LAKE LOUISE
Lake Louise, Alberta • skilouise.com4,200 skiable acres • 3,250 vertical feet • 164 runs across four mountains
If you want to bask in the most epic mountain scenery, the Canadian Rockies have it — and the area around Banff is perhaps the prettiest part. There are actually three ski resorts to choose from: Lake Louise, Banff Sunshine and Mt. Norquay (check out package deals at skibig3.com). Since 1980, Lake Louise has been home to the biggest ski racing event in Canada, the Winterstart World Cup — a rarity in that it features both men and women in speed events. It's been canceled for two years, but is back this Nov. 25-Dec. 4. (Visit lakelouiseworldcup.com for details.) You can also check out other wonders, like actual Lake Louise (hike out to the Lake Agnes Tea House if you can), and some of the grand old hotels of the Canadian Pacific Railroad days, like the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise and the Fairmont Banff Springs, which is not far from the actual Banff Upper Hot Springs where you can take a steamy dip.
MT. BACHELOR
Bend, Oregon • mtbachelor.com
4,323 skiable acres • 3,365 vertical feet • 101 runs
There's only one Cascade volcano you can ride to the top of via chairlift. By now you've caught on that it's Mt. Bachelor, which, if you're a geology nerd, is actually a dormant stratovolcano on top of a shield volcano. Sounds scary, but they say it's not set to blow, so check it out! On a clear day from the 9,065-foot summit, you can see the Three Sisters, Mount Hood and even Mount Adams. While 400 miles from Spokane, it's just 22 miles from Bend, land of plenty... of breweries. Seriously, a 2019 study found there was one brewery for about every 3,000 Bend residents, making it the third most beer-soaked town in America. If you can tear yourself away from the Bend Ale Trail, the skiing is pretty legendary, too, with more than 450 inches of snow a season. For snowboarders, there are six different terrain parks, and skiers won't wait long for a ride, with eight high-speed quad chairlifts.
WHISTLER BLACKCOMB
Whistler, British Columbia • whistlerblackcomb.com
8,171 skiable acres • 5,020 vertical feet • 200+ runs
People in the Pacific Northwest have known about Whistler Blackcomb forever, but the resort really picked up notoriety when Vancouver hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics. Today, everything about Whistler is world-class. You could do a Whistler trip and just make it a foodie excursion and be happy. Araxi (get your reservations like a month ago) and Bearfoot Bistro (featuring an ice room vodka bar) are just two of the options. The village is filled with five-star hotels, too, all adding up to quite the international scene that should be bouncing back this year, with Canada's border now fully reopened. (And the American dollar getting you around $1.35 Canadian is a nice incentive.) But with the most acreage in North America and a ridiculous 5,000 vertical feet of drop, even people who are happy to sleep in the back of a van and eat peanut butter sandwiches on the chairlift rate it as one of the top ski experiences in the world. ♦
