Author: aed5458

Welcome back to skiing through life! This week we’ll be exploring a ski resort in the beautiful Dolomite Mountains located in Italy. A little background on the Dolomite Mountains, they’re a very popular tourist attraction within Italy, specifically for extreme sports such as BASE jumping, free climbing, paragliding, and hang gliding. Cortina D’Ampezzo hast hosted a myriad of snow sports. This includes the 1956 Winter Olympics, the nordic and alpine world championships, and Cortina is currently bidding for the 2026 Winter Olympics as well as hosting the 2021 alpine world championships. Being located in the Dolomiti Superski area, Cortina does have a lot of competition from other ski resorts but continues to be one of the most visited ski areas in the Dolomites.

Trails

The cortina ski area would most likely be suggested as a resort for seasoned advanced seasons. With 49 percent of the trails being advanced (black/double black diamonds), this mountain may not be the best for beginner skiers. The mountain has 73 total trails, so you definitely won’t be bored at this resort! 13 percent of the trails are expert trails and 38% are intermediate runs. One of the most popular things to do at Cortina is explore the backcountry skiing it offers. There are many companies in the area that provide backcountry skiing tours, heli ski tours, and these companies often will provide you with avalanche training and avalanche gear such as a transceiver and a probe.

Lessons/Programs

The Cortina ski school was actually the first founded Italian ski school. The school includes snowboarding and skiing lessons within the free ride, telemark, and freestyle areas. What makes this program so great is that there are ski instructors available in 8 different language. So if you’re coming from France, you can book ski lessons with an Italian ski instructor who also speaks French. The ski school offers both group lessons and private lessons, although private lessons here are highly recommended.

Apres-Ski

In the towns surrounding Cortina, the apres-ski scene is like no where else. With 30 bars, 40 restaurants, and 14 pizzerias, some people come to the ski resort just for the food and drinks! Some of the most popular places visitors like to go after skiing are the Mokarabia Coffee Bar, the Dolomiti Bar, LP 26 Prosciutteria, and the X Bar. The Tivoli restaurant is Michelin starred and El Toula is located in a converted barn. If you’re not traveling with kids, some of the best nightlife in the area  is at the Blu Bloom Gall, Bilbo Club Gall, and Belvedere.Â

Lodging

As for lodging, Cortina has many different experiences to offer. A lot of people when they come here like to stay in an apartment with multiple bedrooms that they can rent out for a week. Another popular option is staying in a hotel/resort near the ski slopes. With 4 stars the Bellevue Suites and Spa is highly recommended as well as Piezza da Aurelio which is actually located right in the middle of the mountains. Dibona has the charm of an intimate ski chalet, also located right on the mountain. Because this is such a popular tourist destination, the hotels, resorts, cabins, apartments, etc are endless and offer people a variety of choices no matter what your preferences are.

Welcome back to skiing through life! This week we’ll be exploring the west coast of America up in the state of Washington! This post’s featured ski resort is the Mount Washington Alpine Resort located on Mount Washington. This resort is especially known for its beautiful scenery as well as the many different nature experiences it offers.

Trails

For a bigger mountain resort, Mt Washington certainly has a great amount of green/beginner trails. Even with the upper level trails (blue/black diamond), a majority of these trails are groomed which is a great aspect of the mountain. While a good portion of the mountain is going to be comprised of trails for the more advanced skier, Mt Washington has great facilities and groomed areas for the beginner skier/snowboarder. Annually, the resort gets about 170 inches of snow which makes for great powder skiing which is what every skier always considers when looking for a resort! The weather at the resort is also pretty good with temperatures staying around 20-30 degrees although you may not get as many blue-bird days here compared to other resorts because of how much precipitation there is.

Lessons/Programs

As with most mountains, Mount Washington offers anything from private to group lessons for all age ranges. They stand out with their lesson programs by providing beginner facilities as well as terrain that’s perfect for any type of lesson with their glade runs and powder-filled bowls. Some of their specialty programs include their adaptive programs which cater to the physically and developmentally challenged. For anyone looking to become a skiing or snowboarding instructor or trained for avalanche skills, this resort offers all of these courses for reasonable prices.

