What ski area is your favorite and why?

[ak_powder_monkey]

Allpenglow because it is free, uncrowded and always has good snow

[sea2ski]

My current favorite ski area is area under my ski boots at the time.

[Hicks]

Everything outside of the old smoke.

Every place in Europe just sucks ass in every respect no matter what people say, don't go there.

[Carbuncle]

Keystone

[Roo]

Gotta give it up to my old home mountain, Squaw Valley. I don't think there is anywhere else in the ski world where the vibe is as infectious and the amount of skiing that can be done.

The vibe I accept but the amount? Squaw will fit into the Trois Vallees twenty eight times.

[schindlerpiste]

My favorite "ski area" is the Wasatch range. It's vast; it's snow is unparallelled; the varried terrain, steepness and access is top drawer.

[cdlv]

My favorite "ski area" is the Wasatch range. It's vast; it's snow is unparallelled; the varried terrain, steepness and access is top drawer.

" "

the snow, the terrain the laid back feeling.
hell i'll just say utah in whole is my favorite ski area.

[SILENCER]

You need to get out of the state of Colorado. Seriously. While I've spent a fair amount of time at some killer resorts in this state, the top Colorado resort (Snowmass for it's variety of terrain and overall sicktardedness if you know where to go) comes in at about 10 or so. Maybe even farther down the list.

My favorite is probably Snowbird. I say "probably" because there's far too many factors to really pick one. However, the terrain and the snow at Snowbird is stellar. Compared to many major western resorts (like Squaw, A-basin, or Mammoth), the powder doesn't get skied out nearly as fast.

I'll try any area you mention, I just happen to live here.

Utah has long been on the list, among many others...but with all this in my backyard convenience plus great hills makes it hard to travel far for skiing.

[SILENCER]

One other I have to mention for a small hill is Santa Fe NM. When the snow is good it's a great hill. Trees, bumps and the view from the peak is second only to Telluride in my opinion...looking out over the desert in winter is unreal. Plus, you need only drop into town for the best apres food anywhere.

You must turn on your gaper/Texan avoidance radar though on the cruisers to get to the bottom.

[lemon boy]

besides uber, it's not like he claimed they were the "BEST EVER" just that they're his favorite.

[Griz]

Another great smaller mountain is Monarch. What it lacks in vert, it makes up for in charm. A busy Saturday is waiting for 10 people at the chair and I appreciate the lack of commercialization compared to Summit county. They opened a great hike access area called Mirkwood which should up its overall terrain quality.

Also gotta put in a vote for A-Basin. If any of you mags are the ones crankin the metal at 3 am in Last Chance and assume nobody gives a shit... you are 1/2 correct. I say Mrs. Griz says

[skideeppow]

Las Lenas, hands down
sick snow, sicker terrrain and no crowds

2nd Buttermilk, I can skii in and ski out of Karl Stahl's future residence

[shmerham]

besides uber, it's not like he claimed they were the "BEST EVER" just that they're his favorite.

This thread is about favorites, not what's the best. You can't argue what someone's favorite is.

[powski3]

My vote goes to good old Mt. Hood Meadows because of their wonderful service, lack of crowds, great boundary policy, lack of gapers, safe uncrowded highway on the way up, and efficient lift layout.







Kidding obviously--
Squaw, Alpine, Snowbird, Alta, Kirkwood, Whistler/Blackcomb are all places I've had awesome times at on good days. I'd take any of em. I'd even throw Snowbasin and Powder Mt. on there too. Even tho Squaw seems to have a little bit of attitude and WB kinda feels like a carnival at the bottom, they're still awesome. Pretty much anywhere with some combination of steeps and lots of snow works for me. Can't wait to check out Jackson.

[SPREAD EAGLE]

Hands Down - Solitude Mountain Resort

Sure Little Cottonwood Canyon is the bomb - but the road closes way to often, the Alta qaedan's are powder Notsies (as others have suggested), and both the bird and ALta get raped after a dump. I have bird pass every year, but my heart belongs to SOLITUDE (I also have season privileges there).

