Dozens of young athletes from Ski & Snowboard Club Vail honored her Saturday evening at Vail’s Ford Amphitheater, swarming the stage and carrying balloons — 82 of them white for her World Cup victories, eight red for her world championships medals, three gold for her Olympic medals. Vonn moved from the modest slalom hills of Minnesota to Vail when she was a girl, getting the big-mountain experience she needed to become America’s greatest female downhiller.

“I moved to Vail when I was 12 years old, along with my four siblings, and we enrolled at Ski Club Vail,” Vonn said. “It was honestly the best decision my family could have made. My journey of becoming a downhiller began (there). Without the help of Ski Club Vail, and all of those runs down Gold Peak, I don’t know if I would have won those World Cup races.”

After Vonn became the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in downhill at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, taking home a bronze medal in super-G as well, Vail renamed its International run Lindsey’s. International was the venue for women’s World Cup races in Vail before it built new downhill race courses at Beaver Creek.

“Renaming International to Lindsey’s was honestly one of the most meaningful things that’s happened to me,” Vonn said. “I hope to ski down it with my kids someday.”

When Vonn retired in 2019, her 82 World Cup wins were the most by a woman and only four behind Ingemar Stenmark’s record of 86. Mikaela Shiffrin, who grew up in Vail with Vonn as a role model, broke Stenmark’s record in 2023 and now stands at 97. Vonn saluted Shiffrin in her induction speech.

“Mikaela has won an insane number of World Cups, and she’s far from being done,” Vonn said. “It gives me great pride to know the next generation is reaching even higher than I was able to. I know she will inspire someone else, just like me. Congratulations to Mikaela on everything that you’ve done and will do in the future.”

Among the many locals she thanked was Dr. Tom Hackett, a prominent Vail orthopedic surgeon who helped her come back from numerous injuries.

“Even though I have my mother’s positivity, it hasn’t been all sunshine and roses,” Vonn said. “I’m grateful for everything that’s happened to me, all of the highs and all of the lows. (The lows) all taught me something very special — grit.”

Others inducted included John “Johno” McBride, a former U.S. men’s downhill coach from Aspen who was instrumental in the careers of Bode Miller and Daron Rahlves; Bjorn Erik Borgen, who helped Vail land world alpine championships in 1989, 1999 and 2015; Sigurd Rockne, a native of Norway who was a founder of the Breckenridge ski area; Ross Anderson, a Native American who grew up in Durango to become a speed skiing racer.

Want more sports news? Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver’s teams.

Mikaela Shiffrin will finally get a chance to race a World Cup at home.

The 2024 Birds of Prey event in Beaver Creek will feature men’s and women’s World Cup races on back-to-back weekends, offering Alpine skiing’s all-time winningest athlete an opportunity to compete in her backyard.

“I love racing at Beaver Creek. I have a lot of great memories skiing there, particularly from World Champs in 2015,” the Edwards skier said, referring to the slalom gold medal she won nine years ago. “It’s an iconic World Cup speed track with a best in the world course crew — The Talon Crew — and the surface is always incredible.”

“This will be a celebration not to be missed,” stated Vail Valley Foundation’s president Mike Imhof, in a press release. The nonprofit announced the event after the International Ski Federation (FIS) confirmed its 2024-2025 calendar during the 55th International Ski Congress in Reykjavik, Iceland.

Read more at VailDaily.com.

Want more sports news? Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver’s teams.

Shiffrin, a two-time Olympic champion who has won a record 97 World Cup races, holds her ring up to the camera in one of several photos they posted on their social media accounts.

pic.twitter.com/zzGQoNWYsU

— Aleksander Aamodt Kilde (@AleksanderKilde) April 5, 2024

Aamodt Kilde is a former overall World Cup champion and two-time Olympic medalist. The 31-year-old Norwegian’s season ended in January when he sustained injuries in a crash during a downhill race in Wengen, Switzerland.

They’ve been dating for several years.

The 29-year-old Shiffrin completed her season three weeks ago with her record-extending 60th win in slalom and 97th overall at the World Cup finals.

The American had been earlier sidelined for six weeks because of a knee injury sustained in a downhill crash Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy in January.

Want more sports news? Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver’s teams.

What she got, though, was even by the American star’s standards “an insane way to return.”

