The 40 Best Ski Resorts in North America
In an article done by Outside Magazine, 13 of Colorado’s 25 ski areas made the cut as being “The 40 Best Ski Resorts in North America“. This is great news not only for ski and snowboard enthusiasts, but also for those considering CMC’s Ski Area Operations program at the Leadville campus or the Ski and Snowboard Business program at the Steamboat Springs campus, as Colorado is arguably among one of the best places in the country, if not the world, to get a hands-on, in-depth look at what goes into the daily operations of the ski industry, whether at a ski area or a manufacturer of the various products involved in the industry such as ski lifts and snowboards.
First- the rationale behind the article’s ranking and then onto the fun stuff. In Outside Online’ own words:
“Going skiing is an effort. There’s the online hunt for tickets and reservations, the recruiting of partners in crime, the cramming of bulky gear into its casing, the drive up, the checking in, the suiting up, the snapping in. Not to mention the cost: Skiing and riding are among the most expensive of sports.
But if you’re the type who’s never been deterred by the energy it takes to get out there—and if you’re reading this, you very likely are—you know that all that fuss is, of course, worth it. Your reimbursement comes in the form of crisp air, the smell of a snow-blanketed pine forest, classical-crescendo-inspiring views, the crunch of fresh powder underfoot. And, more than anything else, the unmatched rush of carving your way downhill, leaving nothing but fresh tracks behind.
Still, you don’t want to waste the effort of putting together a ski trip on just anyplace. So here’s our thorough ranking of spots where the haul of getting on the hill is likely to pay off with dividends. To create it, we developed a long scoring key to measure a mess of factors, from snow conditions, terrain quality, and ski-related amenities to affordability, safety, and level of service. We also looked at lodging options, off-hill recreational offerings, and the après-ski scene. Finally, we asked whether a resort takes responsibility for its environmental impact—because it’s pure hypocrisy for an industry so dependent on climate, so inspired by mountain grandeur, to degrade nature.”
Vail came in 2nd to Squaw Valley in California. Vail receives annual snowfalls in the ballpark of 350 inches and is host to 193 trails, 31 lifts, 3,450 vertical feet, 5,289 skiable acres, and 4 terrain parks. Along with alpine skiing and snowboarding lessons, Vail’s ski school offers Nordic, telemark, and snowshoe workshops.
“We at Outside featured Luke Cartin, one of Vail’s environmental managers, for having one of the top 10 cubicle-free jobs. Some of his work is apparent on the mountain in the form of 42 solar panels. In addition to using renewable energy, Vail protects local wildlife by installing bat housing and closing the back bowls for calving elks. Vail also recycles and has achieved a water-use reduction rate of around 25 percent over the past four years.”
The town itself is host to 60 hotels, over 100 restaurants, a bowling alley, a movie theater, and a multitude of annual festivals and events.
Coming in at #6 was Steamboat Ski Resort which features 4 terrain parks, 18 lifts, 165 trails, an average of 354 inches of snowfall annually, 3,668 vertical feet of terrain, and 2,965 skiable acres. Over 100 skiers and riders make up their Ski Patrol along with Bear the safety dog. The mountain employs close to 1,700 during peak season, so those hoping to work on the mountain while attending CMC are in luck.
“Steamboat’s ski-school staff is basically a roster of former Olympians: Billy Kidd, Deb Armstrong, Nelson Carmichael, and Caroline Lalive all work here, as do Aussie and Kiwi champions and six members of the PSIA-AASI national team.”
“The resort gets credit for working to improve nesting habitat for migratory birds, and for having a zero-waste initiative that’s on track toward its goal: Thanks to much recycling and composting, 80 percent of Steamboat’s trash got diverted from the landfill. Free shuttles and buses have, the resort estimates, negated 1.2 million driving miles last year alone.”
While Telluride may get overshadowed by Vail and Aspen in the minds of prospective visitors, the resort came in at a respectable 8th place.
“Telluride’s 125 trails have a collective vertical drop of 4,425 feet. And though the biggest number of runs here are for experts, the 2,000 skiable acres are varied enough so that everyone can have their fun. Strung above groomers, and three terrain parks and bowls are 18 lifts whose capacity pushes 22,386 people per hour.”
Breckenridge, part of Vail Resorts, slid into place at #10. While no one intends to visit with ski patrol, unfortunately it happens to the best of us. Luckily, 250 ski patrollers are employed annually to help you off of 155 trails.
“Everyone knows Breck’s name, whether for its 374 yearly powder inches, for having North America’s highest lift, or for encompassing Colorado’s biggest historic district. Yes, this Vail Resorts-owned place is quite famous and unlikely to get less so in the foreseeable future. Breck looks out for the earth in other ways too, enforcing major recycling and composting programs, buying wind-energy credits to offset 100 percent of the resort’s energy use, and upgrading snowmaking methods to save water.”
Coming in 17th is Winter Park, “a high-altitude gem in the Rockies for serious rippers. It’s also the home of the National Sports Center for the Disabled, so skiers and riders with physical challenges are accommodated here better than anywhere else.