Apres-Ski Activities

After spending part of the day on the mountain skiing or snowboarding, you can spend the other part of the day with all of the activities this resort offers! Mt Washington offers everything from snow tubing and tobogganing to snowshoe fondue and fat biking. Another popular attraction here is the Mt Washington ziptour. This zipline offers 2.3 km of ocean and alpine scenery. In addition to these activities, the resort also offers a full event calendar filled with activities like the biathlon snowshoe blast, the slush cup, a snow to surf event, and opening day events. In addition to this Mt Washington has a variety of shops and restaurants including multiple cafes, a bar and grill, and a bistro. Lastly, one of the stand-out attractions of Mt Washington resort is their snow host tours. Early in the morning, you can book a tour with a snow host who will show you the best ski and snowboarding areas and will even give you a local tour.

Lodging

As for lodging, two of the most popular places to stay are the Bear and Deer Lodge and in Mt. Washington village. The Bear and Deer Lodge is located right on Mount Washington allowing for ski-in ski-out accommodations. These accommodations are probably the best lodging experience you’ll have on the mountain because they offer first tracks, easy access to apres-ski opportunities, and even outdoor hot tubs! The other popular place to stay is in the Mt. Washington village. Mt. Washington village is mostly made up of rental accommodations. The rentals include everything from condominiums, apartments, and full ski cabins. Mt Washington village is the better choice if you’re traveling with a bigger group or want a more private space.

 

Welcome back to skiing through life! This week we’ll be traveling around the world, all the way over to Japan to learn more about the Niseko Mountain Resort Grand Hirafu. This resort actually comprises 4 different ski resorts each with their own variety in terrain. The mountain is world-renowned for its yearlong powder trails and attracts many non-Japanese skiers and snowboarders because of this powder. Keeping in mind our four categories (trails, lessons/programs, acres-ski activities, and lodging), let’s get started!

Trails

Compared to other ski resorts in Japan, Niseko frequently wins the best skiing in Japan awards for the best powder skiing, the best off-piste skiing, and the best backcountry skiing, and again for the amount of snowfall it receives each year. One of the perks of skiing here is that the resort has many groomed trails which is perfect for families or people just learning how to ski or for anyone that does not want to ski straight powder/un-groomed trails. The resort also includes great tree-skiing which is often an attraction for higher-level skiers. In addition to a great variety of trails, Niseko has gondolas and hooded chair lifts because they so often have bad weather. Although the bad weather and the cold might be seen as a negative for this resort, it’s that weather that brings in so much snow, so most visitors to this resort don’t usually mind.

Lessons/Programs

At Niseko, all lessons and programs are given out of the grand Hirafu ski school. The ski school offers everything from group lessons and private lessons to nature hiking programs and specialized kids programs. With the kids programs, most of the kids are signed up for full-day lessons and will even receive lunch during the program. The popular nature hiking tour brings visitors on private group tour through tranquil winter forests covered in snow. These tours are conducted most often using snow shoes but sometimes snow ramblers are used when the snow total gets really high.

Apres-Ski Activities

Overall, Niseko boasts 10 restaurants/cafes on the mountain for when guests need a break from the slopes. Some of the more popular restaurants include the Tanta-an restaurant and cafe, King Bell Hut, Rest House Ace Hill, and Hanazono 308. If you’re not traveling with kids, there are lots of bars in and around the Niseko United area that specialized Japanese whisky and regional craft beers. The apes-ski scene in Niseko has often been described as having a Western feel because of its American-inspired bar food, beer, and live music. Another popular apres-ski activity in Japan is going to an onsen or a hot spring. Here guests can enjoy the tradition Japanese practice of soaking in thermal baths. Most hotels and resorts in the area will have onsens and some areas have simple standalone facilities.

Lodging

Lastly, some of the best lodging in Niseko is found at one of the main resorts, the Grand Hirafu. Here there are two great hotels, the Hotel Niseko Alpen, and the Aya Niseko. Hotel Niseko Alpen is located right next to one of the main Hirafu chair lifts making this hotel nearly ski-in and ski-out which is a major attraction for visiting skiers. The hotel also offers shops, laundry facilities, lockers for ski gear, and karaoke. At the Aya Niseko, this hotel offers beautiful views of Mt. Yotei, an onsen hot spring, yoga rooms, and even a kids clubs.

Overall, it doesn’t get better than Niseko if you’re looking for a powdery ski trip considering that they’ve gotten 45 feet of snow in one year in the past! This resort is great for the international traveler who’s looking to immerse themself in a very different culture and get in some great skiing while doing so.