Shiffrin made a triumphant comeback to the World Cup Sunday, dominating the season’s penultimate slalom for career win 96 and locking up her record-equaling eighth season title in the discipline.

Racing for the first time since hurting her left knee in a downhill crash in Italy, the two-time Olympic champion posted the fastest times in both runs to beat Croatian prodigy Zrinka Ljutic by a massive 1.24 seconds and third-placed Michelle Gisin of Switzerland by 1.34.

“It feels like we’re in a dream right now,” Shiffrin said after her sixth slalom win of the season and 59th overall. “There has been so much uncertainty coming into this race. The biggest goal I had was just… good skiing in the final races of the season, so I could sort of prove I have the right pace and the right mentality to close out the season, so next year I start in a better place.”

Shiffrin got much more than that. While she just edged out her competitors in the opening leg, she crushed the field in a free-flowing second run.

“This is an insane way to return,” she said. “It was so nice to race again today and some nerves and all the emotions that I hoped to feel. Really proud of my team, and for sure proud of myself to get back here and show the skiing. The second run was some of my best skiing. I am just so happy to be able to do that again this season.”

Shiffrin had been out since she sprained the MCL and tibiofibular ligament in her knee in January, while also still recovering from a bone bruise she had sustained at the start of the season.

The American, who turns 29 on Wednesday, was among a slew of World Cup, Olympic and world champions to crash hard in a packed January program, including her partner Aleksander Aamodt Kilde.

“The season has been just a wild one, full of ups and downs, I think for everybody,” Shiffrin said. “My own personal journey, there’s definitely been some frustrating moments these past weeks, so I was just trying to get back and hoping that I could get back.”

Shiffrin had just “four normal slalom sessions in the last seven weeks” coming into Sunday’s race.

“I was pushing the whole way, and when I feel the knee, it doesn’t distract me from skiing or from pushing my skis, so then that’s perfect,” she said. “I felt great with my first run skiing, but if I could be like a little bit more clean, it would feel better, also on the knee, so this run was like… I wouldn’t change one thing.”

With her Slovakian rival Petra Vlhova out for the season after knee surgery, the American’s only remaining challenger for the slalom season title was Lena Duerr.

The German skier had to win both Sunday’s race and the season-ending slalom at the World Cup finals in Austria next weekend to stay in contention, but finished fourth, 1.35 behind Shiffrin.

The season title is Shiffrin’s eighth in slalom, making her the fourth skier to win eight crystal globes – the traditional prize in Alpine skiing – in a single classification.

Former American teammate Lindsey Vonn achieved the feat in downhill. On the men’s side, Austrian standout Marcel Hirscher won eight overall championships, and Swedish great Ingemar Stenmark reached that number of titles in both slalom and GS.

The slalom makes up half of the American’s collection of 16 career globes, alongside her five overall championships, one super-G and two GS titles.

The slalom title will be Shiffrin’s only globe this season. She skipped Saturday’s giant slalom on the same hill and won’t compete in the speed events of the finals, leaving her without enough races to close the 345-point gap on leader Lara Gut-Behrami.

The Swiss star, who doesn’t compete in slalom, has all but secured her second overall title, after winning it for the first time in 2016, and is also a strong favorite to win the downhill, super-G, and GS titles.

Shiffrin had already made a winning return from an extensive mid-season break to nurse a knee injury. She didn’t race for nine weeks after getting hurt in December 2015, but won her comeback race at a slalom in Crans-Montana, Switzerland in February 2016.

The World Cup finals for both women and men wrap up the season over the next two weeks in Saalbach, the Austrian host venue of the 2025 world championships.

Want more sports news? Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver’s teams.

The Edwards skier, who injured her leg in a downhill crash on Jan. 26 in Cortina d’Ampezzo, gave an injury update in a video on Instagram on Sunday.

“I have been progressing well in the gym. I’m feeling better and better each day,” she said before adding that the March 9-10 World Cup weekend is still her expected return date.

Shiffrin, who had a comfortable lead in the overall standings at the time of the injury, now sits 205 points behind Lara Gut-Behrami. The Swiss skier also leads the downhill, giant slalom and super-G standings.

Read the full story at VailDaily.com.

Want more sports news? Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver’s teams.

