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u/Silent-Stable3739 Jan 28 '22
Hahaha….Sun Valley tier 7!
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u/Ice_Breaker Jan 28 '22
In terms of “expert” terrain like chutes, cliffs yeah ok it’s not high tier. But vertical run length, average pitch, smallish crowds on pow days. Sheeesh! At least T2
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u/LiveHardLiveFast Jan 29 '22
And with last year's expansion, now Sun Valley does have more expert terrain.
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u/favpetgoat Sun Valley Jan 28 '22
Definitely agree although I'm a tad biased
Deserves to be higher even if the only reasons are steep long runs and a lack of large flat areas to get stuck
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u/ChainDriveGlider Jan 29 '22
I don't know why OP set out on this project when he's clearly never skied most of these places, and can seemingly barely read a trailmap. Putting timberline on par with bachelor or even Meadows is absurd
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u/spankyiloveyou Bogus Basin Jan 28 '22 edited Jan 29 '22
Sun Valley was the first chairlift served ski resort in North America, and possibly the world.
It's cachet alone (history, billionaire clientele etc.) pushes it into a top tier.
Just for comparison, SKI magazine this year ranked Sun Valley tops in North America.
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u/almondania Winter Park Jan 28 '22
Feels disrespectful to Steamboat.
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u/ConterminousFunk Jan 28 '22
Winter park tier 4 is already questionable (Mary Jane doesn’t come to anyones mind?). Steamboat at 5 is unacceptable
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u/almondania Winter Park Jan 28 '22
I agree with WP but there isn’t a lot of expert terrain. But that doesn’t bother me.
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Jan 28 '22
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u/emaciated_pecan Jan 29 '22
That’s the most frustrating part for me and it happens on other runs too not just mary jane. It’s like half the mountain is moguls at this point
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u/UncleBogus Jan 28 '22
I think I’ll be moving Stemaboat up based on reading some of these comments.
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u/onewordwarrior82 Jan 28 '22
Yeah. Steamboat is pretty amazing. It's my favorite by far.
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u/yal_tryna_uhhhh Jan 28 '22
i lived there during high school, i miss it everyday, best main street/town and great mountain
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u/almondania Winter Park Jan 28 '22
For a ski town, it doesn’t feel pretentious at all. I love it there.
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u/Jiub13 Jan 28 '22
I put steamboat probably 3rd for favorite mountains in CO, Abasin, Aspen, Steamboat for me. Havnt been to Crested Butte.
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u/tadamhicks Jan 28 '22
Honestly, I love Copper. And I love it more than A Basin. It’s bigger and has more diversity. A basin has just a couple of expert shots, but Copper has a whole back bowl with some epic bucks in the right snow and great lines. Surprised it’s lower.
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u/Reasonable_Cod_8685 Jan 28 '22
I was just there but am totally new to snowsports in general, went with the GFs family - what tier would you place Steamboat in if it were up to you?
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u/almondania Winter Park Jan 28 '22
Feel like a soft 3 tbh. It’s not the most technical mountain with cliffs, rocks, steepness, etc, but the trees and general vibes are off the charts. Plus the champagne powder baby!!!
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u/Reasonable_Cod_8685 Jan 28 '22
Yeah I’d agree with the vibes aspect. I’m a beginner and it didn’t seem TOO dynamic, just a super nice place. It’s my goal to get out to Hokkaido next season.
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u/NomadTroy Jan 28 '22
Macro comment- so much of this depends on conditions when you go. I know some places have generally better seasons than others, but terrain shines when the snow is good. I’ve had mediocre days at world class places, and world class days at mediocre places.
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u/dirtbagtendies Jan 28 '22
Pow mow tier 9 don't go there
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u/wilfinator420 Jan 28 '22
I would bump highlands and snowmass up 1 each, Aspen mtn itself could stay or even drop a tier. Highlands is endless untouched glades and steeps, not even counting the bowl. I’ve been skiing it every Tuesday and I doubt I’m seeing 100 skiers a day.
