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,...
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...
Steamboat Springs, CO - At Steamboat Springs, everybody was talking about the snow. They hadn’t had any for months. The resort normally gets 300 inches per year, but just before our arrival in mid-February they had about as much snow as the resorts of Vermont. In fact, Maryland had gotten far more snow –...
Taos, NM - A while back, my wife and I came to terms with the fact that we have conflicting expectations for ski vacations. Her ideal trip follows a more European model. It should be a sacred, relaxing time when you’re able to do everything that's normally impossible at home – sleep until mid-morning,...
Revelstoke (BC), Canada - For several decades Revelstoke has been home base for some of the world's finest backcountry powder skiing, but in 2007-08 the tiny local Powder Springs ski area was replaced by the new Revelstoke Mountain Resort on Mt. MacKenzie, which now boasts the greatest lift-served vertical drop of any ski resort...