Gut-Behrami, who is on a four-race winning streak, was 0.21 seconds faster than Swiss teammate Jasmine Flury on the Mont Lachaux course — much to the delight of the home fans — for her first downhill victory in more than two years.

Austrian skier Cornelia Huetter was also second, with the same time as Flury.

“I think today the difference was about the attitude,” Gut-Behrami said. “I made a few mistakes, sometimes my ski wasn’t catching. So I would say it was a fight to stay on my skis and try to be fast.”

It was the first downhill race since discipline specialist Goggia had her season ended prematurely after breaking two bones in her right leg in a training crash.

Gut-Behrami moved 41 points behind Goggia, who has topped the World Cup downhill standings in each of the past three seasons.

There are three more downhill races this season, including one in Crans-Montana on Saturday. A race win is worth 100 points. There is also a Super-G in Crans-Montana on Sunday.

The 32-year-old Gut-Behrami overtook Shiffrin on top of the overall standings with a giant slalom victory last weekend. She extended her lead to 105 points on Friday, with Shiffrin still out nursing a left knee injury.

Gut-Behrami also leads the standings in Super-G and giant slalom, putting her on course to match Shiffrin’s impressive feat of claiming four crystal globes in 2019.

Many top skiers have been involved in serious crashes lately and suffered season-ending injuries, including Petra Vlhova, Valerie Grenier and Corinne Suter, and Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, Alexis Pinturault and Marco Schwarz on the men’s circuit.

Gut-Behrami is after her second overall title, eight years after she won her first. That would tie a record with Annemarie Moser-Pröll, who won her first in 1971 and her sixth in 1979 and is the only other women’s skier to win eight years apart.

Shiffrin can win her sixth.

Lightning quick at the top, Gut-Behrami lost a lot of time on the flatter, middle section of the course but a stunning finish gave her a first downhill victory since Jan. 15, 2022, in Austria.

Because of the warm temperatures and the soft snow conditions at the arrival, the race was shortened and the finish line moved up five gates. The resort and slope is south-facing so soaks up the sun.

“It was not an easy run,” Gut-Behrami said. “The snow it is pretty soft so everything gets more challenging. I have to say I didn’t have a great feeling, I just tried to push hard.”

After crossing the raised arrival line, however, skiers continued down to the original finish arch in front of the fans. That was the same Crans-Montana finish line where the timing on the snow malfunctioned five years ago and the result was amended days later, with Gut-Behrami promoted onto the podium.

Want more sports news? Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver’s teams.

“Colorado has too many beautiful spots for snowmobiling,” said Ed Calhoun, president of the Colorado Snowmobile Association, a nonprofit that supports safety and conservation for snowmobile activity. Snowmobiling has been steadily growing in popularity in Colorado. Colorado Parks and Wildlife issues snowmobile registrations and shows that 29,505 machines were licensed in 2022, up from 24,789 in 2020.

The CSA is composed of 36 clubs. Its members groom about 3,000 miles of trails which also are used for Nordic skiing, dog sledding, snow biking and other winter fun. The CSA website has details on current conditions, where to take safety lessons, and the ins and outs of buying a permit.

Here’s an introductory look at this winter activity in Colorado.

Snowmobile tours with something extra

Why not make the most of a snowmobile day and do more than just ride? T-Lazy-Z Ranch in Aspen offers the Klondike Lunch Tour and the Majestic Lunch Tour. The Klondike tour follows a groomed trail in the White River National Forest to the Klondike cabin where a gourmet lunch awaits. (OK, the lunch features cheeseburgers, but they’re really good ones!) Kids as young as 4 can ride. Snowmobile drivers must be at least 18 years old and have a valid driver’s license.

Although Independence Pass is closed to road traffic in winter, the Majestic Tour leads you to the town of Independence near the Continental Divide. The Lost Man Cabin welcomes you with a lunch and spectacular views. This ride is best for those with some experience riding. Riders must be at least 7.

You can combine a nice hot springs soak with your snowmobiling adventure at Mount Princeton Hot Springs near Salida. The concierge at Mount Princeton can arrange a guided snowmobile tour with a local operator. Upon your return, slide into the warm waters for a soothing soak.

