Utah: Got a pro and a newbie in the party? You’ll find trails for everyone at this lodge, site of the nordic events for the 2002 Winter Olympics.

Stowe Derby, Vermont: This fast and fun 16K race starts at the top of an alpine hill and ends in downtown Stowe. February 17;

Crested Butte Alley Loop, Colorado: Ski the town’s streets and alleys in this high-altitude classic. February 2;

Trapp Family Lodge, Vermont: Yes, that Trapp family. It may be in New England, but the lodge and impeccably groomed trails are straight out of Austria.

Devil’s Thumb Ranch, Colorado: Gently rolling terrain surrounded by the Rockies makes this a skier’s paradise.

Ice Climbing

Ice Climbing

Ice Climbing

From parks to peaks, here’s where to find vertical ice near you.

Ouray, Colorado: Ouray Ice Park is home to the country’s preeminent ice festival; this winter’s is scheduled for January 9 to 13.

Mount Washington, New Hampshire: No surprise that the mountain with record cold temperatures is a good bet for ice. Get pointers from the local International Mountain Climbing School, or join others for the Mount Washington Valley Ice Festival in February.

Hyalite Canyon, Montana: South of Bozeman, Hyalite Creek seeps into steep crags and drips down sheer faces, creating ice routes from beginner to pro level.

Canmore, British Columbia: For natural waterfall ice, a long season, and some of the hardest multipitch routes in the world, go to Canmore. Local guides at Yamnuska Mountain 国产吃瓜黑料s can get you started.

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan: There are hundreds of world-class ice routes up the frozen waterfalls that ring Lake Superior. The Sunday ice-climbing socials offered by Marquette outfitter Down Wind Sports are a great place to start.

Camping

Winter Camping

Winter Camping

Winter-camping newbie? Here are five beautiful backcountry spots.

Boundary Waters, Minnesota: Cross-country-ski three miles north across Sawbill Lake and camp on one of the many unnamed islands in this Scandinavia-like wilderness. Tip: Rent a pulk in Ely at Piragis ().

White Mountain National Forest, New Hampshire: Join the hundreds of adventuresome (and often downright rowdy) skiers who make the annual pilgrimage to Tuckerman Ravine every spring. Trek in from Pinkham Notch Camp and set up your tent a half-mile from the Bowl at Hermit Lake Shelters.

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado: This classic destination sees just a handful of winter visitors. Snowshoe or ski 3.5 miles from Glacier Gorge Trailhead 760 feet up to the 10,000-foot Glacier Gorge campsite, where you’ll have views of Longs Peak all to yourself.

Yosemite National Park, California: Cross-country-ski Wawona Meadow Trail until you hit Mariposa Grove. The towering sequoias here are among the largest living trees in the world.

Winter Cycling

From lunchtime quickies to official events, there’s a winter ride that’s right for you.

Boulder, Colorado: The famed Morgul-Bismarck 13.1-mile circuit is an anytime torturefest that ends with a climb up a 12 percent grade.

Seattle, Washington: This February join the Cascade Bicycle Club for the Chilly Hilly, a well-named ride (there’s 2,600 feet of climbing in 33 miles) around Bainbridge Island.

Boston, Massachusetts: The Charles River trail, a 14-mile out-and-back loop to Watertown, is our favorite.

Minneapolis, Minnesota: Frigid temps don’t deter too many folks here: Layer up and try the designated one-way Chain of Lakes trail (3 to 20 miles).

Chicago, Illinois: Whenever there’s two-plus inches of snow, a hardy crew heads out for an urban ride from Wicker Park’s Handlebar Bar and Grill ().

Tropical Getaway

Stick your toes in the sand this winter.

The Tides, Zihuatanejo, Mexico: Lush gardens, modern suites finished in traditional Mexican hues, and the mighty Pacific a few steps away. Doubles from $330;

Cayo Espanto, Belize: Six new five-star villas, but with an intact pastel Caribbean soul. Bonus: You get the bonefishing (and beach) to yourself聴it’s a private island. Doubles from $995;

The Moorings Village Resort, Islamorada, Florida: The quick fix: a long weekend at this luxe Florida Keys resort, which fronts more than a thousand feet of white-sand beach. Doubles from $250;

The Sarojin, Khao Lak, Thailand: Sea-kayak or snorkel on the Andaman Sea, or relax in your suite’s freestanding stone tub at this swanky spa and resort. Doubles from $185;

Maho Bay Camps, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands: Allergic to all-inclusives? This rustic camp’s 114 tent cottages dot the hill above a secluded white-sand beach. Propane stove, cooking utensils, and bedding provided. You bring the rest. Doubles from $80;

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禄 When the boys wouldn’t let her play, decided to start her own game: women’s park-and-pipe skiing

禄 Skip the high-rise hotels for five of our favorite

禄 The best-decked are perfect for revelers and hecklers

禄 Nordic novelty is a skinny-skiing freestyle badass

禄 With sprawling blues, 50-degree chutes, and a lift ticket also good at Big Sky, , Montana’s newest resort, is a secret paradise

禄 has nothing to do with face shots and meaty hucks. Or does it?

禄 Meet , Canada’s next gravity-violating superstar

禄 Bean buzz: We suss the best ski-hill

禄 The new, new thing in resort terrain parks:

禄 Atypical , from chaplain to surgeon to brewmeister

禄 The world’s greatest alpine racer has an opinion on just about everything, including the best Rx for your turns

禄 Say it with us: “I’ve got a little place up in Aspen.” We dish the .

禄 Forget the tickets to Turin; the perfect place to is a rough-edged Gem State watering hole

禄 We hit the streets and peaks of Sun Valley, Idaho, mixing apr猫;s and play in mountain-ready technical wear and town-tested casual threads

禄 The best new boards and skis, from Salomon, K2, Burton, Arbor, Ride, Atomic, and others

PLUS: Why are low-impact athletes like cyclists and swimmers ending up with bones as brittle as a 70-year-old’s? Turns out to build mass. We lay out a sound plan for strong bones. PLUS: What makes a good skier? In our newest column, we reveal what it takes to .

Nordic Revolutionary

Andrew Newell: Nordic Skier

Cross-country skiing in the U.S. suffers from the soccer syndrome—lots of people do it, but nobody watches the pros. The fact that our Olympians have earned just one medal, in 1976, hasn’t helped. Enter Andrew Newell, 21, a Turin-bound sprinter from Shaftsbury, Vermont, who’s using his skinny skis to pull off terrain-park tricks. In the past three years, Newell has produced two nordic-action flicks, and he consulted with ski manufacturer Fischer during the development of the new Jibskate, a twin-tip nordic ski engineered more for hucks than laps. Is the future of cross-country up—way up—in the air? Christopher Solomon had to ask.

OUTSIDE: You’ve called cross-country skiing “the most gnarly, badass sport there is.” Are you kidding?
Newell: Maybe that’s a little much, but it’s painful to be a world-class nordic skier. We push our bodies above and beyond what is even considered healthy. I throw up after probably half my races.

When did you start pulling tricks on skinny skis?
I was into skateboarding and surfing as a kid—I still am—and looked up to guys like Gerry Lopez, who added a new level of style and individuality to his sport. Plus I just wanted to have fun on skis. So I would go out and build jumps after practice.

Not everyone likes what you’re doing.
I’ve heard of coaches who won’t let their skiers hang posters of me because they don’t want them to go out and hurt their backs. And some traditionalists don’t like things in our movies—scenes of us shooting guns and drinking beer and having a good time. But we’re Vermont rednecks at heart. You can’t make everyone happy, you know?

Your movies are odd.
We’re trying to attract more kids to the sport and bring American cross-country skiing up to a world-class level. We need to show them that we’re not just these endurance “nordic dorks” who sit around worrying about their heart rates.

But aren’t backflips a distraction for a sprinter?
Tricks helped me get to where I am now with my balance. Cross-country skiing is all about balance.

Anything special up your sleeve for the Olympics?
No—I need to focus on racing. But on European courses there are a lot of little bumps, so sometimes I will throw a 360 during warm-ups. I can’t help giving something to the crowd.

