It depends on what kind of skiing you like?

If you like glades, trees, and dry powder then you can't beat Colorado. If you like GS skiing in the alpine then the Alps rock at places like Obertauern. I've never skied at Whistler but I'd like to.

22 Colorado Ski Areas


Vail Colorado



Back country near aspen


Back Country Near Ouray





Obertauern Austria


Obertauern

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Don't hold back

I've skied most everything in Colorado and Tahoe, Whistler, Jackson Hole, Sun Valley....but I think my favorite 1-2 punch is Alta and Deer Valley. That being said, you can't go wrong with Vail.

Stateside? Alta
REAL skiing? Chamonix. My personal second fav is Zermatt, but that's cause it's a rad little town. The fact that it had a run that was 3000' vert of moguls rocked my freaking world.

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MS: Exercise Science
Your speed matters a lot, sometimes you need to be very fast, where sometimes you need to breakdown your speed.

There is no "best" place as it all depends on what you are looking for and the snow and weather conditions when you show up to skii. I've skiied in the US and the Alps. Loved Taos, Vail, Mammoth Mountain, Switerzland, France, etc. My all time favorite is Mammoth Mountain, CA, but my special places are the ones I used to frequent as a kid where I had my most memorable ski days - Bear Mountain, CA. BTW, I also like the crappy ant hill ski areas of the midwest.

Heli skiing in Canada. Period.

Really depends on what you are looking for...Big mountain, fast cruising on neverending cord, moguls, powder, trees, resort/apres, etc?
I have skied(raced) all over the world...not a ton of time for free-skiing. However I have been disappointed with certain "famous" places and have had some of the best days of my life skiing at little no name places. with that said. just a little personal list of favorites.

Party/Apres: St. Anton and Tremblant
Best overall in US: Mammoth
in EU: Cortina, though I am partial to Aut.
Colorado: Take your pick, I have always found Copper to be under-rated
Scene: St. Moritz, Aspen
Spectating: Kitzbuhel for the Hahnenkamm
Glacier/summer: Saas Fee and Zermatt (both awesome villages too)
Off the radar: Kranjska Gora. eerily cool and dramatic mountains
East: Whiteface, Kilington in the spring for partying
Personal best day of skiing: Bromley

X3 on Alta.

Haven't yet tried the "real skiing" of the cheese-eating surrender monkeys ;-)

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DFL > DNF > DNS

Best place period?

Chamonix and / or Gulmarg

Chamonix pass this year includes Verbier, all high altitude, best backcountry in the world, will be there from Dec 1st to end of April. There is nothing in North America that even comes close to the size of areas like the three valleys or Mont Blanc, Verbier and access in to Italy. Not that I'd ever ski the three valleys again but for variety and size and good snow its great.

Gulmarg, India, highest gondola in the world, 7 km ridge, no more than 300 people on any day of the season, untouched powder is possible every day. 6000 vertical feet and powder runs up to 22km. Will be there all of February.

Closer to your home, I'd ski Utah or Wyoming or in Canada, Rev or Fernie. That said I've had epic powder days in France, Austria, Switzerland, Italy and all over the US and Canada but for me Chamonix is just mind blowing and I am hoping that India will be more of the same.

Lot's of good input from the board so far ... and I can only pass on my limited experience from the Rocky Mountains ... but I would say the Little Cottonwood canyon in UT is probably the "best" and most famous in terms of reliable snow that is great pretty much any day in the season. You can now get a single pass for Alta and Snowbird and there is a lift connecting the two, so that is probably the best in terms of lift accessed in bounds terrain and snow in the world.

There are a couple overlooked resorts in UT that do not get a lot of play, Snowbasin and Powder Mountain, both of which are much less crowded than the SLC resorts.

I love Colorado skiing, but the snow can get a little "firmer" in CO than UT, especially if it has been a while between storms (more skiers + higher elevations + less frequent dumps = firmer snow). I know the people in the East will have a field day with this, but I am spoiled. I will say that the best powder day ever was at Steamboat.

drn92

my list in order - breck, a basin, squaw valley, stevens pass, mt hood, vail, brighton, snowbird, copper, kirkwood, alpine meadows, northstar, and then park city.

this season bookings: whistler, tremblant, mamouth, and maybe the austrian alps

Bogus Basin, Id. I just had a lot of fun there.


I miss skiing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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customerjon @gmail.com is where information happens.

+1 on Steamboat. Fantastic snow.

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Steamboat is a kick. I went there twice and I loved thier greens. I know I know greens are for pussies but after killing myself all day on the blacks and blues they have some of the best greens for just cruising along and talking. Sometime low key can be fun.

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customerjon @gmail.com is where information happens.

Best for what? Powder, moguls, groomers, lifts, etc. Depending on the criteria, the answer could vary.

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Don

Tri-ing to have fun. Anything else is just a bonus!

Never thought I would see Bogus Basin on the list. Nice place its been a long time.

My vote is just about anything starting with "backcountry". I earn my turns. I also dont share well. Jackson has some pretty good stuff, and when you are tired of hiking, the Hole is nice on the right day.

t

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My Blog:
http://www.staggerforwardrejoicing.com
Ultrarunning & Parenting: There is no finish line.

For powder you can't beat B.C. interior ranges (NOT whistler which is the coast range). Whistler is big and fun and has it's stellar days but is often socked in and too warm for good powder and CO is nice if you like sunshine but not so good if you like consistent freshies. Just look at where all the heli operations are, right up the middle of BC where an average winter snowfall is in the 40 foot range. And most of their clients are rich Europeans from alpine countries.
There's really no point in rating skiing in terms of moguls or groomers, anybody can make those with enough skiers or machines, only Ullr can give you a powder day.

period?

Mad River Glen

One word... Snowmass.

Hands down for Pow & real Steeps, Valdez, AK it is the N.Shore of skiing.

The best place is the place where your buddy was skiing while your were at home sick\with the kids\working etc... They will always tell you that it was epic and you missed it!

Love the one you are with it!

Rogers Pass BC

The complete lack of crowds is mostly due to the complete lack of lifts.

x2! Absolutely freakin' stunning.

Brighton over snowbird and park city? I learned at Brighton and had a season pass in high school but thats only cuz it was the cheapest, snowbird is my fave but the parking is always a mess lately.

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'STICK EM UP PUNK ITS THE FUN LOVING CRIMINAL'

If you like to earn your turns, the best I have found is the Selkirk Mountain Experience, at the Durrand Glacier in the Selkirk Mountains. By the end of the week your legs will be jello for hiking and skiing as much a you can stand. Average is 5 - 7 K a day. The skiing is 2nd to none. The only choice is what time of year you want to go. Winter gives you head shots nearly every run, spring is the best corn you can imagine. There is tree skiing, and high mountain exposures, everything. To top it off the food is so good you will gain weight! The only word of caution, it is a ski trip you have to train for !

The lead guide also takes guests on special trips to Europe, and week long winter camping trip, supported by helo.

Just a fantastic experience.

DB