by Michael Bowen

BEST PLACE TO SKI OR SNOWBOARD - Schweitzer - For the fifth consecutive year, the resort on the north side of Sandpoint, Idaho, has topped the voting in the Alpine and Nordic Combined event. With more than 2,000 acres, 59 trails and 300 inches of snow per year, you can see why. And you gotta like a place that has 30K of groomed cross-country trails meandering out to places like Picnic Point and Howling Rock. Word on the street, though, is that there's tension between the two rival mountain cultures, the Skiing Establishment and the Snowboard Rebellion. Can't we all just get along? It only takes 90 minutes by car to make the Spokane-Schweitzer connection, so drive on out there and keep the peace. But hurry: the season ends April 8.

2nd: Mount Spokane

3rd: 49 Degrees North