Newest Rush

Aspen Highlands’ Newest Rush

As if the 1,500 feet of up to 45-degree treeless chutes and pine glades in Aspen’s Highland Bowl (hike-to terrain only) weren’t enough to max out your lung capacity and singe your quads, this winter you’ll have 1,000 more feet of expert-only vertical. In seven minutes, the new Deep Temerity triple chair rockets you 1,700 feet to the top of Loge Peak, where 180 new acres of steep snow alleys, wide aspen groves, and pine forests await your turns. The lift also eliminates the ten-minute Grand Traverse cat track out from the base of Highland Bowl, so you can exploit every penny’s worth of that precious $78 lift ticket. 800-525-6200,

Pipe Queen

Kristi Leskinen: Freestyle Skier

Kristi Leskinen

Kristi Leskinen

When top U.S. freestyle skier Kristi Leskinen drops into the Aspen superpipe this January at ESPN’s Winter X Games, expect the following: an audacious rodeo 720 (two backward, off-axis flips) and an ear-to-ear grin (even if she biffs).

Well, maybe that’s pushing it. But these days Leskinen, 24, has a hard time losing her smile. After four years of hounding X Games organizers, the Uniontown, Pennsylvania, native has gotten what she wants: a chance to compete. A gifted athlete with a penchant for alternative sports (at 18, she placed fourth at the amateur world wakeboarding championships), Leskinen was stuck on the X Games sidelines while freestyle remained men-only. Her trick for amping up the buzz for high-flying females? Taking off her skis鈥攁nd some clothes, too.

In 2001, a year after she scored her first role in the ski flick The Game, Leskinen posed for a sexy Nordica pinup. The exposure had a surprisingly powerful side effect. “She showed that there actually were girls in this sport,” says Denise Jaworsky, 22, a top-ten finisher at the U.S. Open. “It inspired others like me to join in.”

Leskinen then began relentlessly pestering event managers for inclusion; finally, in 2005, the X Games hosted its first women’s freestyle contest. (Leskinen took third.) But her success hasn’t kept her from appearing in more fleshy photo shoots, including a lingerie spread in FHM in February. “If it can attract more interest in the sport, that’s never a bad thing,” she says. “If it draws more women, that’s a great thing.”

Still, Leskinen is hardly considering a career makeover. “I’m not a model,” she insists. “I’m a skier.”

Rising Star

Dana Flahr: Freeskier

Dana Flahr

Name: Dana Flahr Home: Whistler, British Columbia Gig: Freeskier Height: 5’10” Weight: 160 Age: 23

Flahr is the new stud in Teton Gravity Research’s talent pen. In January 2005, the film company invited him down to HQ in Teton Village, Wyoming, for an informal tryout. Flahr didn’t disappoint: He capped off a bold line down a rocky backcountry face by launching a misty 720 (two front, off-axis flips) off a 50-foot cliff. “We’d never seen anything like it,” says TGR producer Josh Nielsen.

Seen Next: Hogging the spotlight in TGR’s The Tangerine Dream as the film completes a 150-city tour across the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Japan through December. (For a preview go to .)

Out of the Igloo: Reared on the inland slopes of rural Kamloops, B.C., Flahr made a beeline for Whistler after graduating from high school in 1999, but he eschewed the town’s legendary international party scene—his early-bird room-service job had him in bed by 10 p.m.—in favor of powder-day dawn patrols and extra hours in the terrain park. That discipline paid off: In 2003, he was crowned North America’s overall freeskiing champion.

Fashion Flahr-Up: Last January, Flahr and his buddy Ryan Oakden, 26, the 2001 world freeskiing champ, crashed a Jackson Hole terrain-park event by running the course dressed head to toe in denim, with smoke bombs taped to their boots.

Deep Impact: In 2003, Flahr launched off a 40-foot cliff at Whistler and landed in the fresh snow like a human bunker buster, burying himself in his own crater. “I was held under for five minutes with just a small air pocket,” he says. His friends dug him out shaken but unharmed.

Second Opinion: “A lot of up-and-comers only know how to hit jumps and do tricks,” says Oakden. “And a lot of big-mountain guys can ski well but don’t have any style. Dana can do it all.”

Freshest Mortgages

New Ski Condos

Want to vacation like a billionaire? Welcome to the world of fractional ownership, where scores of property-owning options at the nation’s top resorts are on the table for literally a fraction of the cost—just take one multi-million-dollar luxury home and divide the deed with a dozen other folks. For at least four weeks a year the pad is yours, along with all the priority trimmings a Fortune 500 income can buy.

Front Four at Stowe Mountain Lodge Stowe, Vermont
The 2,000-to-3,500-square-foot Front Four condos, slated for a June 2007 premiere, have plush accoutrements like granite countertops and flat-screen TVs—plus free access to the resort’s day spa. From $289,000 for 1/8 share; 877-977-7823,

Storied Places Mammoth Mammoth Mountain, California
Snag one of these 2,800-square-foot, ski-in, ski-out townhouses, to be completed by 2007, and you’ll have 33 reasons for taking on that second mortgage—one for each foot of snow. $500,000 for 1/7 share; 888-955-7155,

The Ritz-Carlton Club, Bachelor Gulch Beaver Creek, Colorado
Ownership in one of 54 condos—up to 2,500 square feet worth—in Beaver Creek’s Bachelor Gulch gets you door-to-chair access to lifts, plus a valet who warms your boots and schleps your skis to the slopes. $200,000–$530,000 for 1/12 share; 866-485-2400,

The Residences at the Chateaux Deer Valley, Utah
You’ll have views of 10,000-foot Jupiter Peak, sandstone fireplaces, and a private deck in a 2,200-to-3,000-square-foot space. What else is there? E-mail a grocery list to the office and they’ll stock the cupboards before you arrive. $306,500–$475,000 for 1/6 share; 866-658-8555,

At Nature’s Door Whistler, British Columbia
Can you really put a price on a hot-tub view of the 2010 Winter Games downhill events? These 22 wood-and-slate, 2,300-to-2,700-square-foot abodes come with media rooms and wood-burning fireplaces. Plus, at Christmas, you’ll get preferential seating at restaurants like the Bearfoot Bistro. $208,000–$275,000 for 1/10 share; 866-877-4545,

Best Lay

Historic Lodges

These days, a luxury arms race rages among high-end resorts. (Slumber under our duvets of goose down hand-plucked by virginal Swiss maidens! Marinate in our pomegranate facials!) But these elegant lodges have something money can’t buy: a place in skiing history.

Sun Valley Lodge Sun Valley, Idaho
Built in 1936, Sun Valley Lodge was the first destination ski resort in America. But don’t get the impression this is just a place to dress up in ski woolens, smoke Lucky Strikes, and have a sepia-tone weekend. The lodge’s 148 rooms were remodeled last season. Rent room 206 and tip a tumbler to Hemingway—that’s where Papa finished For Whom the Bell Tolls. Midwinter doubles from $189; 800-786-8259,

Sonnenalp Resort Vail, Colorado
Fourth-generation Bavarian hotelier Johannes Faessler has achieved gem眉tlichkeit-in-the-Rockies at the Sonnenalp, his 88-suite, alpen-swank resort. Watch for 40 more rooms to come this December. Midwinter doubles from $675; 866-284-4411,

Stein Eriksen Lodge Deer Valley, Utah
Its Norwegian-inspired architecture makes this the handsomest of ski-country digs, but it’s the service that keeps fans returning. At the end of the day, thoughtful valets unbuckle your boots, toss them onto a warmer, stash your skis, and hand you a cup of cocoa. Midwinter doubles from $700; 800-453-1302,

Mount Washington Hotel Bretton Woods, New Hampshire
This 200-room 1902 Spanish Renaissance structure was rescued from demolition in the eighties. Good thing. It’s at the foot of the Presidential Range, with 60 miles of groomed nordic skiing out back and Bretton Woods just across the street. Midwinter doubles from $280; 800-314-1752,

Post Hotel Lake Louise, Alberta
How many hotels can boast a 29,000-bottle wine cellar, with some bottles dating to 1942, the year the lodge opened? The 97-room Post is also a five-minute shuttle ride from Lake Louise’s 4,200 skiable acres. Midwinter doubles from US$215; 800-661-1586,

Sexiest Sponsorship

Carrie Jo Chernoff: Sexiest Sponsorship

“I myself am not a porn star,” says Carrie Jo Chernoff, 31, a top-ranked big-mountain specialist on the world freeskiing tour. It’s an assumption the Crested Butte, Colorado–based skier has had to frequently quash since she signed a sponsorship deal with XXX cable channel the Erotic Network (TEN). A year ago, Chernoff was working as a personal trainer and massage therapist for Michael Weiner, the CEO of TEN’s parent company, the $46-million-a-year, Boulder-based New Frontier Media. Perhaps owing to some confusion over the definition of “ski porn”—a term applied to thrill-a-minute ski flicks—Weiner thought Chernoff would make a good addition to TEN’s talent pool. She may never bare all, but Chernoff’s helmet and skis bear the distinctive TEN logo. Like most top skiers, Chernoff has her pick of gear, plus a comfy travel budget. But it’s doubtful that anyone else can match the TEN-supplied cheering section of bleach-blond, fur-collared boosters. No, boys, that’s not just 700-fill down in their parkas.