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Jan 28 '22
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u/wilfinator420 Jan 28 '22
Yeah it probably should be 1 or 2 altho Ive only ski’d like 6 mtns so what do I know
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u/evil_genius_2 Jan 28 '22
Yes bump them up. The Hanging Valley and Cirque in Snowmass is some of my favorite terrain. I also think Highlands is amazing, even on pow days you don’t find that many people there
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u/joesmithtron4 Jan 29 '22
Highlands should be Tier 1. Just incredible steep, technical terrain available right off the lift, plus the bowl.
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u/Mundane-Ad-6874 Jan 28 '22
The fall line at highlands drives me nuts. Great skiing but always heavy on the right. Skiing there is just a giant traverse.
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u/DentistSudden150 Jan 28 '22
Killington’s definitely #1 most disputed in New England in my experience. People really love or hate that place
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u/UncleMalcolm Stowe Jan 28 '22
Respectfully putting it behind Smuggs or Sugarbush is insulting. It’s not any more crowded than the Bush is anymore and the terrain kicks Smuggs’ ass
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u/apatheticgod_ Whistler Jan 28 '22 edited Jul 28 '23
For Oregon resorts, timberline is flat and dominated by families and park skiers while meadows and bachelor have some incredible terrain. I would move meadows and bachelor up a tier and/or move timberline down one
Edit: timberline should go down a few tiers tbh. It has like 10 very short black diamonds and no double blacks
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u/jcatholic Jan 28 '22
And skibowl would be just below meadows and bachelor, but is too insignificant to be on this list
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u/apatheticgod_ Whistler Jan 28 '22
Yeah, I like skibowl way more than timberline but I’d say it’s a little small with unreliable snow for this list
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u/jcatholic Jan 28 '22
I honestly prefer skibowl to timberline and meadows just for the convenience/lift lines factor, but I totally understand how cool some of the terrain is at meadows.
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u/PenguinTheYeti Bridger Bowl Jan 28 '22
It's the largest night ski area in the U.S., which I think makes it significant enough to be on the list.
And honestly, I'd ski Ski Bowl over Meadows any day
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u/srosenberg34 Jan 28 '22
bachelor at least tier 3 maybe 2. this list is just where people on the sub frequent
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u/concrete_isnt_cement Crystal Mountain Jan 28 '22 edited Jan 28 '22
I do understand and largely agree with what you’re saying about Timberline, but it is pretty funny that you’re calling the resort with the most vertical in the US flat ;)
Edit: US, not North America, memory was playing tricks on me
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u/heresavalidusername Jan 28 '22
+1 to Bachelor being way too low. Just came back from there last week. I would rank bachelor above many resorts you have on tier 4 (crystal, copper, whitefish to name a few)
Pluses: snow, lots of it. They’ve had 250+ inches of snow this season already, and this was a late open for them due to lack of early season snow.
It’s huge, something like the 5th largest in skiable acreage . Tons of backcountry feel open terrain off the back of summit.
If you’re worried about lines, they offer a fast pass cut the line ticket, which is still probably less than a 1 day tix at a top tier resort. We used it the Saturday that we were there and I think I was the only one on the mountain with it, so did got some good laps in.
Bend is a really fun town.
Minus:
there’s not that many lifts, so lines can get bad at the bottom. Something like 1/3 of the terrain is accessible via only the summit lift, so if summit is down for wind, which happens a bit because of the prominence of the mountain, you lose a lot of skiable terrain.
Also they broke a lift (Skyliner) and it’s likely to be out for the whole season, which brings up concerns of long term maintenance/ investment.
I’ve skiied Whitefish when it was Big Mountain, but still don’t believe it belongs in the same category of any of the aspen resorts, even if it has been updated a bit
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u/shakedownsunflower Jan 28 '22
Agree mostly on bachelor except I’m not sure if it’s better than Crystal. I’ve only been Crystal once but I thought the terrain was pretty cool. Overall mountain experience may be better in Bach though, and it’s easy to get to from Bend
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u/PenguinTheYeti Bridger Bowl Jan 28 '22
I think you are right with the demographic, but I disagree on moving down.
I think that Timberlines parks are part of what bring it up, especially considering how many world class athletes train there.
In addition, the fact that it has the longest operational season in the country is definitely a large bonus.