Habitat here is important: the Intrawest-owned resort conducted a study of local lynxes and hares to make sure the animals’ homes weren’t being adversely affected. In 2002, Winter Park bought 60,000 ladybugs to negate the need for pesticides (ladybugs eat other insects), and trails around the resort have benefited from reforestation efforts. Managers make sure that Winter Park recycles, composts, and uses AreaNet, a computerized program that monitors electricity consumption to shuts appliances off when they’re not being used.”
Coming in at 18th place was Beaver Creek which has big events in its’ future.
The resort has been host to the men’s Birds of Prey World Cup race for several years, in December 2013 the women will also have a Birds of Prey World Cup race, and in February 2015 the resort will host the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships.
“Instructors collectively speak more than 14 languages and include former national ski and snowboard team members. The men’s demo team competes internationally, having won the World Synchro title five times over the past decade. New this season is a Lindsey Vonn program that pairs girls with female teachers who help them feel empowered them while building skills.”
“The resort scored high on our sustainability criteria, having reduced its energy consumption 10 percent over the last five years and recycled more than 135,000 pounds of paper, the equivalent of almost 1,200 trees. A food-waste diversion program prevented 18 tons of landfill waste this year, and 80 percent of the water used for snowmaking got returned to local streams.”
Copper Mountain, located 30 minutes from Leadville and just a few miles from Frisco, came in 20th. Those with ski patrolling aspirations will delight in knowing that the patrol is comprised of 260 members, although not all are paid. Copper is also host to the Woodward at Copper facility & the U.S. Ski Team Speed Center.
“There’s free public transit to Keystone, Breckenridge, and other places that benefit from the White River National Forest’s world-class scenery (which Copper Mountain helps preserve by supporting the Ski Conservation Fund, and by recycling and composting).”
Crested Butte came in at a respectable 21st place with a strong focus on safety, employing a full-time safety manager along with 87 paid and volunteer ski patrollers.
“The resort makes environmental efforts, protecting native species, offering tours that educate guests about local flora, and, over the past four years, reducing its energy consumption by 16 percent and increasing its yearly recycling rate to 60 percent.”
Aspen Mountain came in at 26th and it’s neighbor Snowmass came in at 29th. Aspen, formerly named Ajax, is not the place for beginners, as all of their 76 trails, which are spread across 675 acres, are rated intermediate and above. Snowmass is a little more beginner friendly with 6% of their terrain designated as “easiest”.
“Though Snowmass does make some eco-efforts—all facilities on the hill recycle and there’s a free parking lot for hybrids—conservation has been a bit of a hot issue here. In October, a judge ruled that Snowmass could develop 230 additional acres of ski runs, brushing aside the concerns of a non-profit concerned about all the trees the Burnt Mountain project would kill. On the flip side, Snowmass does maintain its own 115-kilowatt micro-hydroelectric plant which prevents 150 tons of carbon dioxide being released.”
Rounding out the line-up as far as resorts owned by Vail, Keystone slid onto the list at #32. The resort has snagged the title of longest ski day by staying open on select nights until 8PM. The resort is also home to the world’s highest tubing park with 5 lanes and a dedicated lift located at over 11,000 feet and North America’s largest Zamboni-maintained outdoor skating rink (it’s 5 acres wide).
“The resort relies on its pristine natural scenery as a major draw, so it’s conscious of its impact and works closely with the U.S. Forest Service to mitigate damage. The conference center alone has diverted 114 tons of compostable waste from the landfill, and Keystone has been responsible for the recycling of 200 tons. Though the resort doesn’t buy renewable energy, it has redone its snowmaking system so as to increase its electrical efficiency by 25 percent.”
The other 2 Aspen Resorts are Aspen Highlands (35th place) and Buttermilk (38th place).
Highlands: “With a perfect view of the Maroon Bells, this smallish resort (five lifts move a maximum of 6,500 people per hour up 3,635 vertical feet) is one of Skico’s four Aspen resorts (Aspen Mountain, Buttermilk, and Snowmass round out the portfolio). Its 118 ski runs get 300 inches of snow per year, though only five percent of its winter can be labeled powder days. The ski-and-board school here is shared with Skico’s other hills, and offers risk-free lessons (really, you get your money back if you’re not happy) taught by a staff of 1,200 that hails from 22 countries, including Olympians from the U.S.A., Austria, Argentina, and Brazil.”
Employees are encouraged to volunteer with the Roaring Fork Conservancy to help monitor local waters, and the resort’s parent company, Skico, holds the distinction of having made the U.S. ski industry’s first wind-power purchase. The conglomerate still spends $25,000 per year on wind credits and is working on other renewable-energy initiatives, like solar arrays.”
Buttermilk is home to the Winter X Games through 2014.
“New is a dirt superpipe that reduces water waste by four million gallons and saves the resort $15,000 in electricity.”
I recommend you read the article to find out more about these resorts, as well as resorts from other states that made the list.