Steamboat Snowmobile Tours offers First Tracks tours on Rabbit Ears Pass, which can be a real treat on a powder day. It also offers four-hour Backcountry Adventure tours that take riders to the Continental Divide and include lunch. White Mountain Snowmobile Tours in Leadville combines snowmobiling with ziplining. The day starts with ziplining, then it’s time for lunch in town. You’ll round out the day with an afternoon of snowmobiling. Keep in mind that Leadville is 10,158 feet above sea level and you’ll be riding higher than that during this day of adventure.

Rent and go

Many companies rent snowmobiles, so you can explore Colorado’s winter wonderland on your own even if you don’t own a snow machine. This also means you are in charge of your own safety, so keep these safety tips in mind:

1. Call ahead and ask what gear is included with your rental. Snowsuit or bib? Heated handlebars? Goggles? Gloves? If they’re not included, arrange to rent or buy them for your trip.

2. Take an avalanche safety course. Carry necessary gear, including a snow shovel, and know how to complete a rescue. Avalanche risk varies from day to day. It’s up to you to research current conditions. You should set out with an alternative plan in mind in case you venture into an area where the avalanche risk appears too great.

3. Bring water and sunscreen.

4. Have reliable communication, which probably means something other than a cellphone.

Don’t put yourself, your trip mates and rescue teams at risk. Most rescue teams include many volunteers. They risk their own safety when they attempt to save people who are stuck or lost.

“Some people want to go to the expert areas right off,” Calhoun said. “Normally that’s when you get in a problem with this stuff, and avalanches are the Number One danger for snowmobiling.”

Popular spots for snowmobilers include Leadville, Grand Lake, Vail Pass Winter Recreation Area and Rabbit Ears Pass near Steamboat Springs.

Grand Lake is considered Colorado’s snowmobiling capital and features more than 300 miles of trails for every level of snowmobiler. There are another 700 miles of trails in surrounding Grand County. Snow machines are allowed in only a small area of Rocky Mountain National Park, but the region’s trails offer views of the park’s famous peaks and grandeur. It’s legal to ride a snowmobile in Grand Lake, provided the streets have enough packed snow.

There are numerous outfitters to rent from in Grand Lake, and some lodges have snowmobiles available for rent.

The Rabbit Ears Pass area offers trails across meadows and through snow-covered trees as you ride up and over the mountainous terrain.

“I live in Steamboat,” Calhoun said. “People come here to ski, and they ski like crazy at high altitude, and then have to rest for a day or two. During that time, they can go snowmobiling with their families.”

As with all winter sports, research conditions before you set out, wear appropriate gear, and always tell someone reliable where you are going and when you plan to return.

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, The Adventurist, to get outdoors news sent straight to your inbox.

The American ski star trailed Vlhova by 0.07 seconds after the first run but posted the second-fastest time in the final run to win the race by 0.27.

Olympic giant slalom champion Sara Hector was 1.11 behind in third for the Swede’s first-ever podium in slalom.

It was Shiffrin’s 94th career win and came nine days after she didn’t finish the previous slalom while battling a cold, and two days after she visited her partner Aleksander Aamodt Kilde in a hospital in Switzerland following the Norwegian skier’s crash in a downhill.

“I’m really proud of this evening and very thankful for my whole team,” said Shiffrin, who was in tears after the race that was attended by her brother Taylor and sister-in-law Kristi.

“The last days have been challenging and (my team has) been so supportive and helped me to see Alex.”

The course for the final showdown was set by Magnus Andersson, the head coach of U.S. women’s tech team. Shiffrin had a mistake early in her run, but won time on her competitors in the remaining sections to put pressure on first-run leader Vlhova.

The Slovakian initially gained some time but struggled from the middle part of course, coming wide in a few turns and being slightly hampered by a gate that broke and rolled down the course after she passed it.

“Of course, it’s not comfortable but luckily it didn’t get under my ski,” Vlhova said. “I did many mistakes, the second run I started to lose position. If you want to win, you need a perfect run. I knew she did a good run, so I needed to find something inside me to push more.”

Shiffrin said she had regained her strength after her illness and skipping a three-race speed event in nearby Altenmark-Zauchensee over the weekend, but she was affected by Kilde’s crash, in which the Norwegian suffered a dislocated shoulder and a cut in his calf.

“I feel 100 percent healthy again, though the last days were not a lot of sleep, but that’s a different kind of thing,” Shiffrin said.