Sweetest Steeps

Moonlight Basin, MT: The Sweetest Steeps

At first glance, Moonlight Basin, Montana, wears a sleepy smile with its skein of lazy, near-empty blue runs, but beware: That soporific grin hides fangs. Just look up—way up—to the Headwaters, a snarl of a headwall that’s striped with a dozen lift-served chutes that can tip 50 degrees or more in spots. Whether you’re a snow bunny or a sick bird, though, Moonlight offers the best of both worlds. When the lifts close, head to the lodge, a grand timber-and-stone palace anchored by a central fireplace so lofty that stuffed mountain goats pose on its rocky chimney. And there’s more: Moonlight and neighbor Big Sky Resort have stopped their Cold War–like bickering and wisely joined forces. Buy the Lone Peak ticket this winter and ski a linked, Euro-style spraddle of 5,300 acres. Ah, the fruits of d茅tente. Moonlight (full-day adult), $40; Lone Peak (full-day adult), $78; 877-822-0430,

Slick!

Score a perfect ride—floating in powder, grabbing big air, blitzing the entire hill—with the best new skis and snowboards

The Confidence Builder
Fischer AMC 76
Length tested: 182 // Sidecut: 120-76-106 (tip-waist-tail)
Wood-core skis are justly celebrated for their lively feel, but Fischer’s new AMC proves that a weight-shaving wood-and-carbon-fiber core blend can run with (and past) the best of them. Credit the ski’s patented Railflex2 integrated binding system, which settles the boot into the ski’s chassis and allows an even and consistent flex throughout. On multiple laps at Colorado’s Aspen Highlands, my AMC 76 bit into firm groomers like a pit bull, but the adequate waist width helped it ride comfortably through variable crud once I got off the manicured trails. The most versatile ski of the bunch. $1,050, bindings included;

The Masterpiece
Zai Siegiu
Length tested: 170 // Sidecut: 118-76-103
Part art project, part trophy ski, Zai planks are handcrafted in Switzerland. Yeah, they’re showy, but they’re also top-flight performers. They shined brightest on hard snow at slightly slower speeds, thanks to easy turn initiation and strong edge hold. An ash-and-titanal topsheet damped vibration nicely on high-speed blues, and the shorter length helped them jitterbug nimbly through thigh-blasting bump runs. They’re not wide enough to excel on powder days, but you can’t have it all, even for the price of a Zermatt vacation. $3,500, bindings, poles, and ski bag included;

The Punk Rider
Atomic Sweet Daddy
Length tested: 181 // Sidecut: 119-80-105
It’s a shame that all absent-father problems aren’t so easily fixed. Filling a significant gap in Atomic’s lineup, the Sweet Daddy stands out with slim dimensions, a lightweight foam core, and a slightly shallower sidecut than that found on its brethren, the Big Daddy and the Sugar Daddy. This ski was happiest carving sweeping, powdery turns, but it also rips just fine on firm steeps. Atomic’s Beta Cap design minimizes ski twist when on edge, providing superior grip. The reasonable price and understated graphics belie this ski’s power and control. $749 (skis only);

The Mixed Master
V枚lkl Unlimited AC4
Length tested: 184 // Sidecut: 125-82-110
V枚lkl has come a long way from its racers-only pedigree. And the Unlimited best represents the brand’s growing commitment to high-performance, all-mountain planks. Benefiting from V枚lkl’s new double-grip design鈥攁 raised profile on both sides of the ski to better transfer energy to the edges鈥攁nd a lively popple-wood core, this ski instantly elevates any skier’s ability. In Crested Butte Mountain Resort’s Phoenix Bowl, which offers some of the most intense lift-accessed runs in the West, the Unlimited ran fast and sure over a variety of terrain, arcing across sun-baked bumps, through crusty glades, and into tracked-up powder without missing a beat. $1,065, bindings included;

The Phat Cat
K2 Apache Outlaw
Length tested: 181 // Sidecut: 124-88-111
If you have a search-and-destroy attitude about powder stashes, the Outlaw is all the ski you need. It reigns supreme in knee-deep, whether you’re in bounds or outside the ropes. The wide platform skittered a little on hard snow but made up for it in the soft stuff, where it powered through variably deep, jerky, and at times perfect powder with gunslinging authority. A weight-saving alloy layer and touch of flex make the big boards surprisingly responsive in the bumps, while they still cut long, gracious GS turns on lower-mountain runouts. $875 (skis only);

The Soul Slider
Salomon Teneighty Gun
Length tested: 185 // Sidecut: 122-90-115
The foam-core Teneighty Gun, with its surf-inspired name, is a slightly stiffer version of the Pocket Rocket, Salomon’s pioneering twin-tip powder plank. At Crested Butte, these all-mountain skis were perfect for the north face’s chutes, bumps, and trees. They also provided a blissfully chatter-free joyride on a high-speed, mile-long cruiser. These skis are too wide for a full day carving hardpack, but if you seek out the softer parts of the hill, the Guns will have you chasing an endless winter. $795 (skis only);

Slick!

The Latest Snowboards

Ice Queen
Lib-Tech Dark Series
Length tested: 161
The radically designed Dark Series Magnetraction comes with a secret weapon that can turn East Coast ice into West Coast corduroy. Lib-Tech took a page from hockey skates, which employ subtle contact points along the blade to enhance bite, and created a revolutionary sidecut by applying similar points along the board’s edges. The effect is obvious: The board grabbed instantly when I leaned into a turn. But while it excels on ice and handles groomed terrain just fine, beware of crud and bumps: Those points can catch on stuff that you’d ordinarily blast through. $599;

All-Mountain Master
Ride Timeless
Length tested: 161
If you like to board the entire mountain, grab this reinvented classic. It delivers great versatility, courtesy of a few smart updates. A layer cake of precisely sculpted fiberglass-covered wood distributes your weight along the board’s entire edge for superior control, a damper in the nose smooths out the ride, and multiple radius angles along the sidecut allow you to flow easily into and out of tight and fast turns. From swooping into the halfpipe to nailing quick cuts in a forested glade, there’s nothing the Timeless can’t do. $500;

The Fresh Hero
Arbor Abacus
Length tested: 163
The Abacus is built for powder. Its key ingredient? Bounce. For such a wide and long board, the koa-topped deck flexes like a trampoline. Combine that with a rearward stance and a massive shovel-head at the tip and the board tracks superbly through a foot of fresh. Since the nose won’t dive, I was able to charge into anything鈥攖rees, moguls, kickers鈥攚ith confidence. When everything’s tracked out, though, the Abacus loses its magic. Instead of cutting through crud, it rides up and over it, making for one helluva bumpy trip. $499;

Cruise Liner
K2 Zeppelin
Length tested: 161
You wouldn’t know it from snowboard ads, but there are plenty of happy riders who like nothing better than fast and wide groomers. If that’s you, your board has arrived. This year’s Zeppelin, an updated version of a K2 stalwart, uses damping pads under each foot to suck up vibration and give you a flat, smooth, and speedy ride. The price of such stability? It takes work to snap the Zep from side to side in an aspen glade or narrow gully. $480;

Sky Surfer
Burton Vapor
Length tested: 160
Boarding’s fat and happy grandfather is suddenly obsessed with dropping weight. Exhibit A: the new Vapor. At five pounds ten ounces, it’s the lightest board Burton’s ever rolled out, thanks to aluminum-and-carbon-fiber construction and a set of dialed-down binding hardware. The binding options favor a wider stance, which suits the Vapor’s forte: aerials. Instead of becoming dead weight when you launch off a catwalk or kicker, this pipe rider feels like an extension of your feet鈥�360 spins and big-air rail grabs will suddenly seem temptingly possible. $900;

Little Big Board
Salomon L.O.F.T.
Length tested: 160
Salomon also wanted a trim-down, so it sent its popular ERA model to fat camp over the summer. It came back with a new name, L.O.F.T. (Light鈥� weight Optimum Feel Technology) and a Kevlar-reinforced core wrapped in ultralight aspen. A raised center beam helps the board handle aggressive, high-speed descents like a much longer and fatter deck, while its moderate hips make tight turns a snap. On powder days it struggles to stay afloat, but overall this board is a beginner’s dream: stable, responsive, and forgiving of shaky form. $700;

Snow Jobs

The Best Ski-Town Gigs

gabe schroder

ALL PLAY: Gabe Schroder commutes to work in Ketchum.

