“It looks like Canada,” said Nate Disser, our guide, indicating the lofty, snow-cloaked peaks around us. Later that day, when our group of 10 had skied to another high-alpine basin where craggy rock monoliths jutted up from ridgelines, Mr. Disser noted a resemblance to the Italian Dolomites. Yet we were in the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado, a spectacular place in its own right.
The San Juans are particularly jagged and steep. Starting in the mid-1800s, miners tore into these peaks hunting for silver and gold, and the remnants of their industry still scar the land. This week, we were hunting only for powdery stashes to ski, and our tracks would disappear with the next snowfall.
We were on the second day of a five-day trip called the Million Dollar Traverse, a hut-to-hut backcountry ski tour. (The name comes from the so-called Million Dollar Highway, a serpentine stretch of U.S. Route 550 that runs between the Colorado towns of Ouray and Silverton.) The comparisons to Canada and Europe were apt in another sense, too, as guided ski trips like the one we were on are common in those locales.
I’m an avid backcountry skier, who usually prefers self-organized outings. But more than 20 years ago, I skied the Haute Route, a hut-to-hut trek in France and Switzerland, with a guided group, and I was curious to see what a version of it would be like closer to home.
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From the high point in Pays de Gex, sun illuminates the flatlands and the blue waters of Lac Léman stretch into the distance. We’re in the realms of the Haute Chaîne du Jura, a national nature reserve where lynx and wolves wander and the mountain towns among the peaks offer far more than downhill skiing.
During a recent trip within the U.S., the car’s GPS navigation system took me on an unexpected route between Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Basalt, Colorado. It steered me through a small town named Paonia in western Colorado, where I happened to have spent time—decades ago—as an intern for an environmental newspaper. Wanting to see this town again I veered in. Remembering that this region apparently now has a reputation for producing wine, I parked outside a wine and liquor store and purchased some bottles.
Balancing on a narrow ledge at the top of Lone Mountain Peak, I peer down one of North America’s steepest and most challenging ski runs, the Big Couloir — a triple black diamond-graded gully ranging from 40 to 50 degrees over an intense 460 vertical meters. I’m going to ski down alone, with just the voice of legendary extreme skier Dan Egan cheering me on from behind. It’s the last day of Big Sky’s Steep and Deep camp, led by Egan, and this is the crux moment.
It’s believed that the Norwegians invented modern skiing as we know it, and the first destination ski resort was Switzerland’s St. Moritz around 1864—more than half a century before the oldest operating mountain in the U.S. opened. It was the ski loving but mountain-challenged British that popularized the very notion of the ski vacation, traveling to the Alps for food, fun and skiing.
Many hotels in ski destinations around the world boast about their ski-in/ski-out locations. But the Little Nell in Aspen, Aspen's only Five-Star, Five-Diamond hotel, is taking this convenience one step further. Indeed, The Little Nell’s newly renovated spa, called The Spa at The Little Nell, is the only ski-in/ski-out spa in the famous mountain town.
When the temperature drops and the snow starts falling, there's nothing quite like the thrill of hitting the slopes. But what if there was a way to elevate that experience - to pair your alpine adventures with wellness and the perfect glass of wine? Enter The Little Nell, a 92-room, 5-Star, 5-Diamond luxury resort based at the foot of Aspen Mountain. Indulgences come together for a savory winter getaway with a twist at The Little Nell as you Sip, Ski, and Spa your way through Aspen, Colorado.
Looking down from Utah’s sheer Wasatch Range, I feel relieved to have made it to the end of one of America’s most challenging roads. Rising to nearly 2,500 metres, State Route 210 is no stranger to avalanches. Snow ploughs can’t keep pace with the blizzards and cannons trigger slides to mitigate risk. Travel can be slow and unpredictable — but manage to get here, and the skiing is arguably the finest in North America.
Skiing and snowboarding got a big participation boost from the pandemic, and leisure travel in general has been running at a frenetic pace, with demand often outstripping supply. As a result, many top winter vacation destinations are more expensive than ever. Because Marriott’s Bonvoy is the world’s largest hotel loyalty program, many frequent travelers and those who accrue points through business travel will be looking to redeem their earnings for much needed “free” vacation stays.
Mountain spas. Dog-sledding. Hot springs. Mulled wine by a roaring fire. Many ski resorts offer much more than just skiing. If you're looking for a winter weekend break filled with fun and cozy activities, you don't need to hit the slopes to enjoy the charms of a ski resort.
Despite a mediocre snow season last year, the Northeast measured more than 13 million skier visits, its strongest showing in eight years. Much of that interest was driven, no doubt, by the increasing use of multi-mountain passes, with skiers and boarders enjoying late-season snowfall as well as recent snow-making and infrastructure investments.
Be it hammering down heart-thumping blacks in the ice-blue shadow of Mont Blanc, ski-touring beneath glistening saw-chiseled peaks or tree skiing through picture-book forests, France sports an unrivaled variety of skiing – for all abilities, styles and budgets.