Snowbird, UT

Snowbird's Aerial Tram plows into the early morning mist, packed to the hilt with lucky skiers, mountain rescue crews, and liftees, all expectantly awaiting just one thing: first tracks down the slopes of one of North America's top-rated resorts.

And even though the scenery remains ...

Olympic Valley, CA

Squaw is the American birthplace of extreme skiing. About 25 ago, Squaw locals began skiing impossible lines from the Palisades, essentially a cliff with snow stuck to it. In the early 1980s, Scot Schmidt, arguably the father of extreme skiing, arrived in Squaw to pull 100-foot cliff ...

Skykomish, WA

Simply put, Stevens Pass has some of the best powder in the Pacific Northwest. A 450-inch annual snowfall alone makes that claim more than mere conjecture, but factor in a 78-mile proximity to Seattle and its centralized position on the crest of the Cascade Range between Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie and ...

Stowe, VT

The self-proclaimed Beast of the East exceeds mere regional boasting. Stowe sports four of the toughest slopes in New England; its high-speed lifts to each peak keep the lines moving; its slopes range from sharp-angle blacks to gentle cruisers; and its glade runs alone make this place worthy of ...

Stratton Mountain, VT

Snowboarding was born here, and the resort remains a favorite among riders. The sport's roots are honored each March with the annual staging of the U.S. Open competitions. Stratton was also one of the first mountains to install a six-passenger, high-speed chairlift. The downhill boarding is ...

Park City, UT

One of alpine’s enduring mysteries? How The Canyons ski resort remains one of Park City’s best-kept secrets despite its mammoth size. The resort stretches across nine peaks with 4,000 skiable acres, 182 trails, five bowls, six natural half pipes, and ample backcountry access, but ...

Whistler, BC

Welcome to Whistler/Blackcomb, Land of Oz. Like Oz, Whistler is a magical place—especially when the guy behind the curtain lets the sun out. The stats foreshadow the enormity of the possibilities.

Whistler and Blackcomb are separate mountains and were once separate, competing ...