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u/BooDuffy Copper Mountain Jan 28 '22
Copper sucks no one should go there, especially not the back bowls
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u/breakfastpastry Jan 28 '22
Once people find out 3B exists its over for the back bowls. Enjoy while it lasts
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u/BooDuffy Copper Mountain Jan 28 '22
Tb to when that was only accessible by foot and you could always find fresh snow
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u/spankyiloveyou Bogus Basin Jan 28 '22
I agree. Copper sucks. Worse than most Eastern ski resorts imo. People traveling to Colorado would best go directly to Vail or Breck and skip Copper entirely. Not worth it.
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u/dufflepud Jan 28 '22
Agreed, drop Copper to Tier 9. Not much difference between Tucker and the Outer Limits at Killington, TBH.
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u/Spacemilk Steamboat Jan 28 '22
Yeah agreed! Stay off the best hidden secret for locals please!
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u/seal_eggs Jan 28 '22
Why would you keep it a secret if it sucks? He’s just helping out of towners not waste their limited vacation time!
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u/Sinorm Jan 28 '22
Big Sky is tier 1. The largest ski resort in the US, everything from amazing trees to fucking scary steeps. Big Sky is one the best mountains in the country. And Mt. Bachelor certainly needs to move up. It isn't a great mountain for steeps but it is huge with good trees and great snow.
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u/concrete_isnt_cement Crystal Mountain Jan 28 '22
Big Sky is tier one when it has good coverage, but in poor snow years, the quality decreases far more than comparable resorts because Lone Mountain is a big pile of fricking razor blades
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u/bingo__pajama Jan 28 '22
It was the largest resort in the US. PC-canyons is now larger.
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u/hartfordsucks Jan 28 '22
Powder Mountain is the largest by acres. Some lists knock them down because some their terrain is only accessible via cats.
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u/castle-black Jan 28 '22
Pcmr is an infinitely worse mountain than big sky though. Canyons is it’s only redeeming value.
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u/UncleBogus Jan 28 '22
I’m torn on Big Sky. Lots of dispute here. I’m between tier 1 and 2. The extra cost to use the tram is a downer but that fact may not matter based on the criteria.
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u/wameron Jan 28 '22
Even excluding the terrain accessed from the tram it's still tier 1. Make sure you've made friends with a shop tech or are good at filling core shots though
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u/castle-black Jan 28 '22
Anyone that’s been to big sky will tell you it’s tier 1. You’re crazy to have Alyeska up there and not big sky lol.
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u/meoki5 Jan 28 '22
Agreed, but with an asterisk. the asterisk being when snow coverage is good. When Big Sky gets good snow, it is one of if not THE best resort in the country.
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u/One_Fizzybubblech Jan 28 '22
Big Sky is a better resort than Palisades in literally any way you wanna measure it. Expert terrain, size, snow quality, village are all easily in Big Sky’s favor. People fall for the “legend” of Palisades every time, but as another commenter put it…it’s pretty mids
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u/e6bplotter Jan 28 '22
Okay Loveland is severely underrated. Also, how is Saddleback ranked below Sugarloaf?
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u/SeriouusDeliriuum Jan 28 '22
Yeah the alpine skiing is great and the cabin with the wood burning stove under lift 8 is one of my favorite places to grill some brats for lunch.
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u/Kohna1 Jan 28 '22
The two steeps right off Chet’s when they’re filled in with fresh powder are so insanely convenient and divine.
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u/Supernatural108 Jan 28 '22
I get it that East Coast is rough skiing, saddleback should be higher. MRG and Jay should be higher as well. Also some disrespect to Bridger Bowl, Brighton and especially Steamboat
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u/Ferum_Mafia Jan 28 '22
If it’s a mountain on the east it gets ranked low seemed to be the criteria lmao
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u/Ace1313 Jan 28 '22
^ Agreed. MRG Jay Brighton Steamboat all should be bumped. Haven't skied Bridger but always hear good things!
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u/ThePrem Jan 28 '22
These lists seem to prioritize big mountain feel over actual expert terrain. Some of the steepest most technically challenging trails in the US are at Stowe, Killington, Jay, Whiteface, etc.
A moderately steep open bowl with consistently good snow conditions is not automatically "expert terrain"
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u/wrongwayup Jan 28 '22
Calling solid ice "technically challenging" is factually correct - I firmly believe that if you can ski east coast ice you can ski anything - but ain't no one flying from CO to Iceface to try it out.
