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Week of September 21-28, 1995
Great ski resorts you’ve never heard of
Q: What will be the best ski resort this winter? Best means cheapest tickets, best snow, less crowds. Give us that little-known, under-used resort. Please!
Mike Farmer
Austin, TX
egret@egret.ip.portal.com
A: If you’re serious about ditching the crowds, try one of these powder-heavy, laid-back, easy-on-your-wallet alternatives to the usual Rocky Mountain mayhem. Located about 16 miles north of Bozeman, Montana, on Highway 86, Bridger Bowl Ski Area has 2,000 feet of vertical, great intermediate glade skiing, and some of the gnarliest rock-strewn
couloirs in the West. With 25 percent beginner terrain, 35 percent intermediate, 30 percent advanced, and 10 percent hike-in extreme skiing, Bridger has plenty to offer skiiers of all levels. Despite the fact that ultra-funky Bozeman is only a 20-minute drive away, Bridger is blissfully crowd-free–thanks to a new quad that’s increased lift capacity by 43 percent. For
slopeside accommodations, rent a privately owned condo or opt for the low-key bed and breakfast. Be aware that they only have 75 beds on the mountain, so most people stay down the road in Bozeman (the airport is just 10 minutes outside of town). Now for the best news: lift tickets will set you back only $26 a day. For more information, call 406-587-2111. If you’re looking for
an Alta-like experience minus the crowds, we recommend heading out to Snowbasin, Utah–about an hour and fifteen minutes north of Salt Lake City. Snowbasin gets an average of 400 inches of revered Utah powder a year and has more than 2,400 feet of vertical and 1,800 acres of terrain–not to mention $26 lift tickets and a delightfully condo-free base area. Plan to bunk about 20
minutes away in low-profile Ogden: rooms are cheap, comfortable, and easy to come by. If all this isn’t enough to keep you here for a week, head less than an hour down the road for day-skiing at Alta or Snowbird. For Snowbasin information, call 801-399-1135 or check out in our
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