And just this month Conde Nast Traveler Magazine published their Readers Choice of the 20 Best Ski Destination in North America. Their scores ranged from 66.2 for the Whitefish Mountain Resort in Montana, which ranked at No. 20, to a high of an overall score of 88.5 for Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia, Canada, which claimed No. 1.
Whistler is one of the most beautiful year-round destinations with added enhancements for the avid skier in late October through early May. I was told that Whistler Blackcomb usually does not have long lines, but it was recommended that you start skiing early at 8:30 a.m. and ski through lunchtime and enjoy the year-old Symphony Express quad chair that accesses more than 1,000-square feet of terrain. Then there is my favorite time at the Apres-Ski around the blazing fireplace at the base camp. Another great family feature at Blackcomb Mountains base camp is the Coca-Cola Tube Park, good on an icy day for the whole family.
The No. 2 spot goes to Aspen in Colorado, long a favorite of the Hollywood elite, with naturalist-guided snowshoe tours by the Aspen Center for Environmental studies and No. 3 is Deer Valley, Utah, the last Winter Olympics site and considered the most luxurious by the European Alpine skier. Lake Placids Whiteface Mountain in New York is the No. 4 choice and a convenient winter getaway for my daughter Jill Wasser, her husband Stuart Wasser and their teenagers Bradley and Maris. It is has undergone a $5 million renovation project with new groomers and snow guns. Park City in Utah ranks at No. 5 and is where I donned snow-proof garb and snow-mobiled along the pristine groomed trails of Park City.
Colorado has a total of seven more Conde Nast Readers Choice skiing locales including Telluride at No. 6 with an additional eight back country runs at the Back Iron Bowl; Vail at No. 7 has a new 12-passenger gondola; No. 12 Beaver Creek boasts a ÔDiamonds in the Rough program of groomed expert runs for intermediate-level skiers, No. 14 Steamboat replaced three slower lifts with the six-passenger Christie Peak Express; No. 15 Crested Butte has a 25 percent discount policy on lift tickets; No. 17 Breckenridge pod casts their guests with recommendations of popular local hangouts, and No. 19 Snowmass will keep the familys youngsters busy with a 25,000 foot Treehouse Kids Adventure Center while the Moms and Dads are on the slopes.
Wyomings Jackson Hole is No. 8 and has one of Americas greatest vertical drops of 4,139 feet, many varied terrains and the longest runs that are ideal for intermediate and even novice skiers. Stowe, Vermont at No. 9 is the locale of the Stowe Mountain Resort, the Queen of the Northeast ski resorts and the oldest most romantic one in the United States. I had tried my feet there at the 93 miles of groomed trails and on the 62 miles of back-country terrain to cross country ski. Unfortunately, I think that snowshoes or horse-drawn sleighs are my modes of travel in ski country. The No. 10 choice is Sun Valley, Idaho, where Senator John Kerry has a chalet for winter family fun.
Mont Tremblant and Mont-Sainte-Anne in the Canadian province of Quebec are Nos. 11 and 13 respectively with Mont Tremblant was the second real ski resort built in North America after Sun Valley in 1938. The Mont Tremblant Resort has 46 miles of trail with 92 runs. Half of the trails are designated for Double Diamond Skiers. Additionally Mont-Sainte-Anne has one of the steepest angles in the East, known as the Beast. Lake Louise Mountain Resort came in as No. 16 and is in an awesome setting of silvery snow-capped mountains and emerald green waters filled with Mineral rich silt from the surrounding glaciers and the magnificent Rocky Mountain turreted Edwardian Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise.
Lastly No. 19 is family friendly Mount Bachelor in the state of Oregon where beginner skiers receive a free two-hour ski lesson with adults buying a full price lift ticket.
For reservations, contact your travel professional or visit your choice of the twenty Coned Nast Readers Choice Favorite Ski Resorts.
Copyright by Marcia Abramson
