@@cvn6555 depends what you like and depends if you got a vehicle... Whistler is the easiest logistics wise, just fly to Vancouver, the bus pics you up right from the airport and then a beautiful 2 hour ride, brings you right to the lifts, everything ( hotels bars ECT) in Whistler is within 20 minutes walk from the gondi and there is a legit transit system in town for the rest. kicking horse is more complicated I would recommend a rental car. But it's worth it, especially if you got time for the powder highway loop. 600 mile loop with about 10 resorts ( all awesome).... Also for KH I would recommend staying directly on the mountain. It's a 20/30 minutes drive from the closet town ( Golden) to the mountain.
Heading to Whistler or Kicking Horse? If Kicking Horse, it could be argued to fly to Kamloops and drive to Revy then Kicking Horse, and Lake Louise and fly out of Calgary.
It’s a good list. I have a hard time with Kicking Horse because almost all of the terrain requires lots of climbing. I want to add one that shouldn’t be on the list, but should: Mount Bohemia in Michigan’s UP. It’s all expert and gets tons of snow. I have skied Big Sky, Alyeska (pre-tram), Snowbird, Alta, Jackson, Ajax, A Basin, Taos, Wolf Creek, Vail, Targhee, Stowe, Jay, and many other mountains noted for expert terrain, but the most fun day I ever had was a magical day at Mount Bohemia with powder everywhere.
awesome list. Honorable mention A basin. Love that place, just a little too small maybe to crack the top ten. A basin has the most soul of any place I've been to in Colorado.
IMO Jackson Hole is not #1 KHR is. It's probably why the FWT is held there and not at Jackson Hole. If you say 'extreme ski resorts' it's a no brainer. Ski magazine did a review of KHR a couple years after it opened and said that most double diamond runs in BC are similiar in difficulty except for KHR; at KHR it's two turns and pull your chute. Also, I ski Whistler every week and they get tons of snow but often wet. KHR has dry snow that every night gets wind blown and the chutes get filled in like a fresh pow day.
Yeah, I agree. KHR is just double black upon double black. Most there Blue would be blacks elsewhere. Disagree with Palisades even being on the list. I think Kirkwood should be on there. It is the opposite of what you mentioned about Revy. They cut off the bottom half of a resort and just kept the goods.
You dont need a guide to ski Silverton in the spring. Also Fantasy Ridge at Solitude is some of the gnarliest terrain you will ever find at a ski area.
Sorry man skied them all and far as lift served goes Big Sky for sure. The Big Couloir is longer and steeper than Corbetts and that’s just the beginning. #2 is definitely Kicking Horse, badass hill.
if you could retire and ski, which slope would you want to -live- on (ski in ski out) home or condo in Colorado? Breckenridge, Vail, Winter Park, Keystone, Steamboat Springs, Copper Mtn, Beaver Creek, Aspen Snowmass, Crested Butte, or other???
I love this question!!! I'm moving my family to Chamonix this upcoming February....does that answer the question!? :) In terms of the resorts you just listed, of the CO resorts, I like Crested Butte and Telluride. Aspen is actually pretty good skiing too, Highland bowl is tops. Im not a huge fan of the Vail resorts, of the rest I like Steamboat (ALOT) and Beaver Creek and winter park aren't too shabby. You can have vail, keystone, copper, breckenridge :)
I'm surprised that the best powder in NA and the hardest terrain is at #7. Both Revy and KHR could be top 3. But I'm an East coaster, I'm sooooooo easily impressed. A bad day for any of those resorts is like heaven to me.
A great list for sure! Would be fun to do a North American / Europe comparison. Chamonix, La Grave, Tignes, Verbier…. Europe wins out for the trams. And probably for the crazy stuff that isn’t even slack country, right there as you get off some of the lifts.
Banff, sunshine and Louise are killer, but I would put them on a different list. Definitely a set of worthwhile ski areas, but imo more for a family oriented trip, with great scenery, views and amenities/apres. Arguably tops in those categories, but for more expert and extreme skiing they would probably get trounced by another 10-15 resorts like telluride, RED mt, Taos, etc…
Yep, these "gnarliest Ski Area" lists are made by people who haven't skied Pockets, Tits-Up, Dirt-Bag, Jack Creek, 4th Class Direct, etc etc. The Big Couloir is one of the more tame things to ski at Big Sky. And you don't need a shovel/probe/beacon to get on the tram.
I came here to roast ya, but that’s a solid list and you like snowboarders. Just add honorable mentions…. Taos, A-basin, telluride, and kirkwood. Btw… trams suck. Wait 30+ minutes to be packed in like a sardine. No bueno.
