Jared Vincent Photos
According to Skimag.com…take it for what it’s worth, but I think these rankings are fair enough. I guess it is based on readers picking them, which is probably pretty accurate because Deer Valley didn’t make the cut. I personally think places like Telluride and Taos should be higher because of the rocks. So are there any notable resorts left out? Its for terrain challenge in the west so the Mad River Glen kooks need not chime in (just kidding I love you guys). I was sort of surprised Alyeska did not make the cut, maybe not enough readers have skied there? For inbounds terrain I can vouch for Aly, that place is burly and they throw the most bombs of anywhere which is saying something. Anyway, cool poll Ski mag, whose mountain made it?
RESULTS:
JACKSON HOLE
SNOWBIRD
SQUAW
BIG SKY
WHISTLER
ALTA
CRESTED BUTTE
TELLURIDE
a little place called ASPEN
TAOS
Some more shots in challenging terrain at Telluride Resort and nearby last winter:
Couloirs Galore
Popping Pills
Long Lines (not for the lifts though)
Rocks…They don’t call em’ the Rockies for Nothin’
Air- Nice hit Jared!
Tight Asspens
Distracting Scenery
mt baker should be on there. shhhhh don’t tell anybody
Great photos Jared!
Oh, and Taos should be about number 2, methinks.
mt baker isnt that challenging if u mean the resort.
I would move CB and Taos up and Alta down a little.
Yeah CB is stout. Definitely skewed poll (who reads that mag anyway?) Jackson owns top spot though.
Taos is top 5!!
id also move up CB and Taos, and where bridger bowl? that place is mad
Kirkwood Mountain Resort should be on there, they have really extreme terrain.
I think Kirkwood would be on there…if The Cirque was open.
I second that. OPEN THE CIRQUE
I third that!
move telluride up and snowbird down
What about revelstoke?
Thanks for keeping the stash-spots off of this list..
+k!
Tahoe Donner !!!
if you include donner ski ranch
Inbounds is not that challangeing but sunrise bowl side country is of the sicter scale.
a
Shralpine meadows should be some where nestled in that list, especially if your looking at side country access.. Unlike Squaw and their lame closed boundary, at alpine, your free to ski any gnarly terrain that you can find in bounds and out…
I am surprised neither Bridger Bowl nor Moonlight Basin were on the list both are more challenging than Big Sky
Agreed! Where’s Bridger?!!
kicking horse, red……hmmmmmm
Ski TAOS!!!
Why am I not on this list? Is Silverton not considered a resort? This one is not really up for debate like some of these.
No silly, Silverton is NOT a resort. It’s only a kick ass ski area.
-Tarn’s dad.
Surprised Silverton’s not on the list.
Silverton should most deffinettly be on that list! That makes me bummed!
I think Silverton has some of the best terrain but not all of it is Inbounds. Way better than Aspen though move them down!
Actually, Squaw Valley “USA” throws the most bombs. It’s a fact. Just trying to keep it real.
Not just talking hand charges, think lbs
um no… kirkwoods whole mnt is prime avy zone …they bomb more than any mnt in north amerca ..that is a fact..!!!!
Whistler bombs by helicopter and has more avy acreage than all those combined. If you haven’t seen this shit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O65CFK0zoFk …
KICKING HORSE is gnarley as fuck and has very little beginner or intermediate terrain
seems they didn’t consider Canada much at all.
Silverton is bad, should be top 3 no doubt. Others not included Moonlight, Bridger, Red, Sunshine (some sick inbounds delerium and wild west), Lake lousie is sneaky steep, kicking horse. How about and I know this is out there but Mt. waterman has some great expert terrian but little snow and the road closure thing. Brighton and solitude are also tough if you look for it. Abasin, aleyska?
My top 5
Silverton
Snowbird
Jackson (skied 5 days there just dont “get” it)
Whistler
Telluride
noteworthy (taos,Squaw, cb,alta, alyeska
Whistler is number one for sure, Jackson right on its heels but the truth is that Crested Butte is way more challenging than the bird, Alta or Squaw. I guess it didn’t do as well on the polls because their are only a hand full of skiers who can even fathom the lines when they see them. At the butte its steep steeps, cliffs, tight tech lines, 52% is double black! But it doesn’t matter really every resort has tons to offer, but most resorts don’t even open the terrain that hides beyond the ability of a large majority of skiers. The butte does! Check it out for yourself! Go and find the dead end chutes, third bowl and compare that to whatever.. it holds its own! In fact ill even throw down this.. if tram face were at the butte it would be open!