Welcome back to Skiing Through Life! This week we’ll be exploring Big Sky Ski Resort in Montana. Big Sky is located 50 miles South of Bozeman, Montana and covers over 5800 skiable acres in the mountains. Big Sky is especially well known for their consistent snowfall that’s reliable almost every winter. Keeping in mind the 4 categories for every resort (trails, lessons, apres-ski activities, and lodging), let’s get started!

Trails

Big Sky in Montana has 3 main mountains, one of them primarily reserved for members of a private club called the Spanish Peaks Members Club. The Spanish Peaks Club is located on Spirit Mountain which is right above the smaller Flatiron Mountain. The two other main peaks are Andesite Mountain and Lone Mountain with Lone towering at over 11,000 feet. With a mountain of this size, there are certainly going to be challenging trails for expert skiers. The Lone peak offers strictly double black diamond terrain, so if you’re not a Level 3 skier, you should definitely make sure the highest lift you’re taking up on Lone peak is Challenger 3 or Lone Tree 4. If you were to take the Lone Peak Tram, this lift and and the Powder Seeker 6 only service black diamond bowls which can certainly be very challenging but also fun! For beginner and intermediate skiers, Andesite Mountain, and lower Lone Mountain are perfect for you! Andesite mountain has beautiful terrain at the top of the mountain and their main lift services greens even at the peak. For those looking forward to getting into the terrain park, taking swift current 4 or explorer 2 right out from the main village will bring you right to the park trails.

Lessons/Programs

As with most big mountains like this, Big Sky offers private lessons for every level of skier, group ski lessons, guided experiences, and local youth programs. With the guided experiences, the entire “lesson” is all about your preferences. This experience is less of a learning experience and more about exploring the mountain. Your guide can explore green and blue runs with you all day or you can go up to Lone Peak and ski in challenging avalanche territory because one of the perks of this experience is access to avalanche ski gear. With the local youth program, there is a big emphasis on enrolling young who live near or around the mountain because the program tries to build camaraderie throughout the sessions. The best aspect of this program is that they make a real effort to separate the groups by age which puts kids into smaller groups, so they get more personal attention from the instructors which is very important when learning how to ski when you’re that young.

Apres-Ski Activities

Moving onto acres-ski activities, after a long day on the mountain, there are lots of things to do for relaxing at the spa to exciting night life! In the winter, Big Sky offers 2 different types of ziplines, bungee trampolines, snowshoe tours, dog sledding, sleigh rides, and snowmobile tours. The resort also offers something that’s quite unique because most resorts haven’t offered it in years. This activity is called snow coach tours and what it offers is a climate-controlled experience in a car hybrid that can give you better access to trails and terrains for mostly cross-country skiing. In addition to these outdoor activities, Big Sky also has a great spa experience. The Solace Spa offers body treatments, massages, facials, and salon services.

Lodging

Like most ski resorts, Big Sky offers cabin rentals, condo and apartment rentals and even house rentals. In addition to this, there are tons of hotels and resorts to choose from. Some of the most popular include the slope side Huntley Lodge, the Snowshoe Condominium-Style hotel, the Summit Hotel at Big Sky, and the Whitewater Inn. In my experience, the best ski hotels are always the ones that are ski-in ski-out so always look for that when making accommodations which shouldn’t be too hard to find at a popular mountain like Big Sky!

Welcome back to Skiing Through Life! With this new set of blog posts, we’re going to change things up a little bit. Normally the categories that I focus on with each ski resort are Difficulty (of the trails), Family-Friendliness, Apres Ski Activities, Weather/Snowfall, and Accessibility. In future posts, the categories are going to change a little bit and we will be focusing on the trails in general (difficulty, tree-skiing, backcountry skiing), the lessons/programs that the mountain offers, apres ski activities, and lodging. Keeping these categories in mind, let’s get back into the swing of things starting with Aspen Mountain Ski Resort in Colorado! Aspen/Snowmass is located in the Rocky Mountains just above the actual town of Aspen, Colorado. The Aspen/Snowmass mountain resort complex includes 4 different mountains but we will mainly be focusing on the smallest one, Aspen. In addition to Aspen Mountain, the other 3 mountains are Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk, and Snowmass which is the largest.

Trails

On Aspen Mountain specifically, there are no green (beginner) trails which makes this mountain a bit challenging. The majority of the trails on Aspen Mountain are black diamonds, double black diamonds, and extreme expert skiing terrain. The mountain definitely has some blue trails which is considered intermediate terrain but as a reminder, blue trails out West such as in Colorado, Utah, and California are typically equivalent to black diamond trails at smaller mountains on the East Coast, especially compared to Pennsylvania resort trails. For expert/highly advanced skiers, Aspen does offer a huge amount of challenging terrain  with multiple trails marked as extreme terrain meaning that the trails are not groomed, may have difficult obstacles, an extremely steep pitch, and are avalanche prone with heavy snow storms.

