Replying to Gap year after high school

Alright I'm a highschool student right now going into my senior year and I'm unsure what to do after I graduate. I worked my ass off in school and have good grades so I would definitely get into some good colleges but in a way I just want a break from the school thing. Instead of going to college after highschool I'm thinking of taking a gap year and exploring/bumming for about a year. I would hopefully get into a college I like (maybe CU Boulder) and then defer for a year. Since skiing is obviously important for me one idea that I had was spending the winter somewhere out west by a mountain. What would be a good decently cheap place that I could do this for a couple months at?

A second idea that I had for a gap year is New Zealand where I would try and find some work. I have some family friends that I might also be able to live at for a while but idk if they're close to any skiing places. How realistic would skiing be in NZ during November-June?

I really want to do something like this but I just don't wanna get in over my head and be screwed for a year. One big concern I have is housing so I'm wondering what people who have done similar trips did for lodging. Also I'm pretty extroverted so getting to know people would be pretty important for me. I really don't have this thing planned out very much so any suggestions or advice would help.