In the first run, set by Swedish team coach Manuel Gamper, both Shiffrin and Vlhova had all-attacking runs as they built a substantial lead over the rest of the field.

“I felt quite strong with my skiing, so I’m super happy with it,” Shiffrin said. “When I crossed the finish, I thought it takes a specific run to be faster. I knew Petra can do that.”

Vlhova lost time on the American in the first section but built her advantage in the middle part of the floodlit Griessenkar course.

“I really enjoyed it,” Vlhova said. “It’s really easy and I had to attack, so I tried to attack as much as I could.”

Shiffrin has now won four and Vlhova three of the seven slaloms so far this season, with the American leading her rival by 25 points in the discipline standings.

Shiffrin’s teammate AJ Hurt, who finished third in the previous slalom, was on course for another top-10 finish, posting the ninth-fastest time in the first run before skiing out in her second run.

Another teammate, Paula Moltzan, was the fastest starter in the opening run but then had an awkward crash when she straddled a gate and her left ski went up in the air, forcing her leg to bend sideward.

However, the American avoided injuries.

“My knee is absolutely fine, which is really lucky,” Moltzan said. “I just landed on my pole on my back, so I feel like I have a bruise on my back. I’m lucky that I’m really flexible.”

Several lower-ranked skiers finished in the top 15, most notably Dzenifera Germane of Latvia, who started 50th and finished eighth, and Italian-born Lara Colturi, who competes for Albania, who wore bib 60 and finished ninth.

The women’s World Cup continues with a GS and slalom this weekend in Jasna, close to Vlhova’s hometown.

Want more sports news? Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver’s teams.

Growing up in the suburbs of New Orleans, La., I had a leg up on my fellow Southerners, at least. Both of my parents skied in Washington State where I was born, with my dad proposing to my mom by surprising her with an engagement ring in her ski goggles on Christmas 1994.

I took snowboarding lessons as a teenager on family trips to Alpental ski resort near Seattle and Park City, Utah. That was sufficient enough to proclaim my love of the sport because, even as my gear gathered dust in the attic, many of my peers hadn’t even stepped foot in fresh snow before.

Then, at the age of 26, I found a sublet in the Mile High City after accepting a reporting job at The Denver Post, with ski season already on the brain. Before I said goodbye to Washington, D.C., friends on the East Coast raved about the ski resorts dotted throughout the Centennial State, and my mom shipped decade-old equipment up to my new home.

But as I befriended Denverites who had largely relocated from the Midwest, a horrifying realization dawned on me: Compared to them, I didn’t know the first thing about snowboarding. For instance, my Minnesotan boyfriend started skiing in his middle school’s ski club, and can land tricks like aerial 360s. My friends would weigh the advantages and disadvantages of the Ikon and Epic Passes – both costing extraordinary amounts in the eyes of an amateur snowboarder.

With the help of peer pressure, I committed to my first ski pass last winter, an Ikon, vowing to make the $1,000 price tag worth every penny. In my inaugural season, I woke up at 5 a.m. to beat the inevitable Interstate 70 traffic, and spent a total of 14 days on the slopes, graduating from green runs to a double-black diamond.

And I only managed to give myself one minor concussion.

Last winter, I frequented five ski resorts, and can humbly offer my opinion on the best and worst destinations in Colorado for snowboarders who are still learning.

5. Winter Park Resort

In a controversial pick, Winter Park Resort takes the bottom spot on the list as my least favorite ski resort. My reasoning is simple: Winter Park isn’t built for snowboarders.

First opened in 1940 before the advent of snowboarding, skiers have enjoyed Winter Park for decades. But I had the opposite experience during my two visits because of the sheer amount of cat tracks, also known as catwalks. They’re flat trails “that traverse across the fall line (downward slope) of a mountain,” according to snowboarding brand Burton.

In order for a snowboarder to successfully conquer a cat track, she needs to build up speed in advance, which can be tough for a hesitant first-timer. If not, then she’s eventually left sliding to a stop.

And this isn’t solely an inconvenience suffered by snowboarders, but also by their skiing friends, who will inevitably have to extend their poles and execute minor rescues.

I recognize the cult following behind Winter Park, particularly because it’s only a 60-mile drive from Denver. But its proximity to the city means the resort is often crowded, making parking difficult.

Still, on New Year’s Eve, I’ll happily give it another chance as the resort is where I ring in 2024.