If the Tram Face was in CB it wouldn’t hold any snow. That 10” of champagne powder would never stick. Besides, it gets enough tracks even though it is closed. Poaching makes it even more fun.
preach man! Ive shralped the bird for 3 years now and every time i go visit my brother in crested butte, it just makes snowbird look like its for beginners who want to believe they’ve skied the gnarliest of the gnar. CB’s lines are unreal scary and require finesse, precision and strength
silverton belongs on the list but its hard to compare it as a “resort” so i get that its not there. +1 for bridger bowl- too small and quiet to get the votes, but what other resort makes you prove youre wearing a beacon just to get on a lift??
no complaints about jackson as #1, and clearly not many from anyone else either
SV
National chute
nuff said
No Crystal?!? Soo much untouched all the time and the King is just as steep as most of those others especialy Big Sky. Not that I’m complaining, fine with me if everyone passes by to go to Baker and Whistler!
Heavenly all the way! Ever get over to Mott? dang…
Firebreak is the goods
u gapers yea keep going to heavnly
Jackson Hole, we’ve got Corbit’s Cooler, it’s the LOLZ.
This is a provincial list, with no more meaning than a list of most challenging terrain in New Jersey. As long as Chamonix, La Grave, Val d’Isere-Tignes, etc. are open…nothin’ in the USA is remotely challenging, by comparison.
It will never snow in the Alps again so its a moot point
last time i could remeber the mecca is alaska son …oh yea wheres is that located ….u.s soil son…!!!
Taos should be right there with Squaw
Here’s the places I’ve skied that are the most challenging:
Telluride
Jackson
Squaw
Whistler
Snowbird (but only one, icy day, so can’t really comment)
For the most just “scare the crap out of you” runs, Squaw has to win this battle.
Simply put, picking your way down the fingers or Palisades is gnarly like no other.
Jackson Hole has Corbetts and S&S…and I’ve hucked that rock at Jackson in the first picture back when I was 18! Definitely good stuff, but they close a lot off and it’s not as crazy as Squaw.
Telluride has some good steep terrain but nothing like Squaw or Jackson Hole.
The problem with Whistler is the weather means half the time you can’t see your hand in front of your face. But I’ve done the “hardest” runs according to locals there, and came away saying “ehhh”
So Squaw and Jackson, it’s close…edge to Squaw, though.
Jackson inbounds is a joke, everything is roped off, but the gate accessed terrain is large. I ski at squaw and still give it to Jackson. WTF with snowbird being second? I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, “what is steep there?” Nada. Sorry to those who call it home, I’m not trying to piss on your resort or anything, but come on.
ive ski patroled at squaw and kirkwood…that being said kirkwood throws more bombs than squaw ….they get twice as much snow…and there whole mnt is starting zone ….the cirque at kirkwood dominates anything any other resort has to offer. period u gapers…
Yo…ski piggy! The cirque is never open brah, therefore not that rad. 1/2 flat in fact
its does open …too only the sickest riders ..actually anyone who wants to pay the 350 bucks .and can make it past qualifying..wich wouldnt be you…so good thing its closed to gapers like you ….there fore you should thank them for saving you ur sorry behind from getting cheese grated …ask glenn plake how he turned out …. we protect gapers like u from dieing .
Volly doesn’t count
Ive yet to ski there unfortunately but Crested Butte is the only resort Ive ever seen whose trailmap even makes the mountain look gnarly
outside the Alps that is…
Heading to Silverton this weekend so I’ll test out how challenging it is. I hope the only reason they didn’t make the cut is because they’re not ‘resorty’ enough. S-town is the raddest
How did aspen make this list???? Should be replaced with silvy. Squaw is also questionable, waayyy too minigolfy to be on the most challenging list! Anyways wheres La grave, Cham and Verbier? Guess the real resorts wtih terrian that would be permantly closed in the US is off the radar for any douches who actually read skimag.com
Never mind Alpental. Nor Red Mountain.
I’m surprised big sky beat whistler and taos is so low on the list to but overall I would say that this list is pretty much accurate.