As Told to Gordy Megroz
1. Steamboat, Colorado
Skiing is a family sport, and in Steamboat, off any lift, you have a variety of trails that can make any level of skier happy. My favorite place to ski is in the trees in the Shadows. They thinned the trees so they’re 50 to 60 feet apart. It’s like nature’s slalom course. Then I like to go to the Ghost Ranch Saloon for beers. You really get a feeling of the Old West there.
2. Deer Valley, Utah
Most people think it’s well-known just because of the great food. And the food is really great. But you can also find great powder skiing in the trees. Stay at the Stein Eriksen Lodge. The food is amazing and you ski in and out. You eat breakfast, then go out on the slope and your skis are laying right there waiting for you.
3. Park City, Utah
It’s the home of the U.S. Ski Team. So they train there and they keep many of the trails groomed and in perfect shape. The Olympics were actually held on some of those trails. Think of playing golf at Augusta. Wouldn’t you like to play tennis at Wimbledon? That’s what skiing on that hill is like.
4. Vail, Colorado
The main thing, of course, is the back bowls. Skiing powder in those big open bowls, where there are no trees, is just an ideal situation. When you come down to the base area in the afternoon, and you’re having a margarita on the deck at Los Amigos, you can just see all these people coming down with big grins on their faces.
5. Stowe, Vermont
It’s some of the most challenging skiing in America. Most people think, Oh, come on, if you’re a real skier you’re gonna ski in the West, where there are real mountains. But I challenge any skier to come to Stowe and ski the front four. The National and the Nosedive and the Goat and the Star are steep and narrow. It’s some of the gnarliest skiing in America.