More for the Avid Traveler: 12 North American ski resorts to add to your list this winter

Note: This article appears in FREESKIER magazine Volume 18.2. The issue is available via iTunes Newsstand. Subscribe to FREESKIER magazine.

There are far too many outstanding ski resorts out there for us to possibly list them all in FREESKIER’s 2016 Resort Guide. While the top-ranked resorts receive due credit, it’d be preposterous for us not to highlight some of the resorts that are favorites among our squad; each of these spots serves up rowdy terrain and serious snow totals. Put ‘em on your list.

Crested Butte, CO

Words / Donny O’Neill

In a state where a select few resorts seem to hog the recognition, Crested Butte is a hidden gem. Rather than following the crowd up Interstate 70, drive south on the infinitely more scenic US-285.

Once you’ve arrived at the classic ski town of Crested Butte, you may never want to leave. It’s one of the best in the American West. Its bustling community, local shops and stellar dining and drinking establishments—we suggest you grab a drink at Montanya Rum on Elk Ave—are all highlights. However, it’s the skiing that comprises the true soul of this place.

You’d be hard-pressed to find more challenging inbounds skiing in all of Colorado. Teocalli Bowl, which now features 40 acres of new terrain opened last winter, and the North Face are full of steep lines and lofty cliffs, with runs all rated as “Extreme Terrain.” For the most confident shredders, a quick hike to the top of “The Butte”—the resort’s signature 12,161-foot peak—will deposit you atop puckering lines like Banana and Funnel. Drop in, if you dare. You can also enter these lines via a traverse from High Lift or Silver Queen.

You might also enjoy: FREESKIER’s 2016 Resort Rankings

Telluride, CO

Words / Thacher Stone

Located in southwest Colorado, Telluride Ski Resort offers some of the most diverse terrain in the United States. The picturesque resort towers over the iconic ski town of Telluride and is host to 127 trails and 3,845 feet of lift-accessed vert, spread across 2,000 acres.

While the resort has runs catering to all levels of skiers, the big appeal, here, is the assortment of expert terrain; 41-percent of the trails on the mountain cater to advanced/expert skiers, and are widely considered some of the most thrilling in all of Colorado.

Telluride’s best terrain is its array of hike-to lines. Check out the Mountain Quail Couloir in the Black Iron Bowl; ride the Revelation lift and traverse out to one of the ten Gold Hill Chutes; or take the hour-long hike out to 13,320-foot Palmyra Peak, east of Black Iron Bowl, for 200 acres and 2,000 vertical feet of pure bliss. If you’ve got some extra funds, check out Telluride Helitrax, the resort’s heli-skiing operation that accesses some 200 square miles of San Juan-epicness.

Jibbers take note: Telluride houses three pristine terrain parks and is the home resort of Olympic silver medalist Gus Kenworthy.

Loveland, CO

Words / Thacher Stone

Situated just 53 miles from Denver, CO on I-70, Loveland Ski Area is ultra-accessible and offers 2,210 feet of vertical across 1,800 skiable acres. Averaging 422 inches of annual snowfall, Loveland is a less-crowded, more pow-filled offering for visitors to Colorado and Front Range ski commuters alike.

You’ll enjoy exploring the basin, complete with a multitude of long, winding groomers, open bowls and terrain parks. Wind lips, cliffs and challenging terrain await in the high country. Chairs 1,8 and 9 will be your go-to for maximum thrills. Additionally, you’ll want to reap the fluffy benefits of a free ride above Loveland’s lift-accessed areas, courtesy of The Ridge Cat. That’s right, a free cat ride to tear up fresh tracks atop the Continental Divide.

For good eats, try the Loveland Deli & Coffee Shop at the Basin Lodge in the morning for a delicious breakfast sammie, and stop by the Loveland Rathskellar post-shred for an ice cold brew.

Taos Ski Valley, NM

Words / Donny O’Neill

Skiing in Taos is unlike any other shred experience in the United States. Its setting above northern New Mexico’s arid landscape is a thing of beauty. Visitors to Taos have the opportunity to shred burly lines from 12,000-plus feet in elevation, while staring out at a red desert floor below. How’s that for unique?

Skiers come to Taos for the highest quality, bone-dry snow and abundant steeps. Highline Ridge and West Basin Ridge are where you’ll find the latter. A short hike from the top of Lift 2, these zones ain’t for the faint of heart. Here you’ll discover lines with no-fall zones, closeout cliffs and the tightest of trees.

