^Looking at PCMR from Iron Mountain. Credit: Matt Lorelli/Unofficial Networks
U.S. News & World Report has published an extremely frustrating top US ski resorts list that I simply couldn’t ignore.
For starters, the publication doesn’t state how they’ve created their list. Most websites will use fan voting or another metric to curate their selections.
Therefore, it’s safe to assume that they’ve solicited advertisements from these ski resorts to be included. That’s an old internet trick that doesn’t seem to be going out of style anytime soon.
With that being said, there are some ski resorts that belong on the list, but there are others that certainly do not.
Take a look at their “picks” below:
Northeast
- Killington Ski Resort
- Bretton Woods
- Sugarloaf
- Seven Springs Mountain Resort
- Whiteface Mountain Resort
South
- Wintergreen Resort
- Timberline Mountain
- Massanutten Resort
- Beech Mountain Resort
Midwest
- Granite Peak
- Boyne Mountain Resort
- Crystal Mountain
West
- Breckenridge Ski Resort
- Jackson Hole Mountain Resort
- Aspen Snowmass
- Park City Mountain Resort
- Big Sky Resort
- Sun Valley Resort
- The Summit at Snoqualmie
- Crystal Mountain Resort
- Mount Bachelor
- Vail Mountain Resort
Where to even begin…
I was beyond triggered when I saw their “picks” for the Northeast resorts. Killington and Sugarloaf make sense, but leaving out Smugglers’ Notch, Mad River Glen, and Jay Peak is a joke.
No offense to Seven Springs, but they do not belong. I’m guessing that newly-acquired Vail Resorts money is what landed them on the list.
^Doc Dempsey’s, Smugglers’ Notch. Credit: Matt Lorelli/Unofficial Networks
As for the South, I don’t really have any major complaints other than that Snowshoe, WV wasn’t included. That seems like a no-brainer for anybody who knows anything about skiing. It’s the biggest, the most challenging, and snowiest ski resort in the entire region.
Granite Peak certainly belong for the Midwest, but uhhh… have you ever heard of Mount Bohemia, MI?! Granted, the U.S. News list is most likely created by ad money and tailored to families, but Mount Bohemia is simply the best advanced to expert ski experience within a 1000 miles.
^Credit: Matt Lorelli/Unofficial Networks
As for the West… oh boy. Anybody notice a trend in almost half of the resorts included? Keystone, Breckenridge, PCMR, Vail…?
Hmm…The corp strikes again.
Consider this my unofficial petition to replace those with Alta, Arapahoe Basin, Palisades Tahoe, and Mt. Baker.
It’s always fun to debate the best resorts in the country because nobody can truly win the argument. With that being said, I think we can all agree that U.S. News’ Top 22 list is hot garbage, right?
Right?!
Featured Image Credit: Seven Springs