Issue link: https://bluemagazine.uberflip.com/i/25232
CONTINUED FROM P.58 apprehension: the first is that you can't see the developed Hunter Wesl back side where much of Ihe challenging lerrain lies. The second is that until you're up close, you can't witness the exten- sive power of Hunter's snow-making system. There is lots of hype aboul pushy New Yorkers bul compared 10 European lift lines, these guys are grannies. The apres-ski scene at Hunter will make many NYC clubs look lame. Telephone, 888-HUNTERMTN Websile, www.HunterMtn.com Snow Report 800-FOR-SNOW Season, Mid Nov- Mid April Ticket Price, $39 Summit Elevation (feet), 3,200 Vertical Drop (feet), 1,600 Terra in (acres), 240 Green/Blue/Black (percent), 30/27/43 Annual Snowfall (inches), 125 Directions, Drive from NYC 2 hours 30 minutes. Buses are avail- able from NYC through Boards Blade and Skate. Amtrak runs from NYC to Hudson, a 30-minute shuttle ride from the resort. o ,.. WHITEFACE W LAKE PLACID, NY "Speclacular" is nol enough 10 describe Ihe view from Ihe lop of Whileface Mounlain. The mounlain has Ihe biggesl vertical drop Q (3,161 feet) easl of Ihe Rockies. The Irail syslem is slamped inlo A Ihe hillside in Ihe shape of a bo.omerang; Ihe upper half is sleep ~ enough 10 keep OlympIc downhiliers happy and Ihe lower half is tamer and better suited to novices. Whiteface is well known for ''The Slides," an oul-of-bounds area aboul a 10-minule hike from Ihe chairlift. This is Whileface's Ihird season wilh Ihe high-speed Cloudsplitter gondola, which covers 2,500 vertica l feel in less Ihan 8 minules. '01-'02 is Ihe second season wilh 13 acres of new glade skii ng. Whileface is consislently raled lops in off-hill activities, so if you have any downtime, be sure to check out the skating, bobsled rides and other activities. For beginners, the mountain's Parallel From the Start trademark ski school guaran- l ees Ihal sludenls will be skiing Ihe greens and blues in less Ihan 3 days. Telephone, 518-946-2223 Website: www.whiteface.com Snow Report 877-SKI-FACE Season, Mid Nov- Lale April Ticket Price, $49 Summil Elevalion (feet), 4,867 Vertica l Drop (feet), 3,161 Terrain (acres), 211 Green/Blue/Black (percent) , 33/33/33 Annual Snowfall (inches), 168 Directions, The Lake Placid area is within a 2 hour Ihirty minute drive of three major airports, Albany, NY, Burlington, VT, and Montreal, Quebec. ... WINDHAM V WINDHAM, NY e The Windham resort sits amid the Catskill range, ten miles north- ~ west of Hunter Mountain and a couple of hours north of NYC. The .. resort spans two peaks: its western face is the most developed with a flamboyant, shiny-new Base lodge. The eastern face is served by a solilary lift, Ihe Why Nol Chair. There's also a mod- eralely sized lerrain park. If you're wondering why all Ihe lifts and Irails begin wilh W, ii's W for Windham, wish of Ihe resort's w- olicy makers. Telephone, 518-734-4300 Website: www.skiwindham.com Snow Report, 800-729-4766 Season, Mid Nov- Early April Ticket Price, $36 Summit Elevation (feet) , 3,100 Vertical Drop (feet), 1,600 Terrain (acres) , 242 Green/Blue/Black (percent), 30/45/25 Annual Snowfall (inches), 250 Directions, Drive 2 hours from NYC. Amlrak runs from NYC 10 Hudson, a 30-minute laxi ride to Ihe resort. o 70 OREGON MT ASH LAND A ASHLAND, OR The Mounl Ashland Ski Area, halfway belween SF and Portland, V is in the picturesque Siskiyou Mountains and is known interna- lionally as Ihe Alpine galeway 10 Ihe Pacific. A few years ago, Ihe local community saved the resort from closure and it now runs as a public non-profil organizalion. This gives Ihe resort a close-knil feeling; ii's well palronized by Ihe local communily and Ihey give visitors a warm welcome. It's certainly not a large destination resort, but has instead a nice cross-section of terrain for most intermediate riders, a good beginners' slope and kids' snowboard school. Experienced die-hards can access some of the area's awe- some backcounlry by hiking up Ihe huge volcanic cones of Mounl Shasla, Mounl McLoughlin, Mounl Bailey or Craler Lake. Telephone, 541-482-2897 Websile, www.mtashland.com Snow Report 541-482-2754 Season, Late Nov- Mid Apri l Ticket Price, $29 Summil Elevation (feet), 7,500 Verlical Drop (feet), 1,150 Terrain (acres), 200 Green/Blue/Black (percenl), 15/35/50 Annual Snowfall (inches), 300 Directions, Fly into Rogue Valley International Airporl and drive 45 minutes 10 the resort. V BEND, OR Mt Bachelor is a perfect volcanic cone, rising out of the high desert plateau of central Oregon's Cascade Range. This picturesque peak has two distinct areas: the entire lower half of the mountain is blankeled in Oregon's famous coniferous foresl, which abruplly gives way al 7,500 feel 10 Ihe wide open spaces of Ihe bald upper cone. The trees have some great trail and glade riding while pro- viding proleclion from adverse wealher. The upper half holds steep chutes, open bowls and the wind-shaped snow formations that are common on volcanic peaks. An efficient modern lift system easily accesses 270 degrees of the consistently steep cone. Telephone, 800-829-2442 Website, www.mtbachelor.com Snow Report 541-382-7888 Season, Mid Nov- Early July Ticket Price, $42 Summil Elevation (feet), 9,065 Vertical