Last season (2014-15) marked the first winter with lift-accessed skiing on Taos’ famed 12,481-foot Kachina Peak. Formerly hike-to terrain, the recent addition of a chairlift now provides access to the peak’s smorgasbord of wide-open bowls, cliff drops and sustained fall line skiing.

Billionaire Louis Bacon’s 2013 purchase of Taos Ski Valley has resulted in a huge redevelopment plan for the base area, which will yield modernized amenities and a new hotel without (we hope) the loss of the ski area’s quaint, local charm.

Sun Valley, ID

Words / Erika Dahlby
Photo / Courtesy of Sun Valley

Sun Valley lies deep in south-central Idaho among the rugged Sawtooth range. The two mountain resort has a total of 2,154 skiable acres and a peak elevation of 9,150 feet.

Bald Mountain, “Baldy” for short, is the main attraction. Skip leg day at the gym, and instead, head straight for the Challenger chair. This takes you to the Warm Springs area, a groomer paradise for the hard chargers. Carve down Limelight, then transfer over to Greyhawk for 3,100 vertical feet of non-stop corduroy heaven. On a powder day, lap the Mayday lift and float through the wide gullies of the lower bowls. Baldy’s little brother,
Dollar Mountain, is home to the resort’s terrain parks, and contains over 75 rails and a 22-foot superpipe prime for trickery.

Catch a free bus into the town of Ketchum to grab a beer and burger at Grumpy’s. Afterward, head to the Cellar, where you may bump into locals Banks Gilberti and Collin Collins.

Grand Targhee, WY

Words / Erika Dahlby

Nestled on the backside of the Tetons, straddling the Wyoming and Idaho border, is Grand Targhee Resort. It’s a place where every day could be the best day of your life. Here’s why: Wide open bowls, steep chutes and a variety of challenging terrain, sans lift lines. Lap the Dreamcatcher chair for access to the famed Mary’s Nipple, offering an incredible view of the Tetons and mindblowing backcountry access following a quick boot pack.

Take a ride up the Sacajawea lift and hike up the ridgeline to Reliable and Toilet Bowl, steep faces with cliff bands that’re perfect for the adventurous powder hound. If you’re in the mood to splurge, check out the 602-acre cat skiing operation. You can snag a single seat for $379 or rent out the cat for you and eleven others for the daily rate of $3,790.

After an epic day on-hill, head to the Trap Bar and Grill for beers and grub. Wake up the next morning, grab a breakfast burrito from Snorkels and get after it again.

Mt. Bachelor, OR

Words / Henrik Lampert

Just 20 minutes up the road from beautiful Bend, Oregon, Mt. Bachelor offers an amazing skiing experience without the glitz and glam of many other large-scale resorts.

Bachelor is comprised of 3,683 acres of skiable terrain, 3,365 feet of vert, 462 inches of average annual snowfall, spectacular tree skiing, loads of expert-only terrain and a ski season that typically runs from November until late-May.

A dormant volcano, Bachelor allows skiers to ride 360-degrees off its 9,065-foot summit—the highest inbounds skiable terrain in all of Oregon and Washington. Many of Bachelor’s trails were naturally formed by lava flows, and are thereby reminiscent of natural halfpipes. These runs are conducive to large, sweeping turns. Natural wind lips are aplenty, too, ideal for those who enjoy catching air. Many will tell you that you don’t ski Bachelor, you surf it. If that sounds like your cup of tea, this is one spot you don’t want to miss.

Mt. Baker, WA

Words / Donny O’Neill

What Mt. Baker lacks in easy access, it more than makes up for in burly terrain and gargantuan snowfall totals. The ski area—an hour-and-a-half drive east from the city of Bellingham, in Washington’s Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest—averages 682 inches of annual snowfall. In 1998-99, it broke the world record for snowfall by a ski area with 1,140 inches.

Baker’s inbounds terrain is highlighted by steep—and we mean, steep—lines situated between the towering Pacific silver fir trees that populate the North Cascades. For those who enjoy rocketing through the air, Mt. Baker’s wooded paradise is chock-full of big cliffs to drop. And for context on just how large these rock outcroppings can be, the ski area has placed signs in the glades stating simply, “Non-Survivable Cliff.”

While Baker’s inbounds terrain is surreal, its lift-accessed backcountry is the stuff of wet dreams. A quick hike from the top of Chair 8 leaves the entire North Cascades at your disposal, literally. For quick backcountry laps, head looker’s left toward Mt. Shuksan and the zone called the “Shuksan Arm.” It won’t suck.

