BEST OF THE WEST
BRITISH COLUMBIA
WHISTLER BLACKCOMB
LOCATION: Whistler
LIFT TICKETS: $89 Canadian
TERRAIN: More than 200 trails, 8,171 acres, four terrain parks
LIFTS: 34
ELEVATION: 7,494-foot highest lift, 2,140 base, (5,020 drop on Whistler, 5,280 drop on Blackcomb)
ANNUAL SNOWFALL: 360 inches
MORE INFO: whistlerblackcomb.com, 800-766-0449
BIG WHITE
LOCATION: Southeast of Kelowna
LIFT TICKETS: $71 Canadian
TERRAIN: 118 trails, 7,355 acres, terrain park
LIFTS: 16
ELEVATION: 7,606-foot highest lift, 4,950 base, 2,656 drop
ANNUAL SNOWFALL: 294 inches
MORE INFO: bigwhite.com, 800-663-2772
FERNIE
LOCATION: Near Fernie
LIFT TICKETS: $79.75 Canadian
TERRAIN: 107 trails, 2,504 acres
LIFTS: 10
ELEVATION: 6,316-foot highest lift, 3,500 base, 2,816 drop
ANNUAL SNOWFALL: 348 inches
MORE INFO: www.skifernie.com, 800-258-7669
KICKING HORSE
LOCATION: Golden
LIFT TICKETS: $73 Canadian
TERRAIN: 106 trails, 4,000 acres
LIFTS: 5
ELEVATION: 8,033-foot highest lift, 3,900 base, 4,133 drop
ANNUAL SNOWFALL: 256 inches
MORE INFO: kickinghorseresort.com, 866-754-5425
MOUNT WASHINGTON
LOCATION: Near Courtenay on Vancouver Island.
LIFT TICKETS: $62 Canadian
TERRAIN: 60 trails, 1,200 acres, two terrain parks
LIFTS: Nine
ELEVATION: 5,215-foot highest lift, 3,558 base, 1,657 drop
ANNUAL SNOWFALL: 348 inches
MORE INFO: mountwashington.ca, 888-231-1499
PANORAMA
LOCATION: Near Invermere
LIFT TICKETS: $74 Canadian
TERRAIN: 188 trails, 2,847 acres, terrain park
LIFTS: 9
ELEVATION: 7,800-foot highest lift, 3,800 base, 4,000 drop
ANNUAL SNOWFALL: 188 inches
MORE INFO: panoramaresort.com, 800-663-2929
RED MOUNTAIN RESORT
LOCATION: Rossland
LIFT TICKETS: $64 Canadian
TERRAIN: 83 trails, 1,700 acres, terrain park
LIFTS: Six.
ELEVATION: 6,800 feet highest lift, 3,888 base, 2,909 drop
ANNUAL SNOWFALL: 300 inches
MORE INFO: redresort.com, 800-663-0105
SUN PEAKS
LOCATION: Northern Okanagan Valley
LIFT TICKETS: $71 Canadian
TERRAIN: 121 trails, 3,678 acres, terrain park
LIFTS: 12
ELEVATION: 6,824-foot highest lift, 3,933 base, 2,891 drop
ANNUAL SNOWFALL: 220 inches
MORE INFO: sunpeaksresort.com, 800-807-3257
SILVER STAR
LOCATION: Northeast of Okanagan Valley
LIFT TICKETS: $71 Canadian
TERRAIN: 112 trails, 3,065 acres, terrain park
LIFTS: 12
ELEVATION: 6,280-foot highest lift, 3,780 base, 2,500 drop
ANNUAL SNOWFALL: 276 inches
MORE INFO: skisilverstar.com, 800-663-4431
OREGON
MOUNT BACHELOR
LOCATION: West of Bend
LIFT TICKETS: $49-69 depending on how much of the resort is open.
TERRAIN: 71 trails, 3,683 acres, terrain park
LIFTS: 15
ELEVATION: 9,065-foot highest lift, 5,700 base, 3,365 drop
ANNUAL SNOWFALL: 370 inches
MORE INFO: mtbachelor.com, 800-829-2442
MOUNT HOOD MEADOWS
LOCATION: Mount Hood
LIFT TICKETS: $57 ($69 Weekends and Dec. 25-Jan. 1 and Feb. 15)
TERRAIN: 87 trails, 2,150 acres, terrain park
LIFTS: 10
ELEVATION: 7,300-foot highest lift, 4,523 base, 2,777 drop
ANNUAL SNOWFALL: 400 inches
MORE INFO: skihood.com, 503-337-2222
IDAHO
BRUNDAGE
LOCATION: McCall
LIFT TICKETS: $54
TERRAIN: 46 trails, 1,500 acres, terrain park
LIFTS: 5
ELEVATION: 7,640-foot highest lift, 5,840 base, 1,800 drop
ANNUAL SNOWFALL: 300 inches
MORE INFO: brundage.com, 208-634-7462
SCHWEITZER
LOCATION: Sandpoint
LIFT TICKETS: $62.54
TERRAIN: 82 trails, 2,900 acres, terrain park
LIFTS: 8
ELEVATION: 6,400-foot highest lift, 5,000 base, 2,400 drop
ANNUAL SNOWFALL: 300 inches
MORE INFO: schweitzer.com, 800-831-8810
SILVER MOUNTAIN
LOCATION: Kellogg
LIFT TICKETS: $49
TERRAIN: 73 trails, 1,600 acres, terrain park
LIFTS: 7
ELEVATION: 6,300-foot highest lift, 4,100 base, 2,200 drop
ANNUAL SNOWFALL: 300 inches
MORE INFO: silvermt.com
SUN VALLEY
LOCATION: Ketchum
LIFT TICKETS: $80
TERRAIN: 75 trails, 2,054 acres, terrain park
LIFTS: 21
ELEVATION: 9,150-foot highest lift, 5,750 base, 3,400 drop
ANNUAL SNOWFALL: 220 inches
MORE INFO: sunvalley.com, 800-786-8259
MONTANA
BIG SKY
LOCATION: Big Sky
LIFT TICKETS: $79
TERRAIN: 150 trails, 3,600 acres
LIFTS: 17
ELEVATION: 11,150-foot highest lift, 6,800 base, 4,350 drop
ANNUAL SNOWFALL: 400 inches
NOTE: Big Sky shares a boundary on Lone Peak with Moonlight Basin (moonlightbasin.com). Tickets good for both resorts are $94.
MORE INFO: bigskyresort.com, 800-548-4486
BIG MOUNTAIN
LOCATION: North of Whitefish
LIFT TICKETS: $61
TERRAIN: 91 trails, 3,000 acres
LIFTS: 12
ELEVATION: 7,000-foot highest lift, 4,500 base, 2,500 drop
ANNUAL SNOWFALL: 300
MORE INFO: skiwhitefish.com, 800-858-4157
OTHER DESTINATIONS
ALASKA
TOP RESORTS: Alyeska and Eaglecrest
MORE INFO: alyeskaresort.com and juneau.org/eaglecrest
BANFF, ALBERTA
RESORTS: Eight resorts in Banff and Jasper national parks and just west of the parks in British Columbia.
MORE INFO: skibig3.com, banfflakelouise.com.
CALIFORNIA
BEST RESORTS OUTSIDE TAHOE: Mammoth Mountain and Big Bear (Bear Mountain and Snow Summit)
MORE INFO: mammothmountain.com, bearmtn.com
TAHOE
RESORTS: 15
MORE INFO: skilaketahoe.com, tahoechamber.com, puretahoenorth.com.
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