Pining for turns but not willing to ditch your career? Don’t worry鈥攜ou don’t have to be a liftie to ski like one. Here are four winners who balance work and play.

Gabe Schroder, 31, Ketchum, Idaho
Gig: Ski and outdoor promotions manager at Smith Optics. On the Clock: Manages Smith-sponsored athletes and throws parties to hype the brand. On the Slopes: At nearby Sun Valley five days a week, plus a trip this spring into Alaska’s Chugach Mountains to check in on Smith’s heli-skiing operation.

Tom Hackett, 38, Vail, Colorado
Gig: Orthopedic surgeon at the renowned Steadman-Hawkins Clinic. On the Clock: Performs up to five shoulder surgeries a day, including many on NFL, NBA, and MLB stars. On the Slopes: Three times a week鈥攗nless he’s ice-climbing the East Vail chutes.

Tom Perry, 51, Angel Fire, New Mexico
Gig: Chaplain at Taos Ski Valley. On the Clock: Gives two 15-minute mountaintop sermons on Sundays. On the Slopes: Whenever he wants鈥擳aos grants him a season pass for his services.

Jason Senior, 30, Mammoth, California
Gig: Brewer at Mammoth Brewing Company. On the Clock: Manages all facets of brewing, from boiling and milling grain to taste-testing his concoctions; works nine to five, twelve to eight, or two to ten, depending on snow quality. On the Slopes: Three days a week, plus powder days and “runs” to check in on the resort pubs that serve his beer.

Supercharged Recharge

Stoweflake Mountain Resort and Spa

After a few days of banging down icy East Coast bumps, the beer-and-Advil combo stops working. You need professional healing. The new daylong Skier Recovery Package at Stoweflake Mountain Resort and Spa, in Stowe, Vermont, includes a 50-minute deep-pressure rubdown with pain-relieving arnica-infused oil (oooh), a bio-maple facial to halt the Redfording of your mug (ahhhh), and access to two heated waterfalls and a Hungarian mineral pool (yes! yes!). The next day? It’s back to brews and ibuprofen. $210; 800-253-2232,

Newest Trickster Terrain

Echo Mountain, CO: The Newest Trickster Terrain

A 15-year-old launching 50 feet over a monster gap may be sheer lunacy to some old-schoolers, but that kid represents a new generation of resortgoers. Slopes across the map have amped up their tricky topography, but Echo Mountain, 35 miles west of Denver, will become the first hill in the country to be custom-built from the ground up as a terrain park. Music from the likes of Ludacris will thump across 30 acres of jumps and pipes built by Planet Snow Design (the same crew that designed the superpipe at the 2002 Winter Games), and the 8,000-square-foot base lodge, with its austere industrial styling, will resemble a SoHo loft. Whether or not Echo opens before Christmas is TBD, but one thing’s for sure: It will break the mold. “We’re not going to have million-dollar homes and straight blue groomers,” says General Manager Doug Donovan. “Your mom won’t like this.” Full-day adult lift ticket, $30; 720-226-0636,

Supreme Caffeine

The Best Slopeside Coffee

coffee

MO' 'SPRO, BRO? Java on 4th owner Todd Rippo works the deck.

Rousing yourself at the rooster’s cry for fresh tracks is no easy feat. But more caf茅s than ever are roasting their own beans and treating the resulting brew like fine wine, leaving myriad options for eye-popping ski-town java.

Java on 4th Ketchum, Idaho
The ’62 Continental is a gentle hit on the espresso Richter scale: mild and dark. You don’t have to be a connoisseur to appreciate it. 208-726-2882

Camp 4 Coffee Crested Butte, Colorado
For a swift kick in the ski pants, sip the Sledgehammer espresso blend. Delicious, dark, and complex, it’s like drinking a 30-year-old Bordeaux—without staining your teeth red. 970-349-5148

Java Junction South Lake Tahoe, California
Take a seat round the deck’s fire pit and swig local roaster Alpen Sierra’s traditional Italian blend for a dark, intensely drinkable espresso with an oaky finish. 530-659-7453

Oso Negro Nelson, British Columbia
Grab a shot of whatever’s in the “hopper” for a multifaceted espresso experience. Or toss back the Princess of Darkness blend. 877-232-6489

Coolest Numbers

Cool Statistics

Oldest Destination Ski Resort in the U.S.: Sun Valley, Idaho (opened in 1936).

First Indoor-Skiing Snow Dome in the U.S.: Meadowlands Xanadu, in East Rutherford, New Jersey (opening in 2007).

Highest Chairlift in North America: Breckenridge, Colorado’s new Imperial Express Superchair (top: 12,840 feet).

Lowest Major Ski Resort in North America: Alyeska Resort, in Girdwood, Alaska (base: 250 feet).

Most Innovative Lift in North America: A 575-foot tunnel under construction at Snowbird, Utah, that will deliver skiers via conveyor belt to Mineral Basin.

Highest Annual Average Snowfall of Any Lift-Served Ski Area in North America: 647 inches, Mount Baker Ski Area, Washington.

Longest Ski Season in the U.S.: Timberline, on Mount Hood, Oregon; typically closes around Labor Day.

Most Elbow Room in North America: Montana’s Yellowstone Club (motto: “Private powder”), whose 2,200-plus acres are skied by a maximum 864 members at any given time. The hitch? Entry-level price for a must-have homesite is $2 million.

Most Vertical Drop in North America: Mount MacKenzie Resort—under construction outside of Revelstoke, B.C.—has 6,100 feet, 800 feet more than Whistler Blackcomb, B.C., the current record holder.

Best Christmas Present Ever: 15 feet of snow in 15 days, from December 26, 2004, to January 12, 2005, at Mammoth Mountain, California. The resort stayed open until the Fourth of July.

Most Chill Lounge Acts

Apr猫s-Ski Bars

river run day lodge

Bittersweet: Flahr and Leskinen sipping bubbly at River Run Day Lodge

Swilling slopeside after a day of ripping powder and thrashing moguls is a beloved alpine tradition. Here are five base-of-the-mountain bars where, as the libations flow, the stories are guaranteed to grow.

River Run Day Lodge Ketchum, Idaho
All roads lead to River Run—or at least all trails do. The slopes down Bald Mountain’s southeast flank allow a hasty descent to the heated back deck. Order Like a Local: Champagne Cocktail—a sugar cube soaked in bitters, then doused with champagne. 208-622-6136

Los Amigos Vail, Colorado
On a sunny day, better point ’em to this Vail Village landmark by 3 p.m. to get a seat on the narrow deck. The afternoon sun slow-roasts Los’s patrons to habanero-red. Order Like a Local: A carafe of tart margaritas. 970-476-5847

Bear Mountain Base Lodge Killington, Vermont
Shoehorn yourself onto Bear Mountain’s crowded deck to watch the gifted and the gripped pinball down Outer Limits, the steepest bump run in the East. Order Like a Local: Magic Hat Brewing Co.’s #9, a Vermont specialty. 802-422-3333

Hotel St. Bernard Taos Ski Valley, New Mexico
The St. Bernard—with its deck at the base of Snake Dance—is a cherished throwback. Follow the smoke to grilled-brat bliss. Order Like a Local: The St. Bernard—Kahl煤a, Myers’s rum, Wild Turkey, and hot chocolate. 505-776-2251

Grizzly’s Stratton Mountain, Vermont
On weekends, Stratton’s universe revolves around Grizzly’s base-area deck. Order Like a Local: Long Trail Ale, from Vermont’s Long Trail Brewing Co. 802-297-2200

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COLORADO :: ASPEN & ASPEN HIGHLANDS

FORGET THE FURS AND THE FENDI. Beyond the bling, Aspen is still America’s quintessential ski village, a funky cosmos where World Cup steeps belong to the fearless.
WHY WE LOVE IT: Where else can you sit next to Kurt and Goldie while wolfing lunchtime bratwurst, then follow the sun around Bell Mountain’s bumps for the rest of the afternoon?
NUMBER-ONE RUN: The finest float in Colorado? Atop Aspen Highlands is the 40-degree, 1,500-vertical-foot Highland Bowl. After the hike up, and before the glorious, seemingly endless descent, rest your bones in the summit swing and feast on high-octane views of fourteeners Pyramid Peak and Maroon Bells.
HOT LODGE: Chichi yet cool, luxe yet Lab-friendly, the St. Regis Aspen features s’mores in its cozy apr猫s-ski lounge, beds for beloved canines, and a spanking-new 15,000-square-foot spa-complete with a little something called the Confluence, artificial hot springs where more than the waters mingle. (Doubles from $385; 888-454-9005, )
SOUL PATCH: Tucked in the trees on Aspen Mountain are shrines to Elvis, Jerry Garcia, Marilyn Monroe, and, of course, Liberace. But Walsh’s Run, one of the steepest drops on Ajax, is where you’ll find sacred ground: The Raoul Wille shrine, a tiny shack festooned with prayer flags and elk bones, honors a longtime local who died climbing in Nepal.