Lessons/Programs

At Aspen/Snowmass, every type of lesson imaginable is offered. There are group lessons for every age group (adult, teen, and child), and private lessons for any level of skier is also offered. One of the main attractions at Aspen is the Guided Skiing Experience with one of the Aspen Pros. This program allows you to book a half or full day out on the mountain with a professional skier who works for Aspen. These people will take you out on the mountain, show you where the best snow is for the day, and even their secret skiing spots. If anyone knows where the best skiing on the mountain is, it’s this group of people! Another unique opportunity at Aspen are their specialty programs such as a women’s skiing program, snow bike lessons, and the kids mountain explorers program.

Apres Ski 

After a day on the slopes, there are heaps of activities that everyone can enjoy to either relax, have more fun, or eat! Some of the featured activities at Aspen are the alpine coaster, snow tubing, powder tours, snowcat dinners, naturalist tours, and  snowshoe tours. As for restaurants, there are more than 100 featured food places in the Aspen/Snowmass area. One of the best places to eat is literally on the top of the mountain at the Sundeck which is operated by Aspen’s 5 star hotel, The Little Nell. Other restaurants include everything from luxurious dining at Element 47 at The Little Nell Hotel, to Bonnie’s, a small brunch cafe. Moving on from restaurants, the shopping at Aspen is unparalleled with the shops it offers including Gucci, Prada, Kemo Sabe, Ralph Lauren, Lululemon, fine art galleries, and most importantly, a Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.

Lodging

In this last category, we’ll be exploring a few of the best places to stay when skiing at Aspen. The two mountains people will typically stay on/near are Aspen Mountain and Snowmass Mountain. Typical for most ski resorts, the majority of the lodging options at Aspen are condo complexes and also apartment/town house rentals. Within these complexes, you can choose to either stay right on the mountain in a ski-in ski-out option or you can stay closer to the bottom of the mountain near the actual town of Aspen. The complexes usually include beautiful pools and hot tubs, tennis courts, and sometimes even restaurants within the complexes and you’re sure to have a great view from any room. As for actual hotels and resorts some of the best options are the 5-star Little Nell Hotel, the Hotel Aspen, Hotel Jerome, and the Limelight Hotel Aspen. All of these hotels offer breathtaking views of mountain, are close to shopping and dining, and offer free shuttle rides to and from the mountain.

One thing to keep in mind when considering Aspen Mountain specifically is that the terrain is very difficult so this might not be the mountain to pick if you’re skiing with beginners or young kids. If challenging skiing is up your alley, this mountain is perfect for you and is sure to be more than satisfactory. Another general comment about Aspen/Snowmass altogether is that it is a very expensive resort to ski at. Lodging can be thousands of dollars per night depending on where you’re staying and lift tickets are sure to be pricey too. If you have the money to spend on a luxurious winter escape, this location is absolutely perfect and will not disappoint!

Welcome back to Skiing Through Life! In my last post I’ll be sharing the largest ski resort the US has to offer with over 300 trails. Park City Mountain Resort, located in Park City Utah is one of the most well-known ski resorts to the average person. Park City hosts some of the biggest ski races of the year and is home to the Sundance Film Festival.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Level of Difficulty

While skiing at Park City, it may be a bit difficult for beginners to adjust. This mountain is tailored for intermediate and mostly advanced skiers with only 8% of their trails being

beginners trails and over 50% of the trails marked as advanced. 41% of the trails are intermediate runs, so if skiing for the first time, especially as an adult, this may not be the best mountain to try to teach yourself to ski. If you’re an advanced skier, this mountain is perfect for you with so many black diamond runs. The mountain also has 8 different terrain parks which is almost unheard of at other mountains. Their longest run is 3.5 miles which you’ll definitely be feeling in your legs the next day if you decide to take on that trail. With 7300 acres skiable terrain, this monster of a mountain is certain to excite higher-level skiers.