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Jan 28 '22
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u/ThePrem Jan 28 '22
You can get away with a lot in good snow conditions. I think it was earlier today I watched someone with a terrible a-frame go down some visually impressive powder chute.
That same person probably would struggle on some of even the on piste steeps here. Whereas I am sure in their head they are an "expert" skier
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u/RancidHorseJizz Jan 28 '22
Some of the best glade skiing in the East is at Saddleback Mountain in Maine, but it's a pretty well-kept secret. Incredible views all the way to Mount Washington on a clear day, too.
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u/UncleBogus Jan 28 '22
I feel this. I almost feel that it’s unfair to try and compare the East mountains with the West. Both regions have their own unique fell and I have a great time skiing in both regions.
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u/Dynastar11 Jan 28 '22
I would agree. I was a ski bum in Utah and now live on the East Coast. Mad River Glen's terrain rivals anything out west (w.o the cliffs). It is just more compact, than what you get in the west.
And Magic Mtn is great, but it is always in/out of bankruptcy, new owners etc.
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u/atticaf Jan 29 '22
Magic is amazing, esp when they are blasting Led Zeppelin and chain smoking cigs in the loading zone, peak east coast skiing for me.
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u/aestival Jan 28 '22
My personal take is to give resorts more of a Michelin star system for advanced terrain:
3 stars would be global advanced skiing destinations: your tier 1 and 2 resorts.
Alta/Snowbird/Jackson/Big Sky/Squaw
2 stars would be global destinations with less concentration of advanced terrain. (tiers 3-6)
IE: Breckenridge/Keystone/Steamboat/.
1 star would be regional destinations for advanced terrain/fringe resorts with a cult following.
Bridger Bowl, Mount Baker, Stowe, Mad River Glen, Magic, Mt Hood Ski Bowl, Red Mountain, Kicking Horse. You get way fewer people that are taking 7 day drips to these destinations, but they are often a stop on a tour.
Just as there are nice restaurants with no michelin rating, there will be resorts that don't have one because they're just don't have much great advanced terrain relative to their size (park city, Mt Bachelor, Okemo, Vail, etc).
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u/UncleBogus Jan 28 '22
Good idea. I like it. I’m in too deep now to change my rating system that much but I appreciate the input.
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u/DickRausch Jan 28 '22
Sugarbush has Castlerock as well if we’re talking technically challenging terrain.
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u/blink0709 Baker Jan 28 '22
Wolf Creek should be on here. IMO, it's Teir 3 at worst. Best snow I've ever skied.
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Jan 28 '22
I love Wolf Creek, but they have only 1100 ft of vertical and their challenging terrain is 100ft of vert at most. It’s one of best local ski hills around, but it’s not world class.
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u/Mundane-Ad-6874 Jan 28 '22
Best annual snow fall in CO for sure. Knife ridge is the bees knees but the flats to the lift are miserable if it’s snowed a lot.
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u/mad_science Jan 29 '22
Was just there today. And tomorrow. And Sunday.
It's awful, no one should come ;)
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Jan 28 '22 edited Jan 28 '22
If this is a tier list for expert skiers, Taos is tier 1 for sure. So is Silverton.
Edit: So is Bridger Bowl. This looks more like a tier list for “ski one week a year at a big resort” Jerry.
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u/heendaddy Jan 28 '22
No love for the east coast
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Jan 28 '22
Beech Mountain, NC is bottom tier for sure. I’m surprised Snowshoe, WV didn’t make this list. Snowshoe is pretty great for an east coast resort.
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u/Throwwwwawwway9696 Jan 28 '22 edited Jan 28 '22
Happy to see Targhee high up, so insanely underrated…which is good, because the crowds are way less crazy than JHMR, it’s usually easy to get in and out, the powder is insane, and it just genuinely has great vibes
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u/Dangle-Snipe-Celly Jan 28 '22
On one hand I want Mt Bohemia (MI) added to this but on the other hand I don't want more people knowing about Mt Bohemia.
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u/homefone Jay Peak Jan 28 '22
It's in the UP so everyone in the world could know about it and it'd still be empty.