NEW MEXICO :: TAOS

Taos Ski Resort

A GROOVY CONVERGENCE of Native American culture, ski-hard style, and the freest of spirits, Taos is the black diamond in New Mexico’s high-desert crown, offering steep transcendence (and lots of green chile) in the wild, wild West.
WHY WE LOVE IT: 隆Viva variedad! Park your journeyman Subaru wagon or beat Jeep CJ right next to that limited-edition Mercedes with the Texas plates鈥攖hey’ll appreciate the contrast. Then look heavenward and feast your begoggled eyes on runs so close to vertical they’ll steal your heart (or sink it, if you’re toting a prohibited snowboard).
NUMBER-ONE RUN: Longhorn, a lengthy and snaky double black, shoots between palisades of tall pines, dropping 1,900 vertical feet to a catwalk that spits you out at the base. Masochists should save it for the end of the day, when the bumps are the size of small igloos.
HOT LODGE: In the heart of town is a grand adobe abode called the Fechin Inn, built beside Russian artist Nicolai Fechin’s former home, a 1927 structure listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The elegant, Jacuzzi-equipped 84-room hotel is just a hop, skip, and a jump from the Adobe Bar, current home of wicked margaritas. (Doubles, $114-$208; 800-746-2761, )
SOUL PATCH: Dog-tired and depleted? Stop off at art-infested Taos Pizza Outback, where the cooks spin tasty sesame-sprinkled crusts, blank canvases just waiting for your own creative topping conglomerations.

WYOMING :: JACKSON HOLE

DUDE, IT’S LIKE MECCA. If you take sliding around on snow seriously, you’ll eventually make a pilgrimage to the Hole. Hardcore types rightfully revere the sick Wyoming vertical, heavy powder showers, and Euro-style open backcountry. Yep, this is the place . . . to pack a shovel, transceiver, probe, and change of underwear.
WHY WE LOVE IT: Rip, rip, rip all you want: The harder and stronger you ride, the more these Tetons throw at you. And once you think you’re the master, listen for the laughter coming from the lines that have yet to see a descent.
NUMBER-ONE RUN: You’ll find the finest fall-line skiing in the country here, so steel yourself for the best run of the bunch: The Hobacks is 3,000 vertical feet of crazy steeps. Enjoy.
HOT LODGE: When legendary ski mountaineer and cinematographer Rob DesLauriers got sick of living out of his van, he built the new Teton Mountain Lodge, a premium slopeside property with rustic Wyoming written all over it. Just don’t let the high-end accommodations and dining fool you; Rob’s still a ski bum at heart. (Doubles, $149-$329; 800-801-6615, )
SOUL PATCH: The Mangy Moose remains Jackson Hole’s must-hit saloon. The bleary-eyed crew from Teton Gravity Research, pros decked out in next year’s wares, and perma-tan instructors call this place home. But don’t fear the locals; just get what they’re having.

UTAH :: PARK CITY

LIKE ST. MORITZ WITH MORMONS, Park City is not only a vast powdery playground; it’s a true ski-in/ski-out town with big-city swank. After you’ve zonked your mortal coil dropping off cornices and carving down chutes, head to town and knock back an espresso: You have to be awake to enjoy the finer things.
WHY WE LOVE IT: Oh, the mountain comes off as harmless at first鈥攚hat with those rolling hills flush with cruisers鈥攂ut it drops the hammer a couple lifts in, making for delighted schussers, from expert on down. There’s terrain-park action, and the superior lift service (14 chairs, including four high-speed six-packs) can move more than 27,000 butts an hour.
NUMBER-ONE RUN: Not for the timid or the kamikaze, O-zone drops 1,000 feet off the lip of Pinyon Ridge, down a 30- to 40-degree face, before delivering you into forgiving tree trails that lead to a high-speed six heading right back up.
HOT LODGE: Right on chic Main Street is the Treasure Mountain Inn, a locals-owned lodge with a great little caf茅. This eco-minded pad has a range of homey accommodations, from simple studios to decked-out apartments, as well as a Jacuzzi and heated pool beneath the stars. (Studios, $125-$300; 800-344-2460, )
SOUL PATCH: Once a wild silver town, Park City’s gone all civilized. The high-end gastronomic fusion served up at 350 Main will have you double-checking your coordinates鈥攁nd for boozophobic Utah, the cocktails are mighty sinful.

BRITISH COLUMBIA :: WHISTLER BLACKCOMB

DOUBLY HEINOUS STEEPS mean twice the fun at Whistler Blackcomb, home to the biggest vertical in North America and an astounding variety of snow conditions. Sister peaks, these British Columbia bad girls practically flaunt their grand vert, true glacier skiing, and leg-burner runs up to seven miles long.
WHY WE LOVE IT: By virtue of the vast and varied terrain (larger than Vail and Aspen combined), this resort has always drawn a cosmopolitan crowd. The number of rowdy young immigrants will surely redouble as opening day of the 2010 Winter Olympics approaches. And the village is at only 2,140 feet, so sea-level folk can let loose without fearing hypoxia-empowered hangovers.
NUMBER-ONE RUN: These peaks have long been a favorite stop on the World Cup circuit, thanks in part to the exhilarating 1.5-mile highway known as the Dave Murray Downhill, which rolls off the south shoulder to Whistler’s base.
HOT LODGE: The Fairmont Chateau Whistler is a wonderland of sprawling penthouses and romantic turrets at the foot of Blackcomb Mountain. Luckily, there are more than two dozen bistros and nightclubs nearby to tempt you out of your mountain-view room on the stormier nights. (Doubles, $256-$446; 800-606-8244, )
SOUL PATCH: From the top of Horstman Glacier, traverse under the summit cliffs and cross the ridgeline via Spanky’s Ladder. This brings you to a trove of hidden chutes plunging through a cliff band down to Blackcomb Glacier.

CALIFORNIA :: MAMMOTH

THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA VIBE dominates Mammoth, reflecting surf culture at its most authentic. Witness the resort’s massive superpipe and meticulously sculpted terrain parks, home turf of snowboard phenoms like Tara Dakides, Shaun White, and Olympic silver medalist Danny Kass.
WHY WE LOVE IT: Rising high in the eastern Sierra, this hill is surrounded by the Ansel Adams and John Muir wilderness areas, and Yosemite’s just a few valleys north. The volcanic terrain, nice and steep everywhere you look, gets layers of prime frosting from Pacific storms that drop up to four feet of snow at a time. Otherwise, it’s clear blue skies.
NUMBER-ONE RUN: From the summit, drop off the back side and hike to fantastic Hemlock Bowl: Ski left and follow the signs (or locals), then enjoy Mammoth’s deepest shots. Afterwards, hop on Chair 14 and rest up for another hike. Repeat.
HOT LODGE: If cookie-cutter condos don’t do it for you, check out Mammoth Country Inn, a Bavarian-style bed-and-breakfast. The seven rooms feature bedding worthy of royalty, and two have Jacuzzis. Your hosts, the Weinerts, serve up home-style breakfasts, and it’s just a short scamper to the bus. (Doubles, $145-$185; 866-934-2710, )
SOUL PATCH: Geothermal springs with panoramic mountain vistas, anyone? South of town, just east of Highway 395, Hot Creek gloriously blends a f-f-freezing stream and feverish springs. (Stay out of the scalding stuff.) Sadly, panties are mandatory here. But you can drop your drawers at wilder hot spots like Hilltop and Crab Cooker.