I know the anti snowboard thing comes from the way snowboarders have to sit on the lift, they would mess up old chairlifts. I don't know why it stuck though, I think rich white people just need to segregate someone.
@@jacobbrassard2776stfu 95% of people out there ruin it by just sliding down the hill… and a lot of the fun shit “ruins the snow” buttering doesn’t exactly leave a smooth trail unless you’re very very good at it, most people, myself included are gonna stomp it out at least a little bit. If you care that much start hiking… times have changed you want a powder paradise go the day after a big storm or get a back country guide, and stop bitching about how other people have fun?l, I’ve never even thought about snowboarding btw, skis my whole life, my best buds are snowboarders, some ski but most boarders, much less stuck up people for the most part.
Snowboarding saved the ski industry not just with added lift ticket sales but also product innovation (that deep side-cut in your powder skis for example). I’m not a fan of the culture snowboarding brought with it, but snowboarding saved the ski industry from contraction. JMO.
I have worked for both Whistler and Kicking Horse. To all the Americans come on up To BC, you will not regret it.
We are making the trip in February. It's a bitch to get to. Any advice?
@@cvn6555 depends what you like and depends if you got a vehicle... Whistler is the easiest logistics wise, just fly to Vancouver, the bus pics you up right from the airport and then a beautiful 2 hour ride, brings you right to the lifts, everything ( hotels bars ECT) in Whistler is within 20 minutes walk from the gondi and there is a legit transit system in town for the rest. kicking horse is more complicated I would recommend a rental car. But it's worth it, especially if you got time for the powder highway loop. 600 mile loop with about 10 resorts ( all awesome).... Also for KH I would recommend staying directly on the mountain. It's a 20/30 minutes drive from the closet town ( Golden) to the mountain.
Heading to Whistler or Kicking Horse?
If Kicking Horse, it could be argued to fly to Kamloops and drive to Revy then Kicking Horse, and Lake Louise and fly out of Calgary.
kinda shocked Mammoth is not on the list.. but kinda glad as well.
It’s a good list. I have a hard time with Kicking Horse because almost all of the terrain requires lots of climbing. I want to add one that shouldn’t be on the list, but should: Mount Bohemia in Michigan’s UP. It’s all expert and gets tons of snow. I have skied Big Sky, Alyeska (pre-tram), Snowbird, Alta, Jackson, Ajax, A Basin, Taos, Wolf Creek, Vail, Targhee, Stowe, Jay, and many other mountains noted for expert terrain, but the most fun day I ever had was a magical day at Mount Bohemia with powder everywhere.
Love everything about this post. Alright @johnhelms8226 next time I’m in Michigan it’s game on
Really good list, will be putting a couple of these on the schedule this year!!! What's the best for families?
not sure if this is to late but whistler, snowbird and palisades are great for family’s
Great list - I love the Bird and Jackson! You got me researching Silverton now …
Heck yea Todd, GET TO SILVERTON!!!! Incorporate a Telluride mission with it ;)
awesome list. Honorable mention A basin. Love that place, just a little too small maybe to crack the top ten. A basin has the most soul of any place I've been to in Colorado.
Keep pumping Jackson Hole and California!!! Cheers from Grand Targhee! My fav is Kicking Horse, when the snow is there, it is tough to beat.
I like this guy! I’m a snowboarder and piece to the sliding on snow, long live the freedom of choice!😊
👊
Yes! Free Alta! Can’t we all just get along?
💯
Worked 3 seasons at big sky. Spot on.
Been to some but gonna try to get to most before I'm too old.
Awesome list! Respect for putting squaw high on the list, many of these lists have it wayy to low
100 percent!
Palisades you mean.
@@kevinhurst9885 Either works
Yes!!! Agree! Jackson Hole!! Woot woot. And drinks at the Mangy Moose afterward
If you can get a table. Seems like you have to knock off way early to get one.
IMO Jackson Hole is not #1 KHR is. It's probably why the FWT is held there and not at Jackson Hole. If you say 'extreme ski resorts' it's a no brainer. Ski magazine did a review of KHR a couple years after it opened and said that most double diamond runs in BC are similiar in difficulty except for KHR; at KHR it's two turns and pull your chute. Also, I ski Whistler every week and they get tons of snow but often wet. KHR has dry snow that every night gets wind blown and the chutes get filled in like a fresh pow day.
I tell anyone who will listen that kicking horse is the best.
Love it!!! Perhaps the list needs to be updated after a proper Kickinghorse pow day, definitely will be giving it another chance ;)
Yeah, I agree. KHR is just double black upon double black. Most there Blue would be blacks elsewhere.
Disagree with Palisades even being on the list. I think Kirkwood should be on there. It is the opposite of what you mentioned about Revy. They cut off the bottom half of a resort and just kept the goods.
