Hit the slopes in Moonlight Basin

Like sisters forced to share the same room, a little tension was inevitable when Moonlight Basin opened next to Big Sky Resort on Montana's Lone Mountain in 2003. But any frostiness melted away with the debut of the Lone Peak Ticket ($79), combining the resorts' 5,300 acres.

Bolstered by 200 more acres at Big Sky this year, the area is now the largest contiguous swath in U.S. ski country ― with enough greens, blues, and double-blacks to keep everybody happy.

More:  Top 10 ski resorts