Niseko, Japan - In January I spent three days skiing in Japan's Hakuba Valley, site of the 1998 Olympic alpine events, and eight more days on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, which over the past decade has attracted a growing number of powder skiers from all over the globe thanks to the world's...
Pincher Creek (AB), Canada - The most common form of a rhombus is of course referred to as a diamond, and Castle Mountain is a diamond in so many forms. Unlike the ski resorts located inside the National Parks of Alberta, Castle is instead in a remote narrow valley well south of Calgary and...
Banff (AB), Canada - Mount Norquay is not at all what it seems. You look at the trail map and the ski area looks kind of small. You read the stats and see only 190 acres of terrain. I am here to tell you that all of it is just an illusion. This place...
Lake Louise (AB), Canada - There are only a few truly huge ski resorts in North America, and Lake Louise is a member of that select crowd. It spans the front south-facing and back north-facing sides of a large mountain as well as a decent portion of a second mountain. Somewhat uniquely, in spite...
Banff (AB), Canada - Banff. Most folks have heard of it, but it’s also true that the vast majority of people visit here in summer. This makes Banff a good choice for a winter destination during the Canadian Rockies resort town's relatively slow season. Of all the places to stay in the National Parks...
Jasper (AB), Canada - With its location within a National Park, Jasper has a distinct lack of unused mansions in town and a distinct abundance of snowy, jagged peaks surrounding it. And while Marmot basin is a 20-minute drive from town, the commute is actually quite easy as shuttle buses ferry visitors to the...
"And in a Big Country, dreams stay with you" Edmonton (AB), Canada - It’s already the fourth day of my trip to Alberta, and as we drive down the Icefields Parkway through a nearly unimaginable landscape of rugged beauty, my traveling companion is telling me about some crazy dreams he’s been having. The story,...
Christchurch, New Zealand - In July 2010 I embarked upon my fourth ski trip to New Zealand. On the previous three visits I spent most of my time in the Southern Lakes district, based in the popular international tourist center of Queenstown. Coronet Peak and The Remarkables are the closest ski areas to Queenstown,...
Boise, ID - Boise is viewed by most destination skiers as a less than ideal gateway to Sun Valley, over three hours distant. But visitors should not overlook the two ski areas patronized by Boise locals and regional visitors, Bogus Basin and Brundage Mountain. Bogus Basin (photo: Bogus Basin Recreational Association) Bogus Basin...
Lake Placid, NY - Ah, yes -- the much maligned best-of list. It's 2010 and by now you’ve read a few of them from the end of last year, and this year's will be arriving shortly. Always a fun way to pass time while waiting at the airport or the doctor's office, amazingly effective...