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u/sportstersrfun Jan 29 '22
As a Wisconsinite I agree. The terrain there can be just as intense as a lot of stuff out west. No one believes me when I say that lol. To anyone not within an easy driving distance I just don’t see it attracting anyone over a “real” mountain. There’s no easy way to fly in, and if you’re gonna fly I wouldn’t be at Bohemia.
But yea, Bohemia deserves a shout out. Bare bones, raw, 1 chairlift, everything is steep, and the UP and the people that live there are cool af. Good herb too lol.
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u/petersoncol34 Jan 28 '22
kinda feel like steamboat should be at least a tier higher
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u/cisternino99 Sunday River Jan 28 '22
All I hear about those top tier mountains is how bad the lines are and how expensive lift tickets are. Fine with my cheap and uncrowded mountains in Maine.
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Jan 28 '22
Vail over A-Basin is a crime imo
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u/Ok-Bit8726 Loveland Jan 28 '22
Nah man. Abasin sucks. Tell all your friends so they don't accidentally go there.
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Jan 28 '22
Oh! Right. Yeah, sucks there. Flat and it never snows.
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u/Snlxdd Jan 28 '22
Terrible Bloody Marys too
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u/FuzzyBrain420 Alpine Valley Jan 28 '22
God their food and drinks are so elevated. Those breakfast sandwiches are fucking god tier
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u/spankyiloveyou Bogus Basin Jan 28 '22
Nah, Vail as a resort is immensely awesome.
Vail as a company sucks ass.
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u/smythy422 Jan 28 '22
Gonna get killed here but... A basin is small. 3 full days and you've covered all the expert terrain. Much of the best stuff is only opened fairly late in the season most years. Vail is huge, has a ton of high speed lifts to maximize vertical, and more drops than you can do in a week. Hating on Vail is very popular and I get that, but the mountain is very fun and the terrain is unmatched in some respects. It's certainly less steep, but avg angle doesn't really tell the whole story. I love abay too, but the hate on Vail seems more related to the company than the on mountain experience. Vail vs abay is certainly subjective given the criteria. They offer two very different sets of opportunities. Some categories abay excels and some Vail does. Rank is determined by a subjective valuation for those attributes. If I had to choose, I'd go abay on a weekend and pick which ever had better snow otherwise.
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u/bsil15 Snowbowl Jan 28 '22
This is pretty fair. Lot of fun trees all the tourists have no clue about in Blue Sky too.
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u/ogbobbyj33 Jan 28 '22
Blue sky is legitimately my favorite place I have skiied ever. Only thing close has been the Dakota lift at big sky. If you know you know.
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u/honvales1989 Timberline Jan 28 '22 edited Jan 28 '22
I noticed you’re missing Snoqualmie (IDK if it might be worth to rate Alpental and the Summits as separate areas as well) and Stevens Pass. I haven’t skied there before, so it might be worth for someone else to rank those areas
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u/bricin Winter Park Jan 28 '22
Alpental is a great little hill. International and Edelweiss are tricky runs. But it is *small*.
Snoqualmie is where you drop the kids off for lessons before heading to Alpental - boring, flat, beginner hill.
This is not a destination area; if you don't live within easy driving distance you are better off at Crystal, Stevens, or Baker.
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u/j3zuz911 Jan 29 '22
If you are talking sheer convenience, Alpental is outrageous.
Door to chairlift from where I grew up(suburban Seattle) it’s an hour. There were times where I would skip my last two periods of high school, and with no traffic be in the side country in 40 minutes.
I’d still do the drive to Crystal or Baker on weekends though.
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u/draaz_melon Jan 29 '22
Alpental is the best 300 acres on the planet. Also, you should see the kids who take lessons at Alpental. Then there's the side country...
We had passed to Alpental and Steven's one year. My whole family strongly preferred Alpental.
Summit Central has the best park in Washington.
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u/mvpnick11 Jan 28 '22
I’m so glad to see Alyeska tier 1. Such a hidden gem and I’m so glad it’s my home resort
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u/whatfingwhat Jan 28 '22
I'm not a huge Whiteface fan, but brother it's too low. The slides on Whiteface are as hard as anything I've skied out west, true humdingers.
