ASPEN (DPA): After prolonged border closures, the winter holiday dream of skiing in the US is again an option for many around the world. From Aspen to Banff, here are the best spots
Colossal mountains, masses of dry powder snow and almost deserted slopes: this combination makes Canada and the United States a dream destination for many winter sports enthusiasts.
The winter wonderland between the Pacific coast and the Rocky Mountains still promises reliable snow despite global warming and climate change. In these ski resorts, twice as much snow falls as in the snow-rich Alpine resorts in Europe. It’s not uncommon to get more than 10 meters (32 feet) per season.
Moreover, North American ski resorts are true adventure playgrounds. Alongside gigantic freestyle snow parks, they offer more variety than most ski resorts in the Alps. There you’re not allowed to leave the slopes, while in North America the entire terrain within the ski area boundaries is skiable and monitored for avalanches.
Since November, the Canada-United States border has been open again for those who are fully vaccinated, clearing the way for these top five ski resorts:
Aspen: A noble ski resort with Hollywood flair
Aspen is probably the most famous ski resort in North America. Around Christmas time, the former mining town in Colorado transforms into a white stage for Hollywood stars.
The “American St. Moritz” is not only the most glamorous ski resort in the U.S., it’s also one of the best: Aspen offers four ski mountains at snow-sure altitudes between 2,422 and 3,780 meters.
The gondola to Aspen Mountain starts directly in the town. The largest ski area, Snowmass, is a good 20 minutes away by ski bus. In between is the family ski area Buttermilk, where the world’s best ski acrobats compete in the X Games, and Highlands.
Banff & Lake Louise: A ski adventure in a National Park
In the middle of Canada’s oldest national park, Banff lies in a true picture-postcard landscape – surrounded by steep mountain peaks, frozen lakes and seemingly endless forests. The small town in the Rocky Mountains is one of the best-known ski destinations in North America, even though it doesn’t have a skiing area itself.
But there are three right on the doorstep: Mount Norquay is 10 minutes away by car, Banff Sunshine 20 and Lake Louise around 45. Holidaymakers usually skip the small Mount Norquay and head straight for Sunshine. With peaks of up to 2,730 meters, Canada’s highest ski resort manages without artificial snow despite a long season that lasts until May.
Lake Louise also has a lot of nature and skiing to offer. Every year at the end of November, the world’s fastest women and men take part in the Alpine Ski World Cup, racing down the front of the mountain.
Freeriders dive into grandiose off-piste runs on the back of the 2672-meter Mount Whitehorn.
Park City: An Olympic ski resort with western flair
Park City has been the rising star among U.S. ski resorts since the 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, just 45 minutes away. All of the Olympic ski races as well as the bobsleigh competitions and the Nordic disciplines took place in and around the town, which lies at an altitude of 2,103 meters. After the last silver mines closed, it almost became a ghost town. Ski tourism kept Park City alive and eventually made it rich.
The Olympic boom was intensified by the merger of Park City with the neighboring Canyons Resort a few years ago. It is now the largest ski resort in the U.S., with more than 330 slopes and a skiable area of almost 30 square kilometers (11.5 square miles).
The locals are even more proud of the quality of the snow than of the sheer size; Utah proudly boasts of having the “Greatest Snow on Earth.”
Vail: The heart of the ski giant
There may be more scenic ski resorts than the famous Vail on Interstate 70, around two hours west of Denver. But the town in the Rockies is still perfect for skiers and snowboarders: Vail is huge and known for its variety of slopes, top service and exceptionally beautiful huts.
The three neighboring ski resorts are Beaver Creek, Keystone and Breckenridge. All four can be used with one ski pass. However, Vail alone offers enough variety for more than one skiing holiday in Colorado.
Whistler Blackcomb: A true giant
The largest ski area in North America is a giant in every sense of the word. Nowhere are there more slopes, more off-piste runs and activities, more cat and heliskiing – and more choice of hotels, restaurants and bars.
Whistler is about an hour and a half’s drive north of Vancouver in the Canadian Coast Mountains. Known around the world as the alpine and Nordic center at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, Whistler Village is located at the foot of the two ski mountains, Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb.
With around 33 square kilometers, Whistler Blackcomb offers more skiable area than any other ski resort on the North American continent. Another plus is the often more than ten meters of snow per season.
Courtesy: Dailysabah
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