Whether you’re looking for a ski resort with banging aprés-ski, a bit of peace and quiet to focus on your technique or perhaps a touch of Aspen glamour, we’ve a ski vacation in the USA to suit you. Skiing is certainly not the cheapest way to pass the time. Resorts certainly sting you for being stuck on a mountain side and feeling hungry at lunchtime. If you stay at hostels for you ski holidays, use the self catering facilities to prepare some sandwiches, snacks or perhaps fill up a tea flask to pop in your backpack.
Moonlight Basin
If you want to skip the aprés-ski and concentrate on the sport you came for – skiing – Bozeman’s Moonlight Basin offers about 3,800 acres and 85 miles worth of ski runs and you’ll pretty much have it to yourself. Powdery perfection awaits you most mornings with fresh snow falling during the night. For peace, quiet and wilderness, Moonlight Basin is the place and with no aprés-ski to distract you, notice how much you improve your technique! Just under half the areas are advanced and about 26% intermediate.
Best for: Improvers and anyone looking for a break from après-ski temptations.
Big Sky
Alternatively, if you like your mountain ski resorts with more atmosphere, try the neighbouring Big Sky resort. The Liberty Bowl is a particularly exciting run and there is, apparently, two acres for every skier at Big Sky – well, Montana is almost the size of Germany after all! Intermediates and novices will enjoy the queue-free and tree-lined pistes at the bottom while every ski run is at least a single black diamond atop of the 11,100ft Lone Mountain.
Best for: Improvers. You can learn on uncrowded terrain and come on pistes and bounds!
Nearest airport: Bozeman, 20 minutes
Hostels in Bozeman: For a place to call home, Bozeman Backpackers Hostel is housed in a lovely Victorian building just two blocks from downtown. They offer both private and dorm rooms sleeping up to 6 people and guests have access to a large kitchen. The university is nearby so there are bustling bars and restaurants to hand. Skiing is all within an hour’s drive with a free shuttle bus.
Surrounded by four mountains, it’s no surprise that as a top ski resort Aspen has grown and grown since the 1930s. 5,300 acres of ski-friendly areas and 300 inches of snow in 2008-2009 aside, the locals are welcoming, the views spectacular and it boasts the most varied slopes in the US.
There are wide open pistes – it still holds a women’s world cup run – but the Rockies are renowned for idyllic routes through the trees. From the top of any of the three mountains, you’ll need to be an experienced skier and although there is an easier section near the bottom of Snowmass, Aspen has no green runs. Happy hour is lively, but it is staggered so you can find a quiet drink too. If you want to be convinced of this town’s off-piste culture, Hunter S Thompson lived in Aspen for 40 years and skied just once! Aspen has long attracted Hollywood starlets and those looking for a ski holiday with a touch of glamour. Accommodation is, therefore, pricey, and there are not many budget hotels. You will struggle to find a cheap ski lodge too. There are a number of cheap eats in town but you’ll need to hunt around.
Why not visit during Aspen Gay Ski Week 2011. Between 16-23 January there will be hot tub parties, round ups, hoe downs and if you haven’t already guessed, the theme this year is ‘Wild Wild West’. Ye-ha! The best event is the annual Friendship Cup Hockey Night with a gay v straight match to raise awareness and break down the gay athlete stereotype.
Best for: Improvers and those looking to pay a bit extra for the ultimate ski vacation.
Nearest Airport: Aspen 10 minutes, Denver 4 hours.
Accommodation: The nearest Aspen hostel is the AWA Hostel Red Mountain which has private rooms from €16pppn. They offer free Wi-Fi, an all year round hot tub, a free breakfast and laundry facilities. Aspen is a 40 minute drive and the famous Glenwood Hot Springs are just down the road. Staff at the travel desk can help you plan excursions and transportation in the area.
Alternatively, the Cedar Lodge has an indoor pool, hot tub and sauna. They offer a free breakfast, different types of rooms – some with kitchen facilities – and also a four-bed house complete with fireplace for larger groups.
Now known as ‘the Amsterdam of the Rockies’, as daft as it sounds, Breckenridge legalised possession of up to an ounce of cannabis in January 2010. Although, how one is supposed to get hold of the stuff – when it is still illegal to buy, sell, grow, display or use cannabis in public – is a mystery. Breckenridge has always attracted a hip crowd and skiers just as up for a party as a day of decent skiing.
This makes the town just as popular for non-skiers. It has a swimming pool, cinema, shops and also an art gallery. As a former gold-mining town, the place has an interesting history and you can also take tours of the mines. For skiers, there are 2,000 skiable areas and it’s also popular for snowboarders who like the specialist parks and half pipe. There’s a free shuttle bus providing access to the rest of the Summit County runs at nearby Keystone, Copper Mountain and A-Basin. While Breckenridge boasts the highest ski-serving lift in North America, tree skiers will love the glades both north and south of peak 10. It is advised that skiers in the area educate themselves with mountain safety because the Summit County has suffered many avalanches. For cheap drinks head to Jake’s Dive Bar. Alternatively, Breckenridge Brewery is housed in a lovely historic building with fantastic views of the mountains. You should also sample some of their small batch beers.
Best for: Non-skiers and those looking for an all-round ski resort with things to do both on and off the slopes. Oh, and sensible people who won’t smoke ‘n’ ski!
Nearest airport: Denver, 2 hours
Accommodation: Try Fireside Inn, a short walk from the main street and just 10 minutes from the free shuttle bus which services the Breckenridge ski area. Alternatively guests can walk to the Breck Connect Gondola. Fireside Inn offers private rooms and dorms to suit couples, friends and families. There’s a hot tub, lounge area with roaring fireplace, free Wi-Fi and they’ll cook up a hearty breakfast of pancakes, French toast, oatmeal or egg dishes to set you up for a day on the slopes. This is a hostel with B&B hospitality, you will discover why it is one of our top-rated Breckenridge hostels.
Thanks to Zach Dischner and AlphaTangoBravo / Adam Baker for the images off Flickr!
Like this? Read about our Top 5 Ski Holidays in Europe. Coming up, Top Ski Vacations in Canada and Unusual Places to Ski Around the World.
0 Comments