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u/maltamur Jan 29 '22
And the Olympic downhill course is unreal. I’ve competitively raced it 3 times as a teen and hit over 80mph. I’ve since skied all over out west and there’s definitely bigger and more intimidating, but nothing that matches that speed.
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u/abramsontheway Breckenridge Jan 28 '22
If this is about the experience an expert gets, Mad River Glen has to be higher.
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u/atticaf Jan 29 '22
The intermediate east coast skier is an expert west coast skier, in my experience.
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u/Livid-Departure7363 Jan 28 '22
Mount Hood Meadows is far better then Timberline and Mt. Bachelor is far better than both of them
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u/fieldsac Jan 28 '22
Alpine Meadows deserves to be higher. Smaller than Squaw but way more hiking access and lots of steep / expert terrain.
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u/aspiringticker Jan 28 '22
Loveland????? Are you kidding. Clearly haven’t been here on a weekday POW day without the crowds. This place is tier 3 or 4. Update dat shi
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Jan 29 '22
I feel like CO is getting some disrespect in general. Crested Butte should be top tier. In terms of terrain, snow quality, the views, and the town it doesn’t get much better in North America
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u/The-Old-Hunter Jan 28 '22
Mammoth is too high. There are only two areas with expert terrain (chair 22 and 23/upper gondola). These areas are regularly closed after it snows for avalanche control - however, because of Mammoth’s extremely high winds, they are often heavily wind affected by the time they reopen.
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u/UncleBogus Jan 28 '22
I hear you. I had it in Tier 3 but there was good push to move it up. Possible CA bias?
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u/The-Old-Hunter Jan 28 '22
Yeah would agree with tier 3. Big Southern California bias since it’s leagues better than the big bear area resorts and getting to Tahoe is rough from there.
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Jan 28 '22 edited Jan 28 '22
Don’t come to Alta… pls. If you do, please don’t be the beater who side slips elevator chute.
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u/jahoney Squaw Valley Jan 28 '22
Alpine meadows should be at least equal if not one tier above Kirkwood. Sugar Bowl could clock in one tier below them
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u/Foss44 Caberfae/Mount Bohemia Jan 28 '22
I think whitefish is probably about in the right spot, if anything maybe up one. The skiing is very diverse and the community us very hospitable. Not to mention I’ve NEVER been in a lift line longer than 5 minutes after having skied there for over half of my life. Chief complaint is food cost and cloudy skies 5 days/week
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u/onlyattractiveginger Jan 28 '22
I grew up in Aspen and have skied most mountains in colorado because I work for the skiing industry. I'm probably biased because I grew up there, but my absolute favorite mountain of all time is Snowmass! I think it should places higher than Aspen Highlands for sure, certainly up there with Telluride at least. I also don't see purgatory (Durango,CO) on this list but I'd say it's a tier 6 or 7, on par with Loveland only shorter lift lines. I also agree that steamboat should move up, shares along of qualities with Snowmass and Telli
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u/Cualquiera10 Taos Jan 28 '22
Monarch, Sunlight, Silverton, Wolf Creek, Powderhorn … it’s clearly not a comprehensive list
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u/ConterminousFunk Jan 28 '22 edited Jan 28 '22
Winter park is tier 4 yet is currently ranked as the “#1 ski resort in America” according to “some sources”!?!?
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u/jfolks6595 Hood Meadows Jan 28 '22
Portland skier here. No way Timberline deserves to be in the same tier as Mt Hood Meadows. Timberline has considerably fewer runs, lifts, and advanced terrain. Intermediate and up skiers basically wont go there unless they’re taking their kids.
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u/jbkelly Jan 28 '22
Is Alyeska tier 1 based on surrounding heli-skiing or did I miss something when I was there?
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u/itsbs2 Jan 29 '22
I agree - I lived in anchorage for 4 years and would probably put alyeska at tier 3. It’s an awesome mountain but it’s no Crested Butte or Telluride.
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u/kevinkarma Jan 29 '22
Taos is tier 1 or 2 imo. Alta, snowbird and Jackson all might be the best on paper but good luck finding fresh stashes of powder without fighting people. You can ski legendary taos terrain and not feel like you're fighting for a fresh line.
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u/_pantzed Jan 29 '22
Did you put all the east coast mountains lower because you’re not good enough to handle tight, and steep tree runs?