Family-Friendliness

Although there are so many advanced trails, Park City is certainly family-friendly. As one of the top places in the country to take ski lessons, Park City has a program for every level no matter what the age. One of the stand-out programs Park City offers is a family lesson where the whole family can get ski instruction time together. Park City also offers children lessons, adult lessons, and of course, private lessons. The Park City resort also includes a Little Adventures Children’s Center at Canyons Village. This center provides child-care for children 6 weeks old to 6 years old. It’s a state-licensed year-round facility and it provides arts and crafts and other activities. The center is also located near a gondola which can take kids up to a snow play hill during the winter.

Apres Ski Activities

During the day, this resort provides many fun activities such as riding the alpine coaster or the flying eagle zipline. They also offer historic mountain tours which go into detail about the resort’s mining, skiing, and local history. In Canyons Village, scenic, 30 minute sleigh rides are offered that include big blankets for the ride. I looking for more extreme activities, snowmobile tours are also offered next to Canyons Village and these tours will take you on a ride through the Red Pine Canyon. When you get hungry for dinner, there are multiple places at which you can stop. In the Park City Base Area, there’s Legends Bar and Grille, in Canyons Village, there is The Farm, Red Tail Grill, and the Umbrella Bar. Most of these places will serve food such as sandwiches and hamburgers.

Weather/Snowfall

With being located out West in Utah, Park City certainly receives a lot of snow. In 2017, the resort got most of its snow in mid-March. The snow started around early December ad even continues into April which is always great for Spring skiers. Last year, the resort received 167 inches total of snow with their heaviest snowfall happening in March at 14 inches. Surprisingly, April is their second snowiest month compared to the main winter months. At one time they even had 63 inches of snow at the top of their mountain! As mentioned before, Park City is out West so powdery snow is almost always a guarantee when you compare conditions to the icy slopes we have here on the East Coast. To find out  how much snow your resort might get this year, click here.

Accessibility

Within the US, Park City is probably the closest resort to a major international airport. Salt Lake City International Airport is just 40 minutes away from the resort making this mountain extremely accessible. Like most airports, this one has car rental services and Hertz offers an increased amount of specially equipped vehicles for winter driving. The resort can also reserve a shuttle for arriving guests that will bring them to and from the airport after a short call with their reservation specialists.

 

Breaking away from the norm this week, we”ll focus on a few other aspects of skiing rather than just the resorts.  Some things we’ll talk about are the types of ski racing, well-known/famous skiers, alternative skiing, and ski movies, so let’s get started!

Ski Racing

To get involved in racing, the general process is finding a mountain that you want to race for (it’s typically the one closest to where you live) and then trying out for the team as you would with most other sports. The same principles apply with skiing as they do with a lot of sports, where mountains that are bigger or more well-known usually have more competitive skiing teams. For example, the mountain I go to, being in the Poconos, probably would not have a ski team that’s as competitive as a mountain up in Vermont. So, after you go through tryouts and you’ve made the team, there are different events to choose from. On a ski team, you can either race in the slalom or you can race in the freestyle section which includes a course with obstacles like moguls (bumps), aerials (jumps) and sometimes a halfpipe (used at larger competitions). Basically, when racing for a specific mountain team, alpine racers will only ski slalom courses. But, if you make it to the olympic level, that’s where they have giant slalom racing and even the super giant slalom racing (I kid you not, it’s actually called the super giant slalom). With freestyle skiing, you’re still racing, but you are not placed on the scoreboard just for your time, but also for your technical skiing skills, especially in the aerials.

Famous Skiers

Moving on to some famous skiers, Bode Miller was an American icon back in the day, known for his amazing performance in the 2010 olympics, winning the super-combined gold. Although Bode did stir up some trouble with the press because of his love for partying, he was featured in a big Nike campaign because he was so well known. One of the other biggest names in the ski world is Warren Miller. Although he was not known for his skiing skills (although they were great), he was so big because of the entertainment company he created. Shooting mostly ski documentaries, Miller would rent out venues near ski resorts and charge admission to watch his latest films at night. During the day he would shoot footage for a new movie at the resort. Lastly, we have Lindsey Vonn, who has won 82 World Cup races and 2 world championship races. Her specialities are the super giant slalom, giant slalom, and combined. In her races, Vonn has reached speeds faster than 70 mph on skis!