COLORADO :: STEAMBOAT

SOMETIMES COLORADO’S I-70 is a bit, well, constipated, so head for secluded Steamboat, some two hours north. We’re talking relentless powder, some of the West’s best tree skiing, and a chill ambience鈥攐n the slopes and back at the lodge.
WHY WE LOVE IT: Located in the Park Range鈥攚here Pacific-born storms usually hit first in Colorado鈥擲teamboat soaks up heavy snow dumps that often skip peaks to the south and east. And many of the aspens are perfectly spaced, as if a gift from God. From the mountain, take a free shuttle the three miles to tiny, colorful Steamboat Springs, where you’ll find a surprising slew of kick-back bars and upscale eats.
NUMBER-ONE RUN: Step into the Closet, a forested roller coaster spilling down the west side of Storm Peak, and shake off the dust. Just make sure you’ve got your turns dialed鈥攁nd wear a helmet.
HOT LODGE: Across from the gondola, the plush 327-room Steamboat Grand Resort Hotel serves up a deluxe spa, a fitness center with steam bath, an elegant steak-and-chop house, quiet rooms replete with hardwood furniture, and a cavernous stone lobby with, yep, a stream running through it. (Doubles from $159; 877-269-2628, )
SOUL PATCH: On the Grand’s spacious deck, which looks out on 8,239-foot Emerald Mountain, two truly giant Jacuzzis and a heated outdoor pool offer some of the most luxuriant apr猫s-ski lounging in the Rockies.

MONTANA :: BIG SKY

Big Sky Ski Resort

LONE MOUNTAIN ERUPTS from the Madison Range like an 11,194-foot catcher’s mitt, nabbing storms swollen with dry Rocky Mountain powder. The utter lack of lines just sweetens the pot. With almost twice as many acres as skiers, Big Sky virtually guarantees instant lift access all day long.
WHY WE LOVE IT: You can dress like a cowboy鈥攗nironically鈥攁nd then snorkel through the fresh, pausing to ogle the remote 10,000-foot summits of the Lee Metcalf Wilderness. Come night, it gets so dark you can see the band of the Milky Way splitting the sky.
NUMBER-ONE RUN: Off Lone Mountain’s south face, roar almost 3,000 vertical feet down the ridiculously wide Liberty Bowl and through the Bavarian Forest, where you can bob and weave through spruce and fir.
HOT LODGE: Want quintessential Montana? Rent a log cabin with a hot tub on the deck: The Powder Ridge Cabins have woodstoves, vaulted ceilings, and a lift nearby. (Cabin with three doubles, $525-$772; 800-548-4486, )
SOUL PATCH: See what “big sky” really means: The tram up to the peak offers an eagle’s view of the resort’s most daring lines, plus thousands of square miles of wilderness. Watch a local work the Big Couloir鈥攁 50-by-1,500-foot lick of 48-degree terror鈥攁nd it won’t be just the views stealing your breath.

UTAH :: ALTA & SNOWBIRD

Snowbird Ski Resort

THESE PEAKS ARE THE ODD COUPLE of mountain resorts鈥攖hink hardcore Alta dudes and snazzy Snowbird debs鈥攂ut their souls are united by heavenly powder.
WHY WE LOVE IT: In a word, the white stuff. At Little Cottonwood Canyon, the light-and-dry goods are nonpareil. The evidence? When the Ringling Bros. circus sued Utah for using the slogan “The Greatest Snow on Earth,” the case went all the way to the Supreme Court鈥攁nd Utah won.
NUMBER-ONE RUN: A long, technical traverse perches you atop Alf’s High Rustler, a 40-degree, 2,000-foot pitch aimed straight at the Alta parking lot. Legend has it that veteran ski-school director Alf Engen once bombed the whole run, with nothing but nipple-deep powder to slow his mad descent.
HOT LODGE: Snowbird’s Iron Blosam threads the ski-lodge needle: It’s got all the perks of a high-end hotel鈥攖wo-story windows, private decks, full kitchens, and an outdoor hot tub-but it’s steeped in a laid-back atmosphere that reminds you of a family cabin in the mountains. (Doubles, $249-$539; 800-453-3000, )
SOUL PATCH: After Snowbird’s last tram heads down for the day, don’t be afraid to join the contingent of ski-crazy locals who gather at the top of Lone Pine for what is usually a low-key party, then take in the sublime view of the spectacular, canyon-framed sunset.

VERMONT :: STOWE

IT’S THE BARNS AND COVERED BRIDGES draped with snow that tip you off: You’re in classic Vermont. This historic resort hails from the hungry thirties, but you’ll be plenty satisfied. With just 4,000 or so permanent residents, Stowe’s got small-town soul galore, and the mountain tempts with wild, winding expert runs鈥攁nd a slew of less challenging ones.
WHY WE LOVE IT: Time has made Stowe a giant on the eastern ski scene, with the help of 4,393-foot Mount Mansfield, Vermont’s highest peak. You can’t beat it for nordic action: The Touring Center at Trapp Family Lodge (owned by a member of the singing von Trapp clan, of The Sound of Music fame) features excellent trails. And where would snowboarding be without a certain resident named Jake Burton?
NUMBER-ONE RUN: Test your mettle on the famous Front Four鈥擭ational, Lift Line, Starr, and Goat鈥攖he mountain’s snaking double-black centerpieces. Prepare to be humbled.
HOT LODGE: Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the sumptuously restored Green Mountain Inn pumps up the luxe with modern accoutrements like gas fireplaces, marble bathrooms, Jacuzzis, and a heated outdoor pool. Forget fatigue with a Swedish deep-tissue massage鈥攐r have hot cider and homemade cookies by the blazing fire. (Doubles from $125; 800-253-7302, )
SOUL PATCH: Get a little wacky with the locals during the Stowe Winter Carnival, in late January: Among other fun, there’s off-season volleyball, a snow-golf tournament (costume required, natch), and the chilly Wintermeister triathlon.

COLORADO :: VAIL & BEAVER CREEK

TALK ABOUT HIGH CONTRAST: These resorts may be virtually side by side, but they don’t see eye to eye. Vail is the gold standard for manicured pistes and big bowls, regularly making it one of the country’s most popular destinations, while Beaver Creek is more of a sedate escape with a profusion of secret stashes.
WHY WE LOVE IT: Via the combo of dry snow and friendly terrain, intermediates feel advanced鈥攁nd experts feel untouchable (if they didn’t already). Roughly half of the resorts’ vast terrain is taken up by the famous Back Bowls, at Vail, and Beaver Creek’s long, challenging Talons, many of which cut through the trees.
NUMBER-ONE RUN: On Vail’s Ledges, the steep bits run 300 feet, then level out and let you regain your wind, then drop another 300, and so on鈥攄escending for more than a mile, all the way home. At Beaver Creek, Harrier rolls off the west shoulder of Spruce Saddle, becoming a wide, hilly cruiseway perfectly pitched for GS turns.
HOT LODGE: The Austrian-style Hotel Gasthof Gramshammer has been au courant for 40 years. The 38 rooms are arrayed with knee-deep down comforters and traditional woodwork, game dishes are served up in the cozy Antlers dining room, and high indulgence awaits at the steam room, sauna, and two indoor hot tubs. (Doubles, $195-$245; 800-610-7374, )
SOUL PATCH: Don’t miss the Colorado Ski Museum: Dig the roots of modern snow sports and revisit such luminaries as World War II heroes/powder hounds the Tenth Mountain Division, among others.

CALIFORNIA & NEVADA :: HEAVENLY

CAN YOU SAY GIGANTIC? Good, because that’s what Heavenly is. Plus it can claim some of the most ravishing views of any American ski hill: It rests in the limbo between the supernatural blue of Lake Tahoe and the scorched Nevada desert far below.

WHY WE LOVE IT: Nobody skis off-piste on this mountain! A private wonderland awaits those who venture into the trees or take a little hike, but if you want to stay on track, you’ll find that the sheer immensity (almost 5,000 acres) spreads out the skiers nicely. Besides, the groomers are like boulevards鈥攁nd just as smooth鈥攕o you can really dig your turns here.

NUMBER-ONE RUN: The Milky Way Bowl, a ten-minute hike up the Skyline Trail, has a steady vertical drop and an utter dearth of other souls. Continue down the chutes of Mott Canyon and have a chuckle at the expense of all the schnooks who ever turned their noses up at this peak.