You dont need a guide to ski Silverton in the spring. Also Fantasy Ridge at Solitude is some of the gnarliest terrain you will ever find at a ski area.
Heck yea, i'll have to scope Fantasy Ridge, appreciate the bread crumbs. Ski missions are my favorite :)
Sorry man skied them all and far as lift served goes Big Sky for sure. The Big Couloir is longer and steeper than Corbetts and that’s just the beginning. #2 is definitely Kicking Horse, badass hill.
if you could retire and ski, which slope would you want to -live- on (ski in ski out) home or condo in Colorado? Breckenridge, Vail, Winter Park, Keystone, Steamboat Springs, Copper Mtn, Beaver Creek, Aspen Snowmass, Crested Butte, or other???
I love this question!!! I'm moving my family to Chamonix this upcoming February....does that answer the question!? :) In terms of the resorts you just listed, of the CO resorts, I like Crested Butte and Telluride. Aspen is actually pretty good skiing too, Highland bowl is tops. Im not a huge fan of the Vail resorts, of the rest I like Steamboat (ALOT) and Beaver Creek and winter park aren't too shabby. You can have vail, keystone, copper, breckenridge :)
I'm surprised that the best powder in NA and the hardest terrain is at #7. Both Revy and KHR could be top 3. But I'm an East coaster, I'm sooooooo easily impressed. A bad day for any of those resorts is like heaven to me.
These are solid points!!!! KHR i think could be top 3 as well, too many good options!!!
A great list for sure! Would be fun to do a North American / Europe comparison. Chamonix, La Grave, Tignes, Verbier…. Europe wins out for the trams. And probably for the crazy stuff that isn’t even slack country, right there as you get off some of the lifts.
Love it Mark! Actually, that's the plan later this year, lots of skiing in Europe to do!!!!!!!!
Europe is great in many ways, but snow quality and volume is terrible. Feels like"East coast skiing" LMAO
Great list! How do you think the ski resorts at Banff/Lake Louise compare to these ones?
Banff, sunshine and Louise are killer, but I would put them on a different list. Definitely a set of worthwhile ski areas, but imo more for a family oriented trip, with great scenery, views and amenities/apres. Arguably tops in those categories, but for more expert and extreme skiing they would probably get trounced by another 10-15 resorts like telluride, RED mt, Taos, etc…
In my opinion, the most extreme terrain at Big Sky is off of the ridge hike and not the peak
Solid point
Yep, these "gnarliest Ski Area" lists are made by people who haven't skied Pockets, Tits-Up, Dirt-Bag, Jack Creek, 4th Class Direct, etc etc. The Big Couloir is one of the more tame things to ski at Big Sky. And you don't need a shovel/probe/beacon to get on the tram.
Love!!!
Alyeska!!
I came here to roast ya, but that’s a solid list and you like snowboarders. Just add honorable mentions…. Taos, A-basin, telluride, and kirkwood. Btw… trams suck. Wait 30+ minutes to be packed in like a sardine. No bueno.
Taos?
I Know! Taos is an honorable mention for sure!!! Hard to keep Taos and Telluride off this list, it hurts!!!
Great terrain wise. I would say they just dont get enough snow on consistent basis as the ones on this list.
@@je5406 I'd like to think that makes it more challenging
You made an extreme skiing list for North America and left out Alta? Galen, you need to get out more or quit.
😅
Shhhh! 🤫
Aleaska has the longest double black diamond in America💀💀💀💀
whistler and kicking horse are much higher then jackson hole
It's still called Squaw
I know the anti snowboard thing comes from the way snowboarders have to sit on the lift, they would mess up old chairlifts. I don't know why it stuck though, I think rich white people just need to segregate someone.
They ruin the snow
@@jacobbrassard2776please explain. How do snowboarders ruin the snow any more than skiers?
@@jacobbrassard2776stfu 95% of people out there ruin it by just sliding down the hill… and a lot of the fun shit “ruins the snow” buttering doesn’t exactly leave a smooth trail unless you’re very very good at it, most people, myself included are gonna stomp it out at least a little bit. If you care that much start hiking… times have changed you want a powder paradise go the day after a big storm or get a back country guide, and stop bitching about how other people have fun?l, I’ve never even thought about snowboarding btw, skis my whole life, my best buds are snowboarders, some ski but most boarders, much less stuck up people for the most part.
Snowboarding saved the ski industry not just with added lift ticket sales but also product innovation (that deep side-cut in your powder skis for example). I’m not a fan of the culture snowboarding brought with it, but snowboarding saved the ski industry from contraction. JMO.
much of a racist are we? Leave that racist shit for your woke gender fluid social network and leave it off a ski mountain review.