When winter approaches, it’s time to start thinking seriously about your ski vacations. If you’ve stayed close to home for what seems like a very long time – and last winter was a long time ago – maybe it’s this year you should consider heading off for that long dreamed of ultimate ski destination. Question is: Where should you go?
Photo Credit: globalreset
The answer depends on what you’re looking for. There are downhill skiing and cross-country skiing ski vacations, or a combination of the two. Some ski resorts are more appropriate for certain types of skiers, while others cater to every kind of skier, from beginner to expert. Are you just starting out, looking for lessons, trying to move up to the next level of expertise? Are you in the intermediate stage, but not quite ready to move up yet? Are you advanced and itching to get on black diamond trails? Or are you really an expert and yearn for the extreme challenges of double- and triple-black diamond runs?
Will you travel by yourself or with other skiers of similar skill levels? Are you bringing a family with varying skill levels and need plenty of apres ski options and activities? Ski vacations can be tailored to meet all these needs. In fact, many resorts have a pretty good split between the skill levels, offer lots of off-mountain activities, numerous recreational, dining, shopping and nightlife options – all in one resort or ski vacation destination.
With Colorado’s numerous ski resorts, you can’t go wrong with any of them. Breckenridge Ski Resort is great for families, has world-class skiing, lots of activities and really needs at least two days to ski all of the Breckenridge. Crested Butte’s trails skew more towards intermediate, with 57 percent allocated to that skill level (with another 23 percent beginner and 20 percent advanced), and has both downhill and cross-country skiing. At Winter Park, one of Colorado’s biggest ski resorts, there’s deep powder downhill and telemark skiing, and enough ridges, bowls and ski trails for all skier levels, plus nearby backcountry and cross-country skiing. The ever-popular Vail and Aspen ski areas deserve their reputations as well – and both areas are huge.
Up for the ultimate challenge? Try Whistler-Blackcomb in British Columbia. The two separate mountains, once separate ski resorts, are now accessible by a peak-to-peak 28-person gondola ride that takes just 11 minutes. Host for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, Whistler-Blackcomb has an awesome 200 runs on 8,171 skiiable acres, a 5,280-foot vertical rise and plenty of challenges. It’s been rated best ski resort in the world for several years, best for beginner, intermediate, expert, scenery, nightlife – and the list goes on.
Speaking of expert, here are some other top ski areas for those upcoming ski vacations:
- Alta, Utah
- Arapahoe Basin, Colorado
- Big Sky, Montana
- Chamonix, France
- Jackson Hole, Wyoming
- Lake Placid and Whiteface, New York
- Mammoth Mountain, California
- Squaw Valley, California
- Taos Ski Area, New Mexico
Ski vacations can be a lot of fun depending on who you go with. If you’re going with a bunch of friends, group or family, consider booking a vacation rental. Vacation rentals are considered to be a true value and affordable way of spending your money on a ski vacation of your choice.
