We Made up the Ultimate Mountain Resort for a Winter Sports Dream Come True
Forget custom skis: This season, we customized an entire resort with all our favorites—both new and classic—from the best snow towns across the West.
Clark Miller
What if we could have the best of all ski and snowboard resorts in one place? It would look something like this Sunset-imagined mountain. A team can dream, right?
North Face, Alyeska, AK: The longest continuous double-black-diamond ski run in North America. Yew!
W Hotel, Aspen, CO: Ski-in/ski-out access to 88 guest rooms at the foot of Aspen Mountain, with a 12,000-square-foot rooftop bar and pool (and one spectacularly trippy mural by artist Gabriel Alcala).
Courtesy of High West Distillery
High West Distillery, Park City, UT: The world’s only ski-in/ski-out whiskey distillery (and the state’s first legal distillery since the 1870s).
Outlaw Mountain Coaster, Steamboat Springs, CO: North America’s longest alpine coaster, 6,280 linear feet descending 400 vertical feet.
Dick’s Ditch, Jackson Hole, WY: An annual two-day banked slalom competition on an extremely exhilarating combo of human-made and natural terrain.
The Lost Sierra, Johnsville, CA: The only place in the States where you can longboard ski in the tracks of California’s 19th-century gold miners.
Last Spike, Revelstoke, B.C.: The longest groomed trail in North America, at 8.3 continuous miles.
Strawberry Hot Springs, Steamboat Springs, CO: A serene soaking experience that has maintained its rustic charm since the 1970s.
Courtesy of The Timberline Lodge
Timberline Lodge, Mt. Hood, OR: Local oysters on the half shell and other farm-to-table dining delicacies, plush cushy lodging—and an eerie photo-op for fans of The Shining.
Taco Beast, Steamboat Springs, CO: A roaming snowcat-turned-taco-truck slinging slope fuel like elk chorizo and piping-hot esquites.
Viceroy Spa, Snowmass, CO: Thirty-minute, ski-in/ski-out spa treatments designed to loosen you up and get you back on the trails fast.
Peak 2 Peak, Whistler-Blackcomb, B.C.: At just under 3 miles, the longest (and arguably most scenic) single-span lift in North America.
Unbound Terrain Parks, Mammoth Mountain, CA: Seven signature hot pink parks featuring a total of two halfpipes, 100-plus jibs, and up to 50 jumps on any given day across 100 acres of terrain.
Rendezvan, Mt. Bachelor, OR: A five-day spring skiing bash for road warriors and van-lifers looking to meet up, camp out, and go hard.
The Shrines, Aspen-Snowmass, CO: More than 100 altars hidden in the mountains’ glades honoring everyone from David Bowie and Marilyn Monroe to Poseidon and Snoopy.
Courtesy of The St. Regis, Deer Valley
Bloody Marys at The St. Regis, Deer Valley, UT: One of the best Bloodys in the West, named the Mary 7452 in honor of the bar’s exact elevation.
Gravity Haus, Breckenridge, CO: This ski-in/ski-out hotel and social house opens in December boasting curated excursions, backcountry experiences, a coworking space, sports recovery center, Japanese-style onsen, and more.
Epic Snowfall at Mt. Baker, WA: 840 inches last year—that’s about 7 stories of snow.
Local Scene at Steamboat Springs, CO: There are just shy of 100 resident Olympic athletes to rub elbows with on the lifts.
Mammoth Season at Mammoth Mountain, CA: Lifts typically open in November and it’s not unheard of to still be operating in July.