0-The place where I made my first 11's, First Tuck, Face Shot, Euphoric Zen,
Life long Bro-mances with ski buddies, skied da' bumps, Tree line, straightline, 10' air, 20' air, 30' air, 40' air, 50' air, first sluff experience, first slide ride, and more - but here are more for my list

1-No Crowds
2-Great Vibe
3-Pow stashes days even weeks after a dump
4-BC Access uncomparable for a resort
5-Hike Terrain keeps away the unwanted
6-Summit Chair-No explanatoin needed
7-PowHorn - 1,2,3's, Milk Run, Middle Slope,
6-Honey Comb Canyon
7-Silver Fork Canyon
8-Laid back trollers
9-FOGS
10-The Beach
11-Crazy George
12-Karl Wall
13-224 My Bro
14-Old school chairs
15-My only troller experience

Need I say more!?

[Ubersheist]

besides uber, it's not like he claimed they were the "BEST EVER" just that they're his favorite.

Fair enough. I can't argue with that!

Hey - I lived in Colorado for a short spell, and loved the mountains there, too. Just not as much as I love other mountains in other states...

[Stani]

Heiligenblut (Austria)

- stunning views
- skiing in the shadow of the Großglockner (highest peak of the country)
- wide & open terrains
- huge, lift served vertical (over 1600 m=5250 feet)
- long runs
- no liftlines
- no crowds
- cheap & nice accom
- cozy village

[2-czech]

Heiligenblut (Austria)

- stunning views
- skiing in the shadow of the Großglockner (highest peak of the country)
- wide & open terrains
- huge, lift served vertical (over 1600 m=5250 feet)
- long runs
- no liftlines
- no crowds
- cheap & nice accom
- cozy village

that sounds interesting, never been there in winter...are you around? if we get some snow this year, i will stop by for sure...

[Squirrel99]

Las Lenas, hands down
sick snow, sicker terrrain

No argument here ^
Revised for the bigger picture:

Overall: 1. Las Lenas 2. Blackcomb 3. Snowbird-Alta 4. Baker 5. Jackson

Honorable Mention: Remarks, NZ
Red Mountain (BC)
Alpental/Stevens Pass/Crystal
Kirkwood/Squaw

There are just too many categories to even try and rank.

[Woodsy]

well
I dunno
favourite is hard to define and I havent been a lot of places but,
where I would want to be bell to bell on ad deep day?
Aspen Highlands
but thats just me.

[enlosandes]

The vibe I accept but the amount? Squaw will fit into the Trois Vallees twenty eight times.

I meant to say the amount of vertical you can get. No question Squawlywood is small by Europe standards.

[801 jav]

More days at the Bird than anywhere else---obvious.

Solitude... as the best option for when LLC crowds are going to back up the canyon road all the way to I 215... Wait!.. don't turn left.. stay in your car until you get to Alta.

Grand Targhee--I don't really know why.

[SteepnDeep]

Not a local, need to fly to ski. Ski'ed many places multiple times, but, Kirkwood will always be tops. It's special for me even with the stupid development. Fuck!, every time I go there I gotta put chains on the rental car. I got 3 sizes of rusty chains in my garage from this place. Yes, definitely k-wood...

[Mach Looney]

Las Lenas, hands down
sick snow, sicker terrrain and no crowds

Too much snow! Marte never open. Damn ski resort.



Can't wait to go back.

[subtle plague]

i choose the one with snow. Lots of it to be sure.
That's my only prerequisite.
Disclaimer: in europe we don't have to worry about terrain that much because anything under 4000 feet of vert isn't considered a ski area anyway


and i like little or bad or uninformed freeriders to be there (i gave up on the no crowds thing when i saw 15 swedes/norwegian whatever guys doing a season at the kripp in 05/06) so the good stuff stays untracked a bit longer.