4. Arapahoe Basin Ski Area

Arapahoe Basin, or A-Basin, is held dearly beloved by Denverites because it’s another one of the closest options.

It’s also home to the only “beach” at a ski resort, the reserved front-row parking area where skiers and snowboarders can party all day with easy access to nearby lifts. A-Basin’s warm welcome to revelatory patrons – accompanied by designated drivers – and their leashed dogs is part of its mass appeal.

It boasts one of the state’s longest ski seasons, typically opening in October and closing in June, and offers more affordable season passes and day lift tickets than other giants in the ski industry.

I snowboarded A-Basin twice last season, including one solo day. Its Montezuma Bowl is a great spot to practice snowboarding in the trees, albeit a little steep at the top. Practicing on blue and black runs, I unlocked my fastest speed: 40 miles per hour.

But in my eyes, the ski area earns the No. 4 spot because its amenities are lackluster compared to competitors like Vail Resorts. And for a first-timer, the drive along the U.S. Highway 6 over Loveland Pass to reach the high-elevation ski area left me clammy and slightly terrified, especially as a snowstorm rolled in.

3. Vail Ski Resort

Vail Ski Resort, about 100 miles from Denver, sits in the middle of the pack. Its world-renowned reputation precedes it as an extravagant locale that Coloradans either hate to love or love to hate, but I give credit where it’s due: It’s an impressive resort, with well-groomed blue runs that I flew down (and, then, trekked back up because my lift ticket blew off of my ski jacket).

Although I got stuck a few times on flatter trails, the fresh powder on its back bowls made Vail an easy place to practice carving and making small jumps, with jaw-dropping mountain views. Since it’s the largest ski resort in the state, I only explored a portion of its 5,000 acres.

The lift tickets were a surprise gift from a friend, so, without them, I wouldn’t have gone since Vail isn’t included on the Ikon Pass, and a one-day ticket can jump as high as $300 at peak window price. Parking is also scant, with drivers sometimes leaving their cars across the interstate and walking great lengths to reach the slopes.

2. Steamboat Ski Resort

Steamboat Ski Resort takes silver in my rankings because, even though I visited during closing weekend, April 15-16, the widely-lauded quality of its snow still managed to impress.

Of course, slush and ice pooled at the bottom by the lifts, but, as I climbed higher and higher into the sky, the remaining snow made for excellent end-of-season snowboarding.

Steamboat is also where I attempted my first double-black diamond slope, bumbling through the trees before making it back onto the run. Although I mangled it, I carved through to the end, and that’s what matters, right?

The town of Steamboat, which offers easy access to the resort by bus or even on foot, serves as the picture of a classic ski destination nestled in the mountains, with popular hot springs like Strawberry Park Natural Hot Springs ready to relax those aching muscles.

Although it’s a bucket-list snowboarding spot, it still falls short of No. 1 because of its distance from Denver at over 150 miles, which means three to four hours of driving one way.

1. Copper Mountain Resort

Easily navigable and luxurious, Copper Mountain Resort ranks as my top-tier Colorado ski resort. Just check my kitchen cabinet – at least three aluminum cups from various watering holes at Copper have been kept as souvenirs.

This is where it all began for me last December. In the season’s earliest days, I slid down the green runs, then transitioned to blue runs. I took advantage of the often-uncrowded slopes to make plenty of mistakes, falling hard when I tried to carve or even gracefully exit the ski lift (every snowboarder’s nightmare).

Still, I felt comfortable riding solo at Copper, and racked up seven days there, finally moving onto black diamond runs and moguls, or fields of bumpy terrain.

The main lifts – American Flyer and American Eagle – stay very busy at peak times, so arriving early is worth the sacrificed sleep.

Depending on the traffic, the 90-mile drive to Copper from Denver only takes an hour and a half on a good day, so it’s more accessible for city slickers. It counts as my go-to spot to bring friends and family members from out of town.

The free shuttle buses from the parking lots circulate reliably, with an easy system to ferry visitors to their preferred runs, with green, blue, black and purple express routes. And after hours of shredding, I can easily find a snack – and, more importantly, a strong cocktail – at one of several bars and restaurants eager for exhausted snowboarders to stay a while.

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, The Adventurist, to get outdoors news sent straight to your inbox.