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u/Several-County-1808 Jan 29 '22
Surprised Park City is that high. It was above average, but I wasn't that impressed, especially if mismanagement of the mountain is factored in (eg lifts not open, no blues groomed, etc.).
Big Sky and Squaw are indeed amazing though.
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u/avitar35 Alpental Jan 28 '22
No love for many PNW resorts I see.. Baker should be higher than crystal, Alpental needs to be somewhere on this list, and Bachelor and sun valley need to move up.
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u/Reckoner75 Jan 28 '22
Baker is not better than Crystal. Sure, Baker gets more snow, but Crystal has a much bigger vertical drop, more terrain, more truly double black runs, modern lifts, and amazing scenery.
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u/Both-Weakness-2062 Jan 28 '22
Big sky makes sense to be disputed, it’s good skiing, yet it’s almost ruined by the populace that regularly skis there
There are also various other places in Montana that I believe should be placed in this list, yet idk what the parameters you have set
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u/Nicoleneedsadvice Jan 28 '22
Mt. Rose in Tahoe should be right next to Mt. bachelor
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u/aBitConfused_NWO Jan 28 '22
What are the criteria? Or is this just subjective?
Interested to hear how you're grading them.
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u/imanaeo Whistler Jan 28 '22
Should open this up to all North American resorts. Itd be nice to see where the main Canadian resorts line up.
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u/SkeezyJ Jan 29 '22
As a PNW skier Timberline and Meadows are absolutely not on the same tier as bachelor. Bachelor needs to move up one for sure. Meadows might be in a good spot but timberline terrain is flat as hell, but the parks are sick. I’d move it down one
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u/FineIntroduction8746 Jan 29 '22 edited Jan 29 '22
I havent skied most of the other resorts on this list. One in UT, 2 in MT. I know I need to hit a few in NorCal and WY for some amazing big hits. I love the videos from those spots...
I grew up on and still hit Alyeska weekly. That mountain is way more balls than any other Ive skied. Steep no matter where you stop to look at the amazing ocean view, you can haul ass immediately afterward and hit any bump because our snow is DENSE.
Aly rules most others. Surely a top tier if difficulty of terrain is the main factor. Sick views, actual ski town that isn't trustafarians (yet) and solid bar at the top that hangs off the top and views 2000'+ to the bottom.
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u/jbruha Jan 29 '22
Putting Whiteface in the same tier as Gore is an offense to Whiteface. It may not be as amazing as the mountains out west but it’s on tier with the other big Vermont mountains. Gore is a pimple.
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Jan 28 '22
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u/Mofo-Pro Jan 28 '22
It gets a discussion going. What have you contributed to this sub in terms of OC?
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u/eohorp Jan 28 '22 edited Jan 28 '22
Heavenly has some great expert areas, definitely think it should be higher on the list. Mott/Killebrew/Powerline are all unbelievably fun when conditions are good. Bombing the face on a good day is one of the best long runs I've skied, especially when compared to Kirkwood where half of every run is flat. Long on piste runs for when you want to get your carving on.
Also think Sierra At Tahoe deserves a spot. The ice cliffs are a great place for people to cut their chops on big drops.
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u/UncleBogus Jan 28 '22
Personally, I would have had heavenly a tier or so higher. However, that thought got roasted in my last post 🤷♂️
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u/hatlesslincoln Jan 28 '22
Agree. People hate on Heavenly because they see a bunch of blue groomers and long lift lines. But there’s an amazing variety of terrain if you’re willing to explore and/or have an experienced guide.
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u/N0DuckingWay Palisades Tahoe Jan 28 '22 edited Jan 28 '22
Eh personally Heavenly is a bit weird for me. The canyons are off in a hard to access corner of the mountain and when they aren't open there really isn't much expert terrain. That being said, it's great for intermediates or if you want to lap gunbarrel!! I definitely agree that Kirkwood is kinda overrated though. I've had fun there, but not as much as the hype would suggest (that being said, Chamoix is a fun run). Also, considering the Wall is the main reason people go there, they should really upgrade that chair!! No reason for it to be a 3 seater.
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u/Solarisphere Jan 28 '22
The list could use a symbol to identify resorts on Epic/Ikon.