Alternative Skiing

Only recently coming into light is the new sport of speed flying. This involves simply skiing off of a cliff and then parachuting the rest of the way down. Sounds crazy right? It is. Multiple people have died doing this, as there can be complications with the parachute if it gets caught on something or you hit into rock/trees/obstacles before you’ve fully landed. But, people are still out there doing it! One spot that’s become particularly popular for speed flying is in the Dolomite Mountains in Italy. Some mountain resorts even have designated runs for speed flying because it’s become so popular with Swiss and French skiers. Want to watch the craziness happen? Click here

Ski Movies

As mentioned above, Warren Miller is famous for his ski films and many of them are well-known in the ski world. Other ones more known to the general public are Aspen Extreme, a love story about a young (very attractive) ski instructor who falls in love with an Aspen local (Aspen being a high-end Colorado ski resort). Chalet Girl is lesser known but still attracts attention as a charming ski love story. For those who need a bit of inspiration, Eddie the Eagle, which is the most recent movie to come out, is the story of an underdog ski jumper representing the British in the Winter Olympics. The main character ultimately places last every time he jumps, but becomes a national hero for representing the British in the ski-jumping category after they didn’t have someone for 6 decades.

Welcome back to Skiing Through Life! This week we’re jetting out to California to look at some of the US’s most scenic skiing. Heavenly Ski Resort, more commonly known as Lake Tahoe ski area, sits in south Lake Tahoe on the California-Nevada border, right in the middle of the El Dorado-Toiyabe National Forest. Throughout the resort, beautiful views of Lake Tahoe are almost always visible. The striking blue of the lake in the background, against the glittering white snow makes for a picture-perfect ski getaway.

Level of Difficulty

The terrain at Heavenly Resort is like nothing else with the most skiable acres at Lake Tahoe. Guests at this resort can enjoy 3500 vertical feet of pure powder and a huge feature is crossing state lines while you’re skiing! Luckily for intermediate skiers, 62% of the trails at Heavenly are category blue which is a huge difference from most resorts on the west coast. 8% of the trails are beginner trails and then 25% are black diamond with the remaining 5% being double black diamonds. There are 97 total runs at this mountain, 2 terrain parks and the longest run is 5.5 miles! Heavenly consists of 2 main mountains with their base areas up at 7170 feet and their summit being 10,067 feet.

Family-Friendliness

With 70% of the runs at this mountain categorized as intermediate skiing level or below, this mountain is absolutely a perfect destination for either families with young kids or guests just learning how to ski. Intermediate runs can also be great for those who are a bit timid when skiing out west. It’s important to acknowledge that blue trails on bigger mountains are typically the equivalent of black runs on smaller mountains, so when confident east coast skiers trek out to the west, these blue runs can be a great place to start off. One of the biggest guest services that Heavenly boasts is their day care center. It’s conveniently located in the California Base Lodge and there are multiple options when dropping off your kids such as one-on-one nanny services to ski lessons mixed with day care services.

Apres-Ski Activities

Apres-Ski activities at heavenly include everything from horse-drawn sleigh rides to the ultimate spa treatments, to shopping along the edge of gorgeous Lake Tahoe. For actual activities, Heavenly boasts sleigh and carriage rides, a cinema, a bowling alley, an escape room, and even an Italian music lounge. If looking for some great grub after a long day of skiing, you can choose from a steakhouse, a lakefront cafe, multiple bars, or even a latin restaurant. If these options don’t excite, there are over 20 more options for quick food like a donut shop to fine dining at a seafood restaurant. One of my favorite things to always look for at a ski resort are the spas because I can always guarantee that I’ll be sore after the first couple of days out skiing. Offering over 5 spas in the area, the most popular spa Heavenly guests flock to is BioSpirit. Lastly, the shopping in the main village at Heavenly is sure to excite us ski fanatics. Cecil’s Plaza in the village offers many different ski gear stores such as Oakley, Patagonia, the North Face, and demo gear shops.

Weather/Snowfall

Heavenly, even being in California, is able to boast an average of 360 inches of snowfall per year with 300 of their season’s days being bluebirds. Heavenly even offers a text service that will keep you up-to-date with the mountain conditions. The mountain releases daily snow reports and if there’s a sudden shortage of snow, their snowmakers are able to cover 73% of the entire mountain.

Accessibility

Because the east is known for its icy terrain, many people will fly out to Heavenly to ski in the west coast powder. If flying into the resort, guests can come into the Reno/Tahoe International Airport or the Sacramento International Airport. If flying into the first location, guests can jump right on Highway 580 and arrive within an hour. The best part of flying into the resort is that if you present your boarding pass and an ID to someone at guest services, you’ll receive a free afternoon lift ticket to ski that day from 12:30-4:00! To learn more about this opportunity, click here.