HOT LODGE: Heavenly’s speedy gondola is two minutes from Lake Tahoe’s Embassy Suites Hotel, very cushy digs with a dizzying nine-story atrium, glass roof, flourishing gardens, and 400 two-room suites. (Suites from $200; 877-497-8483, )

SOUL PATCH: The spectacle of Caesars Tahoe is Disneyland for the savvy gambler. A nonstop bacchanal revolves around slot machines, top-notch shows, and the ubiquitous gaming tables鈥攂ut without that Vegas overkill. When in Rome . . .

ALBERTA :: LAKE LOUISE

JAW-DROPPING vistas of Banff National Park greet the lucky folks up top of Canada’s biggest ski area, and world-class terrain awaits below.
WHY WE LOVE IT: This place splits styles: At the south side’s terrain park, huck junkies can air their grievances with gravity while fans of pure carving hit the quieter north face to ride the bowls.
NUMBER-ONE RUN: Take the SUMMIT Platter up 8,765-foot Mount Whitehorn and cruise Brown Shirt, taking in views of the Bow Valley. Or head out from the Larch area, locate Lookout Chute, and disappear into the trees鈥攋ust make sure you reappear.
HOT LODGE: From the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, gaze out at the glacier-fed namesake lake. To fight off the Canadian chill, try steaming truffle fondue at the hotel’s Walliser Stube; wash that fungus down with some ice wine, made from grapes frozen on the vine. (Doubles, $344; 800-441-1414, www .fairmont.com/lakelouise)
SOUL PATCH: With faraway Victoria Glacier as backdrop, a spin on Lake Louise’s skating rink makes for high entertainment. During January’s ice-carving competition, you can see frozen stars like Winnie the Pooh, then toast marshmallows at the braziers nearby. (Appropriately enough, the silly old bear has been quoted as saying, “Fight fire with marshmallows.”)

COLORADO :: TELLURIDE

A TRUE COWBOY TOWN where down jackets thankfully outnumber mink stoles, Telluride still caters to the glamorous. Spot a hot starlet living it up in one of downtown’s ritzy establishments? Big whoop鈥攗nless she was thrashing her guide in the steep and deep earlier.
WHY WE LOVE IT: Due to its remote setting鈥攖here’s just one road leading into this southwestern Colorado box canyon-the mountain always gets far fewer folks than it’s designed to handle. So the queues are quick, the runs pretty much empty, and the midmountain bartenders not too busy. NUMBER ONE RUN: As you float, fly, or surf down the three ridgeline miles of See Forever, looking 100 or so miles west toward Utah’s La Sal Mountains, you are permitted, though not really encouraged, to holler corny lines from Titanic, like “I’m on top of the wooorld!”
HOT LODGE: Live it up at Wyndham Peaks Resort & Golden Door Spa: Think king-size beds, homemade cookies on your pillow (if you ask nicely), and the San Juan Mountains out your window. Head to the spa and baby your fried quads by soaking them in the 102-degree mineral pool鈥攑erfect prep for a 50-minute Skier Salvation massage. (Doubles from $229; 970-728-6800, )
SOUL PATCH: Melt into an overstuffed leather chair, order a horseradishy bloody mary, and toast tomorrow in Wyndham Peaks’ high-ceilinged great room. That’s good medicine.

MONTANA :: BIG MOUNTAIN

CRAVE A COCKTAIL of wide-open groomers, perfectly spaced trees, and backcountryesque meadows? Look no further than crowdless Big Mountain. And with lots of off-piste powder stashes just waiting, it’s no wonder so many of the snow junkies here sport free heels.
WHY WE LOVE IT: Monster storms transform the mountain’s evergreens into “snow ghosts,” and locals鈥攕uited up in polyester straight out of the Carter era鈥攍ove to rip through this hoary host. And it doesn’t hurt that the skyline’s fraught with the lofty peaks of the Canadian Rockies, Glacier National Park, and the Great Bear Wilderness.
NUMBER-ONE RUN: East of North Bowl, you’ll find hundreds of feet of superb vertical, starting with the Nose, then continuing down two shots known as Performance and the Chin. Don’t look for these last two on the map, though: After hogging all that fluffy stuff, you won’t want to tell anyone, either.
HOT LODGE: The ski-in/ski-out Kandahar lodge, right off the mountain, just screams Montana. Think wooden beams, a river-rock fireplace, and rustic rooms with lofts and a bunch of primo down sleeping gear. (Doubles, $109-$309; 800-862-6094, )
SOUL PATCH: When the lifts shut down, the planks and boards stack up outside the Bierstube, where you’ll find local folks swilling pints of Moose Drool beside Seattle techniks escaping the city for the weekend. Be sure to ask your barkeep for one of the ‘Stube’s mysterious souvenir rings鈥攊t’s a surprise鈥攖hen tip at least 20 percent. But you knew that.

CALIFORNIA :: ALPINE MEADOWS

ALL MOUNTAIN AND NO ATTITUDE, Northern California’s Alpine Meadows is designed to take maximum advantage of the spectacular terrain. Though it’s got that laid-back, down-to-earth vibe the West is known for, it’s certainly no bore; far from it. It simply lacks the attendant aggression of resorts with similarly radical steeps.
WHY WE LOVE IT: Chutes and rock bands line this High Sierra bowl, spilling out into gentle grades鈥攕o there’s something here for all skill levels. The hike-to skiing and open-boundary policy (not found at neighboring Squaw Valley) equal acres and acres of untouched snow, and the hill’s south side is enormous, wide-open, and drenched with sunshine in the morning.
NUMBER-ONE RUN: Palisades, a classic double black diamond off the Alpine Bowl lift, looks skyscraper-steep once you’re staring down it, but fear not: Since it’s north-facing, the snow’s way silky.
HOT LODGE: From the lifts, it’s just a quick ten minutes to the unbeatable Resort at Squaw Creek, with its 403 fine rooms, four restaurants (ranging from diner fare to haute cuisine), outdoor swimming pool, Jacuzzis, and nearby recreation like dogsledding and sleigh rides. (Doubles, $229-$349; 800-403-4434, )
SOUL PATCH: The northern ridge, beyond Estelle Bowl, may take a quarter of an hour to hike and traverse to, but the sweet silence and enormous cedars you’ll find will make you forget the trip. As will the powder.

UTAH :: THE CANYONS

A DECADE BACK, the resort that would become the Canyons was a pretty shabby, and not too popular, locals hill. Now it’s the biggest, most unabashedly go-go resort in Utah-and, miraculously, it’s crowd-free.
WHY WE LOVE IT: Besides the sharp new base village, it’s got the real goods: Days after other Wasatch resorts are all skied out, you’ll still be finding powder stashes hidden among the鈥攃ount ’em鈥攅ight peaks.
NUMBER-ONE RUN: Take the hike up Murdock Peak right off the Super Condor Express Lift, then choose from among seven tempting lines. You’re bound to find your favorite flavor: steep glade, wide-open bowl, or gnarly chute?
HOT LODGE: When NBC’s Katie Couric and Matt Lauer wanted posh digs for their two-week Olympics gig, they picked the deluxe Grand Summit Resort Hotel鈥攆or good reason. After a soak in your jetted tub, survey the scene at the heated outdoor pool below, and the rest of Summit County, from the bay windows flanking your fireplace. And, of course, there’s the supreme access: If the gondola were any closer, it would be inside. (Doubles, $279; 888-226-9667, )
SOUL PATCH: Take a snowcat-drawn sleigh to midmountain, cross-country or snowshoe it through the woods, and hit the resort’s secluded Viking Yurt for a delectable five-course Scandinavian feast. Go ahead and carbo-load鈥攁fterwards, the snowcat will drag you right back down to base.