Drop (feet), 3,365 Terrain (acres), 3,683 Green/Blue/Black (percenl), 15/25/60 Annual Snowfall (inches), 350 Direclions, Fly into Portland Inlernational Airport and drive 3 hours 30 minutes 10 Ihe resort. A MT BACHELOR V MT. HOOD, OR The conical majesly of MI Hood is home 10 Iwo lop-class resorts, MI Hood Meadows and MI Hood SkiBowl. They are separaled by the White River Canyon. Mt Hood Meadows covers a vast cross-sec- tion of terrain; from tasty trees lower down to consistent cornices and wind lips above Ihe Iree line. Add Ihe sleep chules of Superbowl and Healher Canyon serviced by Ihe snowcal, and you have one of the best all-round riders' resorts on the continent. Quad chairs service the important parts of the mountain; spread- ing out the crowds and keeping lift lines to a minimum. Telephone, 800-SKI-HOOD Website, www.skihood.com Snow Report 503-227 -SNOW Season, Mid Nov-Mid May Tickel Price, $ Summit Elevation (feelH 1 ,239 Vertical Drop (feet), 2,777, 4,477 (snowcat) Terrain (acres), 2,150 Green/Blue/Black (percenl), 15/50/35 Annual Snowfall (inches), 430 Direclions, Fly inlo Portland I nternational Airport and drive 1 hour 30 minutes to the resort. A MT HOOD MEADOWS A MT HOOD SKIBOWL V GOVERNMENT CAMP, OR " Allhough Mounl Hood Skibowl doesn'l occupy a pas ilion on Ihe conical flank of Mount Hood proper, it does have some of the most radical terrain in the area. Ask any hard-core local and they'll use glowing terms such as "rad, killer or sick" to describe some of the lines available. On Ihe east side of Ihis circular ridge line is Tom Dick Peak, wilh ils bowls, chules and cliffs, beyond which you'll find Ihe endless freeriding al Oulback. Once a greal ski jump hill in 1928, Mullorpor lies 10 Ihe wesl side. 11'5 short and sleep wilh great trees off the sides. The run is serviced by four chairs that can be combined with a bit of hiking and traversing to access a wide range of terrain. Skibowl is America's largest night ski resort, and has Oregon's mosl Iii black diamonds. Add Ihe besl winler pipe and one of Ihe sleepesl lerrain parks around and you've gOI a greal little all-round resort. Telephone, 800-754-2695; 503-222-BOWL Website, www.skibowl.com Snow Report 503-222-2695 Season, Mid Nov-Mid April Tickel Price, $25 Summil Elevalion (feet), 5,056 Vertical Drop (feet), 1,500 Terrain (acres), 960 Green/Blue/Black (percent), 20/20/60 Annual Snowfall (inches), 300 Directions, Fly into Porlland International Airport and drive 45 minutes to the resort. UTAH V BRIGHTON, UT Sail Lake locals have been skiing here since 1936, and Brighlon also has one of the oldest snowboard scenes in Utah and the US. The mountain is well known and consistently patronized for his- toric, pragmatic and financial reasons. When no one in Utah wel- comed snowboarding, Brighton opened its lifts to riders. On a praclical level Ihe lerrain includes a salisfying mix of sleeps, Irees, hils, rocks and access 10 a heap of good backcounlry. Brighlon also offers Ihe largesl nighl-skiing area in Ulah, wilh 200 plus lighled acres. And 10 Ihe relief of your wallel, Ihe lift pass is the cheapest in the area. Telephone, 800-873-5512; 801-532-4731 Websile, www.skibrighton.com Snow Report 801-532-4731 Season, Mid Nov-Late April Ticket Price, $39 Summil Elevation (feel), 10,500 Vertical Drop (feet), 1,745 Terrain (acres), 850 Green/Blue/Black (percent), 21/40/39 Annual Snowfall (inches), 500 Directions, Fly into. Sail Lake International Airport and drive 30 minutes east to the resort. A BRIGHTON e A THE CANYONS V PARK CITY, UT The Canyons has a thriving snowboard scene with riders making up 30 per cent of mountain users, including a fair mix of freerid- ers and freestylers, as befits the varied terrain. It used to be a smallish, low-key resort, bul was added 10 Ihe American Skiing Company's portfolio al Ihe end of Ihe 1996- 1997 season. New for this season is a new lift and terrain expansion in the Dreamscape area. Other improvements are new snowmaking on Harmony near Dreamscape, an improved terrain park on the front face of the resort and a new and improved ski and snowboard school learning area. There are no Olympic evenls laking place al Ihe Canyons, bul during Ihe Games guesls will be surrounded by live musical events, scrumptious local cuisine and an exciting interactive media expo. Telephone, 888-CANYONS Website: www.thecanyons.com Snow Report 435-615-3456 Season, Nov- April Tickel Price, $59 Summil Elevalion (feet), 9,990 Vertical Drop (feet), 3,190 Terrain (acres) , 3,500 Green/Blue/Black (percent), 14/44/42 Annual Snowfall (inches), 355 Direclions, Fly inlo Salt Lake International Airport and drive 25 minutes to the resort. A PARK CITY V PARK CITY, UT 8 Park Cily is hOine 10 all Olympic snowboarding evenls, as well as medal competition for men's and women's giant slalom skiing. The resort has constructed a super pipe that is a mirror-image to Ihe super pipe used in Olympic compelilion, bul lucky for you, Ihis one is for Ihe general public. Park Cily is also implemenling a resort digilal ID card so guesls are free 10 make all of Ihe cash- less Iransaclions Ihey would like Ihroughoul Ihe resort. Telephone, 800-222-PAR K Website, www.parkcitymountain.com Snow Reporl, 435-647-5449 CONTINUED ON P_77