Overall, Heavenly offers a huge opportunity for skiers to take their technique from a beginner skier to an intermediate or even advanced level because of the huge amount of intermediate terrain offered here. It’s a great location for families and it’s scenic skiing views are something everyone should experience at least once.

 

Welcome back to Skiing Through Life! This week we’ll be traveling down to New Mexico. Now I know what you’re thinking, New Mexico? Really? Isn’t it too warm there? Well, despite popular belief, New Mexico has some of the best skiing in the country. Taos  Ski Resort, nestled in the mountains of the Taos ski valley, is one of the most authentic skiing experiences North America has to offer. This authenticity is seen with Taos’s motion to prohibit snowboarding up until 2008! Not that they had anything against snowboarders, but again, this is a very authentic ski location which means it’s rooted in tradition and history. And if history tells us anything about snow sports, it’s that snowboarding wasn’t always highly-regarded by the community. With that bit of history, let’s get started!

Level of Difficulty

Taos, like many resorts out West, has some very daunting back bowls, but also some spaces for beginner skiers. 15% of Taos’s runs are green runs and 18% of them are intermediate runs, so about a third of the runs are perfect for type I and type II skiers. Taos’s trail percentage is actually majority expert runs with double black trails coming in at 37% and 30% of the runs being advanced. This isn’t bad for intermediate skiers because

if you’re there for an extended period of time, finding a less difficult advanced run will be easy, considering how many options there are. Unfortunately there’s only 1 terrain park but on the bright side it is in the middle of an intermediate trail which means that landing tricks will be easier because of the decreased incline of the landing zones. Coming back to the expert and advanced runs, the majority of expert runs will be off the Highline Ridge and the West Basin Ridge, located behind the first main peak. With these runs, skiers have to be extremely cautious about avalanche conditions. To actually get to these runs, skiers have to take a lift up to the top of the highest peak, Kachina, and then

ski along a ridge trail, traversing the top of the mountain range. The one run where avalanche danger would be most prevalent is the single run that starts at the top of Kachina Peak at over 12,000 feet. Because of this danger, Taos does daily avalanche control and then releases an avalanche report for the day so that skiers can go at their own discretion.

Family-Friendliness

With a mountain of this size (111 trails!), Taos is able to incorporate 15+ ski “lesson” programs. These programs range from women-specific programs, to a Ski Week program designed for participants to make life-long ski friends, There are also programs specifically for “steeps and bumps” and sunrise skiing. Taos certainly puts a new spin on the words “ski lessons”. While adults are busy making all of those friends during ski week, they can enroll their kids in the same program, just for younger people. Taos also has Child Ski Week which helps them meet other kids on the mountain and allows them to take part of the tradition that’s been at Taos since its early years. Taos additionally offers childcare for kids 2 months old through 3 years old. The childcare center is newly renovated, and exciting programs are planned for the kids who are brought here during the day. Lastly, Taos has an adaptive program for disabled skiers and snowboarders. All people enrolled in this program are given an individual instructor to ensure one-on-one safety and supervision.

Apres-Ski Activities

One of the stand-out aspects of Taos Resort is that it has one of the few sustainable ski lodges in the country. The Blake, which sits at the center of the bottom of the mountain “redefines future development”. The lodge has been awarded LEED Silver certification and has a geothermal heating and cooling system. By 2020, it is estimated that Taos will have reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 20%. In addition to this impressive lodging option, Taos has many different restaurant options such as quick ski-in ski-out cafes and luxury restaurants such as 192 at The Blake. Fun outdoor activities include Big Al’s snowmobile tours, cross country skiing through the Enchanted Forest, horseback rides and llama trekking (when the snow isn’t too deep), and lastly, Ojo Caliente which is a mineral springs resort and spa. Although this spa is about 30 miles south of Taos, it’s worth the drive because of the 11 revitalizing mineral pools it offers.

Weather/Snowfall

Because it is so far south, Taos does not receive as much snow as some of the resorts up north but it does receive a good amount. Typical snowfall for Taos is around 120 inches per winter. In past years, Taos’s snowfall had been all over the place, some winters the largest snowfalls have been in the spring, around March and April, and other years, the biggest snowfalls have been in December and January. It varies from winter to winter, but it’s sure that this resort will never be short of snow because they do have snow machines along their trails.

