Wildlife photography and nature fans from around the world are invited to vote for their favorite image to win the Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award.
11.11.2023 - 00:49 / lonelyplanet.com / Winter Olympics
Use our insider’s guide to the region’s most popular spots – and a few more-off-the-beaten-track destinations, too.
Skiing in North America is all about wide swooping runs, gorgeous forested glades, powder shots and some of the fluffiest, deepest, most bewitching snow on the planet.
Think of bottomless snow days on the West Coast, perfect powder in the Rockies and countless ski-bunny and board-bum paradises in the many mountains in between. As you contemplate your next winter-wonderland trip, let this list help you decide.
The vibe: Long runs, gnarly terrain, zero pretension, Led Zeppelin
It’s an electric feeling to catch the Jackson Hole Aerial Tram, the most iconic lift ride in the USA. The 100-person gondola has piped-in music, chosen by the operator – think AC/DC, Led Zeppelin and just about anything the gods of rock would approve of. As you cruise up, you get a bird’s-eye view of the terrain you’ll be riding on your dream snow-cation: steep couloirs, excellent glade skiing and a few wide-open bowls.
Jackson Hole isn’t especially close to anything, so all you get here is the mountain. And we’re fine with that.
The vibe: Beautiful people with lots of money…and their mountain-shredding spawn
Aspen hasn’t been the world’s go-to ski destination for the past 50 years for nothing. This glitzy former mining town has amazing turns for just about everybody in the family, and four mountain areas to choose from. Buttermilk is one of the best hills for beginners in the nation, with top-notch instructors at the ski and snowboard school.
But you can also expect impossibly steep pistes, deep chutes and remarkable bowls in Aspen Highlands and Snowmass areas. After a quick hike to the top of the 12,392ft (3777m) Highlands Bowl, you’ll be rewarded with arguably the best inbounds runs in the United States.
After you hit the slopes, it’s all about fashion, remarkable dining and the arts. Better dress the part.
The vibe: Big powder days, heli-skiing, big-city proximity
Thanks to more than 200 marked runs and an astounding 8171 acres of terrain – including 16 broad alpine bowls and three glaciers – Whistler-Blackcomb might be the largest ski resort in the western hemisphere. The resort’s Peak 2 Peak gondola is the highest and longest in the world, and nobody can beat the sheer exhilaration of throttling down the mountain that hosted many alpine events in the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Serious skiers and boarders will love the big dumps of heavy coastal powder and the long runs, while families won’t be able to resist the kids’ forts and action in the village. Just 78 miles (125 km) from the cosmopolitan city of Vancouver, you can seek out plenty of nearby cultural attractions, too.
The vibe: The fluffiest powder on the
Wildlife photography and nature fans from around the world are invited to vote for their favorite image to win the Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award.
This series of articles about credit cards, points and miles, and budgeting for travel is brought to you in partnership with The Points Guy.
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The Mount Hood stratovolcano, around two hour’s drive east of Portland, Oregon, is the most transfixing ski destination you’re ever likely to lay eyes on. It’s a perfect snow-topped pyramid, pushing high through the clouds, with a belt of fir trees and pistes that crisscross the forest like strands of a spider’s web. Get closer and you’ll see the pattern is the result of several exciting ski areas: Timberline, Mount Hood Skibowl, Mount Hood Meadows, Summit Ski Area and Cooper Spur. For those who love winter sports, this region always offers another reason to stay longer.
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