OREGON :: MT. BACHELOR

THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE gave top skier Bill Healy, of the Army’s Tenth Mountain Division, permission to put three rope tows up the face of central Oregon’s Bachelor Butte way back in 1958. Since then, his dream come true, now known as Mt. Bachelor, has grown to 71 runs serviced by ten lifts. And for those seeking big air, there are three terrain parks.
WHY WE LOVE IT: With as much as 30 feet of snow piling up annually in the mountains of Deschutes National Forest, Mt. Bachelor is one of the Pacific Northwest’s treasures, and an agreement with the Forest Service has spurned commercial development, preserving its wild side.
NUMBER-ONE RUN: Head for the Northwest Express chair and exit, if you dare, to Devil’s Backbone, a mettle-testing black diamond. Though steeper up top, it’s good and bumpy almost all the way down its nefarious spine.
HOT LODGE: The Inn of the Seventh Mountain, between Bend and Mt. Bachelor, is the place to sleep if you want first chair the next morning. The lodge-style decor鈥攚ooden beams, fireplaces, leather recliners鈥攋ust oozes cozy, and with the Cascades so close by, grand views are there for the feasting. (Doubles, $135-$195; 800-452-6810, )
SOUL PATCH: Hit the Lodge, in Bend, for pints of local 20″ Brown Ale and scrumptious buffalo burgers. Then make good and sure you patronize the McMenamins folks鈥擥od love ’em鈥攔enovators of, among others, the old St. Francis school in downtown Bend, home to a hotel with Turkish baths, a pub restaurant, and a throwback cinema.

IDAHO :: SUN VALLEY

HOLLYWOOD HOTTIES, Olympic skiers, and John Kerry may flock to sexy Sun Valley these days, but America’s first ski resort has been drawing us hoi polloi since ’36. Swaths of immaculate corduroy run for miles here, so pray your legs last. No sweat if they don’t: French chefs and other fanciness await below.
WHY WE LOVE IT: Fantastic snow- making gear, five-star base facilities, and runs so fast and long you can attempt to break the sound barrier鈥攁fter stuffing your face with beignets, of course.
NUMBER-ONE RUN: Crank the bindings and launch down Warm Springs. After a continuous 3,100-foot vertical loss on a blue groomer, your quads will glow like an Apollo capsule on reentry.
HOT LODGE: Stay in Ketchum, Sun Valley’s neighbor and the epicenter of the apr猫s action. The Best Western Kentwood Lodge, situated right in the mix, has an airy stone-and-wood lobby, big rooms, a hot tub, and a pool. (Doubles, $159-$179; 800-805-1001, )
SOUL PATCH: Clomp into Apple’s Bar and Grill, at the base of Greyhawk, and mingle with folks who packed it in after logging 30,000 feet of vert鈥攂y lunchtime. Notice all the passes tacked to the wall? You could once trade yours for a pitcher of suds. Talk about priorities.

VERMONT :: KILLINGTON

KILLINGTON’S legendarily long season stretches from October through May (sometimes into June), and with seven mountains, the resort has more acreage than any place in the East. Lately, though, Killington’s known as the town that tried to secede鈥攆rom Vermont, not the Union鈥攁 tribute to residents’ fiery, tax-evading Yankee spirit.
WHY WE LOVE IT: Behold the Beast’s 200 runs鈥攊ncluding high-altitude bumps, endless cruisers, terrain parks, and a halfpipe鈥攚hich keep legions of devotees coming back thirsty.
NUMBER-ONE RUN: You don’t have to be an ace to experience the hair-raisingly steep moguls of Outer Limits, on Bear Mountain鈥攋ust grab a pint and watch the wipeouts from the deck of Bear Mountain Base Lodge.
HOT LODGE: Nab yourself some comfy slopeside digs: The Killington Grand Resort Hotel is well worth the substantial change you’ll drop. This 200-roomer offers studios and suites鈥攁ll with kitchens, many with fireplaces鈥攁nd the views from the outdoor Jacuzzis and pool are unbeatable. (Doubles from $150; 877-458-4637, )
SOUL PATCH: It may have turned 40 last year, but the Wobbly Barn still parties like a teenager. This steakhouse-cum-nightclub has a hoppin’ happy hour, live music, and a serious boogie jones.

MONTANA :: MOONLIGHT BASIN

Moonlight Basin Ski Resort

EVERY GOOD SKI AREA has a split personality鈥攑art nurturer, part dominatrix. But no resort behaves more like Jekyll and Hyde than Moonlight Basin, the one-year-old resort 45 miles south of Bozeman that shares a boundary with Big Sky. First it lulls you, then it tries to kill you.

The lull part: Moonlight is a real estate venture, and the kindly blue and black pistes that meander down the north face of 11,194-foot Lone Mountain are tailored to those looking for vacation homes. The new Lone Tree lift will fill out those offerings this winter, adding more than 500 acres of open glades and unintimidating expert runs.

Moonlight’s sadistic side? Just look up: The Headwaters is a forbidding wall striped with nine chutes pinched by bands of sharp shale and scree. Three Forks is the boast-in-the-bar run, a 1,200-foot plummet into Stillwater Bowl that nudges 50 degrees in spots. (Until a lift is built, reaching such lines requires a 25-to-45-minute hike.)

Moonlight Basin can’t yet keep you occupied for a week鈥攖he base area’s swanky lodge doesn’t even have a gear shop or ski school鈥攂ut it’s one more reason to book that trip to Big Sky.

IDAHO :: TAMARACK RESORT

THE VIEWS RECALL TAHOE. And the terrain? Call it Steamboat West. That’s the early line on Tamarack Resort, 90 miles north of Boise, which opens in December. The Tahoe analogy is plain from a 7,700-foot spot on West Mountain’s ridge: Far below, 22-mile-long Lake Cascade glistens in Long Valley. What’s more, the resort sits far enough west to rack up 300 annual inches of snow (100 more than Sun Valley), yet it’s east of Oregon’s high desert, ensuring that the bounty arrives talcum-dry.

Don’t expect Tamarack to max out your Pocket Rockets. The tree skiing in glades of aspen and subalpine fir, and the languorous blue runs that unspool down the mountain’s 2,800 vertical feet, summon Steamboat鈥攄iverting, if not exactly heart-stopping. Snowcat skiing will be offered this year on 500 acres to be made lift-accessible in the next few years. It’s all part of a $1.5 billion plan to make Tamarack a year-round resort with some 2,000 chalets, condos, and hotel rooms. (At press time, just 60 chalets and cottages were available.) For the best apr猫s-ski, head to the old logging town of McCall, 17 miles north.

:: SKI EMOTIONALLY NAKED!

STUCK IN INTERMEDIATEVILLE and dreaming of a transfer to the friendlier slopes of Advanced City? I sure was, so last winter I gambled on a four-day ski clinic in Utah’s Wasatch Range. I was up for anything that would get me closer to black-diamond bliss.

Ski to Live鈥攍aunched in 2003 by extreme queen Kristen Ulmer, at Alta and Snowbird resorts鈥攖akes a uniquely cerebral, holistic approach to improving performance on the slopes, promising nothing less than self-transformation via a cogent blend of hard carving, refreshing yoga, and an intriguing flavor of Zen known as Big Mind. No $200-an-hour therapist ever promised so much.

The 38-year-old Ulmer, veteran of countless ski flicks and former U.S. Freestyle Ski Team member, is a sensitive but sure coach, possessing an infectious buoyancy of spirit that makes every powder acolyte under her wing believe a camera’s rolling just for them over the next mogul. She says conventional instruction is too heavy on mechanics, virtually ignoring mental outlook: “Understanding yourself translates into your skiing in a big way. It’ll catapult you into a whole new level of learning.” So she does it her way. During my Ski to Live weekend, my 13 fellow pupils and I spent about as much time contemplating life in intensely reflective Big Mind sessions as we did tackling Snowbird runs like the steep straitjacket of Wilbere Bowl.

The first night, we shared our hopes (huck big air!) and fears (hairy chutes, sharks). Next morning, we fell into a pleasant rhythm: wake-up yoga; a fat breakfast; lots and lots of skiing in small groups with Ulmer or another instructor; evening sessions with Genpo Roshi, 60, who heads up Salt Lake City’s Kanzeon Zen Center and developed Big Mind; a to-die-for dinner; then profound slumber at the Lodge at Snowbird.

Under Ulmer’s tutelage, skiers and snowboarders employ mantras, which can improve focus, and learn to execute proper form, like correctly positioning shoulders through turns. (Chanting Charge! in one’s head at each turn actually does have a way of refining performance.) Throwing Roshi in the mix proves to be even more radical: He uses challenging discussions and role-playing exercises intended to help you harmoniously integrate the sometimes conflicting aspects of your personality, thus allowing you to dig out from the solipsistic center of your own little universe. It’s pretty cool.

But my defining moment came not when I face-planted right in front of the video camera (hello, embarrassing playback!) nor when I carved some relatively pretty turns in Mineral Basin; it came in a whiteout, during a three-below-zero cruise along the Cirque Traverse, at nearly 11,000 feet. Suddenly I felt fearless joy-not joyless fear-in anticipation of the double black on deck.

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