Crystal Mountain, WA

Words / Erika Dahlby

Standing in the shadow of the iconic 14,409-foot Mt. Rainier, Crystal Mountain is home to some of the best skiing in the Cascades. With 2,600 acres of rip-roarin’, hair-raising terrain at your disposal, you’re bound to have a good time. Head to the High Campbell chair, formerly Chair 6, to access Southback. A 45-minute hike to the 7,012-foot summit of Silver King brings you an incredible view and deposits you atop sick terrain. Charge down Avalanche Basin for open bowls, cliffs and chutes. The zone is avalanche controlled, but beacon checks still apply.

Make your way across the mountain and hot lap the backside of Snorting Elk Bowl, off the Green Valley chair. The Northway lift is the golden ticket for some of the finest tree skiing in Washington. The pow days in these glades are unforgettable. All of the runs are ungroomed, catering to those with a taste for variable terrain.

Round out the day at the Snorting Elk Cellar with a stone fired pizza and a frothy Elysian Elk Frost micro brew.

Stevens Pass, WA

Words / Donny O’Neill

A Seattle favorite, Stevens Pass is an easy 80-minute drive from the Emerald City. Stevens enjoys 460 inches of average annual snowfall, and skeptics worrying about “Cascade Concrete” should take note: The resort’s location allows for cold air to blow in from the east, making for light, dry, dreamy snow to blanket the slopes regularly.

On a pow day, find your way to the Seventh Heaven lift. This double chair deposits you atop several steep stashes, including runs like Rock Garden and Nancy Chute, as well as several hefty cliff bands—prime for going airborne. On the other side of the mountain lies the Double Diamond lift and Big Chief Bowl. The wide-open face is peppered with rocks and cliff drops just itching to be hit. Following a few laps on Double Diamond drop off the backside to Mill Valley for a righteous selection of comfortably spaced trees.

After all that shred-tacular action, you’ll have worked up quite the appetite. Stop into the Bull’s Tooth Pub & Eatery in the Granite Peaks Lodge for a wide selection of food and drink.

You might also enjoy: FREESKIER’s 2016 East Coast Resort Rankings

Fernie, BC

Words / Henrik Lampert

Fernie is a place full of rockin’, somewhat debaucherous character and top-notch skiing, too. Situated three hours from Calgary International Airport (by car) the resort boasts 2,500-plus acres of skiable terrain, 3,550 feet of vert, five alpine bowls and 142 runs. It’s steep, deep (up to 37 feet of snow in a season), free of nasty lift lines and ideal for those who seek variable, playful terrain.

When the flakes really fly, you’ll appreciate laps on the Timber Bowl chair in the early a.m. Keep an eye out for runs like Big Bang, Heartland and the Mitchy Chutes, where natural features litter the landscape. As patrol begins its systematic opening of the high alpine terrain, be prepared for the ropes to drop on the Currie Bowl. There, you’ll dig fast, open turns and even more of those natural hits. The day after a storm, seek out the gladed Snake Ridge, where pow stashes remain prime for days.

Come après, make for the Griz Bar, where you’ll hear tales of naked table-sliding from the “Califernians” — those who venture regularly from Calgary to the ski hill. A handful of bars in historic downtown Fernie keep the party rolling into the night. P.S. Mark your calendar for spring events including Griz Days and Hot Dog Day. Babes. Neon. Corn snow. Nuff said.

Kicking Horse, BC

Words / Henrik Lampert

Nine miles from historic Golden, BC, Kicking Horse is a must-visit resort for those with a hankering for steep, challenging terrain. The ski area is somewhat obstructed from view at first, but just wait until you unload the gondola on the mountain summit: Four massive cirques await, separated by three spectacular ridgelines.

You’ll enjoy 4,133 feet of vert (fourth most in North America) and 2,800-plus acres of skiable terrain, including beautiful basins, wide gullies, hefty cliffs and hair-raising couloirs. In fact, there are 85 inbounds chutes, more than any other resort in Canada—the challenging terrain will test even the hardest of rippers, like competitors who venture here for the famed 4-Star FWQ Wrangle the Chute contest.

Most of the runs at Kicking Horse funnel to the base and the central gondola, so prepare for some serious, well-earned leg burn. Taking this into consideration, believe us when we tell you this place breeds some remarkable talent. Just try to tail a local on a deep day—we bet you can’t keep up.