Accessibility

The two major airports near Taos are Santa Fe Airport which is 100 miles away from the resort and Albuquerque Airport which is 159 miles away. Both of these airports service major airlines. The closest airport to the resort is Taos Regional Airport which is just 19 miles away. This airport is for private and charter flights if coming in on private aircraft. There is also Taos Air which services flights from Dallas Love Field Airport and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. If driving in to the resort, Taos suggests taking the High Road, literally. This byway is known for its scenic spans through the desert, mountains, and tiny Hispanic villages established in the 1600s and 1700s.

Ultimately, if you’re looking for a resort deeply rooted in tradition, Taos is for you. They have programs that have been around since the resort’s beginnings and if you’re a classic skier who doesn’t like to deviate, make this your mountain.

Welcome back to Skiing Through Life! If you’re an avid skier, you’re probably wondering why I haven’t covered one of the most popular ski destinations not only in the US, but in the world. Well, the reason I haven’t covered a resort in Colorado yet is because I couldn’t choose one to write about because there’s so many great resorts! But alas, I have chosen and this week we’ll be looking at the Kardashian’s dream ski escape, Vail Ski Resort in Colorado. Yes, as you can imagine, Vail resort is quite expensive to ski at because it has all the luxury to please even the Kardashian Family. But, one thing to keep in mind, not everyone is obligated to book a full week of private lessons and rent a 20 person ski chalet when they come to visit Vail. It can be expensive, but only if you make it. With that in mind, let’s get started!

 

Level of Difficulty

With a whopping 195 trails on this mountain, Vail is one of the largest ski resorts in the world. About 50 percent of these trails are labeled beginner/intermediate and 50% are advanced. The resort is spread over 6 bowls, 2 main ski areas, and 1 basin. 2 of these bowls are considered “back bowls” because they’re located on the back side of the mountain and both of these bowls only consist of advanced, gladed terrain. The 2 main ski areas are located at the bottom and mid-mountain, and both contain green, blue, and black diamond trails and the lower area also has a terrain park. Within the 4 other bowls, most of the terrain is going to be dominantly intermediate and advanced but there are certainly bunny slopes for beginners and also backcountry skiing that is accessible for experts by heli-ski companies.

Family-Friendliness

As almost every mountain does, Vail Resort offers private ski lessons and group ski lessons but what sets them apart from most resorts are their signature programs. One program called DEVO is focused around young children learning everything from skiing in different conditions (backcountry, groomed, etc) to learning to race and using the terrain park. Another highlighted program is Ski Girls Rock which is a camp that takes place 4 times over the winter and works to improve girls’ self esteem, social skills, group skills, and of course, skiing skills. Lastly, the mountain offers a program called Ski Younger Now which teaches people who learned to ski in the 70s and 80s, how to use more modern ski equipment and ski with lower impact on their bodies. In addition to these 3 programs and others, Vail also has ski lessons for disabled skiers through their adaptive lesson program. Overall, Vail has lessons for everyone in the family and again, 50% of their trails are green and blue trails which is perfect for the kids!

Apres-Ski Activities

If you’re a member of the skiing world, you probably know that people flock to Vail sometimes specifically for the apres-ski environment. Even if you don’t ski, you’d still have a great trip because there’s so much to do off the mountain! With 9 signature restaurants, it’s hard to choose which one to go to! One restaurant, Vendetta’s is a favorite for ski patrol and instructors to hang out at after work which allows guests to mingle and talk over dinner with the employees. The mountain also boasts 9 clubs/bars. In addition to this, Vail has the legendary Vail Village which has a small-town ambiance with boutiques, restaurants, bars, and luxury hotels such as Vail’s own Four Season’s Resort.

Weather/Snowfall

Considering that Vail is pretty far west out in Colorado, it does receive a considerable amount of snow. Getting over 300 inches of snow last year, Vail certainly has lots of powder skiing which is especially great for backcountry skiers. Vail gets the bulk of this snowfall in January through mid February and last year, they got some of their biggest snow totals in March which is awesome for their spring skiers!

Accessibility

One thing that’s a major concern for many skiers coming out to Vail is how to get to the mountain considering it’s up in the Rocky Mountains. But have no fear, Vail is very accessible with 3 options for flying in to the resort. If coming from far away such as the East coast, guests can fly into Denver International Airport which is just a 2 hour drive away from Vail, and there is also a smaller regional airport, Eagle County Regional Airport which is just 30 minutes away. If flying in via private plane, Vail Valley Jet Center is perfect and offers amenities such as cleaning private jets.

Overall, Vail is the ultimate luxury ski escape and while highly recommended for families because of its great learn-to-ski programs, many young couples also flock here for a romantic winter honeymoon!