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Phoenix Mountain in Grand Forks BC. They have a free community night once a month where everyone wears headlamps, a T-bar and great snow.
Powderkeg in Blairmore Ab. Big Vibes.
Smokey Mountain in Labrador City, NL where I work. We have a giant charcoal bbq pit in the lodge, a few cliffy 'big mountain' sections and if someone wants to build something or have an event within reason we do it. All natural snow. Never has been any snow making infrastructure.
Brookvale Ski Park on PEI- Has been called the smallest hill with the biggest vibe. Has a very cool and growing park scene in one of the more unlikely places. Some years there's almost no natural snow, then the odd year there's so much it's a problem.
**This post was edited on Feb 4th 2022 at 9:00:05am
i think every eastern landfill hill (and there are lots) should have a rope tow park like that. no one would ever have to hike a feature. so nice to get worked
Sick little mountain with great snow. None of that vail resorts faff.
The first time I skied there was like 1997 on a trip to see family living in ID and they took us to go skiing there. It was way smaller since they hadn't opened up more than half the mountain that they have today. but I think kids were like 5$ so my dad was all for it.
Monarch Mountain, Southern Colorado. Don't have to make snow and we get a boatload of powww. Crazy hikeable terrain and if you're willing to dish out cash with 8 buddies you can catski on some incredible bowls.
ViolentSkiBladeMonarch Mountain, Southern Colorado. Don't have to make snow and we get a boatload of powww. Crazy hikeable terrain and if you're willing to dish out cash with 8 buddies you can catski on some incredible bowls.
I think the word crazy is a bit of an overstatement on that one.
caveman31I think the word crazy is a bit of an overstatement on that one.
Just need to know the right spots, like I think east trees cliffs are pretty sweet. Mirkwood bowl definitely gets boring tho. But yeah definitely does not compare to anything like Taos Ski Valley. Still decent for a small mountain tho
**This post was edited on Feb 4th 2022 at 10:31:14am
ScootSkiLyfeChester Bowl in Duluth!! 90 feet of vertical with a fun little park. Great community , cheap tickets, fun events. Free ski lessons as well!
Sick little mountain with great snow. None of that vail resorts faff.
The first time I skied there was like 1997 on a trip to see family living in ID and they took us to go skiing there. It was way smaller since they hadn't opened up more than half the mountain that they have today. but I think kids were like 5$ so my dad was all for it.
Lost Trail is sweet. Hit it up years back and it has everything you need. The burn on the Montana side is great for high speed turns, a park on the Idaho side and a bit of technical steep mini golf lines in between.
Too bad it's basically in the middle of nowhere.
**This post was edited on Feb 4th 2022 at 10:38:51am
**This post was edited on Feb 4th 2022 at 10:39:16am
ViolentSkiBladeJust need to know the right spots, like I think east trees cliffs are pretty sweet. Mirkwood bowl definitely gets boring tho. But yeah definitely does not compare to anything like Taos Ski Valley. Still decent for a small mountain tho
**This post was edited on Feb 4th 2022 at 10:31:14am
You can stay at Elkhorn hot springs, just down the road. The mountain is sweet, there's some fun runs, and their terrain parks are some of the jankiest, most awesome features I've ever hit. They have huge wooden artificial cliffs that are both hilarious and a ton of fun.
Oh man, I love this thread... and tiny ski resorts!
3 Recent favorites recently have been
- The Little Ski Hill in McCall Idaho.
Sure, Brundage is super rad and all, but this place is what a community ski hill is all about. 400' of vert serviced by a single poma tow, they normall operate from like noon-8pm, mostly for kids after school to have a east ski hill to come shred. They even have a free bus to bring kids there after school. The vibe here was fantastic, all the workers were super friendly and outgoing. Tickets were $35 or $45 bucks. Bonus points, you can skin it with your dogs when lifts aren't running.
- Pine Creek Ski Resort in Cokeville Wyoming
I recently had the change to go here with one of the coolest opportunities in skiing. If you dive deep into your social circles and get enough friends together, you can rent out the whole resort for a private day. $3k and you get full access to the lodge, 2 ski patrol and their one lift servicing 1200' feet of actually awesome terrain. If you get 50 people together, that's $60/person. It's incredible! Not only that, but the terrain there really blew us away. For not having snowed in a month really, we were still getting fresh turns every run, at a ski resort. They open to the public on Friday, Saturday and Sunday as well, lift tickets are $55. Super hyped on this little gem, perfectly halfway between SLC and Jackson.
- Nordic Valley, Eden UT
Sure, Powder Mountain is awesome, but what do you do when they are sold out of tickets for the day on a pow day?? I went there last year when they were getting hammered with 2 feet of snow. My girlfriend and I ski toured smaller side of the resort (800' vert lift side) with our dog and did a few laps. It was awesome, all the lifties were stoked seeing us hiking up with the dog (attached to your hips with a leash for safety). During the day we found out about the new lift adding another 1000' , and they were planning on opening it up the next day. So in the morning we skinned to the top of that chair as well and had a blast skiing down with the pup right before they opened it. With good snow and that new lift, this place would be amazing on a storm day! Great low key vibes.
* photos aren’t showing up. I spent way too much time on this. I hate the mobile app. At this point, use Google. I’m defeated
Hesperus, CO outside Durango. Tiny little place with night skiing and a janky two seater chair but super fun. Tickets are a little more expensive now ($46) but still pretty cheap.
Not small for Finland but small for USA: Tahko, Finland. It’s basically a ridge with runs on both sides but prices are cheap. Tickets are like 43€.
Charlotte Pass, NSW, Australia. This is a funky little resort that is overshadowed (and nestled between) Perisher and Thredbo. I worked a season here. It’s kind of the ancestral home of Aussie skiing given the history of the Kosciuszko chalet and the fact that it backs up to the Australian Main Range. The lifts are old and janky, you pretty much have to stay in a lodge, you have to take an oversnow into the village, and everybody is just there to have a good time. Felt like I was skiing in the 80’s or something. Kinda like California in that it’s feast or famine. The weather is sorta similar too, maybe a tad hotter.
Himos, Finland is cool too and affordable
**This post was edited on Feb 4th 2022 at 11:13:56am
BradFiAusNzCoCa* photos aren’t showing up. I spent way too much time on this. I hate the mobile app. At this point, use Google. I’m defeated
Hesperus, CO outside Durango. Tiny little place with night skiing and a janky two seater chair but super fun. Tickets are a little more expensive now ($46) but still pretty cheap.
Not small for Finland but small for USA: Tahko, Finland. It’s basically a ridge with runs on both sides but prices are cheap. Tickets are like 43€.
Charlotte Pass, NSW, Australia. This is a funky little resort that is overshadowed (and nestled between) Perisher and Thredbo. I worked a season here. It’s kind of the ancestral home of Aussie skiing given the history of the Kosciuszko chalet and the fact that it backs up to the Australian Main Range. The lifts are old and janky, you pretty much have to stay in a lodge, you have to take an oversnow into the village, and everybody is just there to have a good time. Felt like I was skiing in the 80’s or something. Kinda like California in that it’s feast or famine. The weather is sorta similar too, maybe a tad hotter.
Himos, Finland is cool too and affordable
**This post was edited on Feb 4th 2022 at 11:13:56am
Hespurus ski area outside of Durango throws down. You can legitimately ski at night with a headlamp down blacks with lift service. It's a beautiful shit show. First time I went I landed in a tree. Highly recommend.
ajbski@hi_vis360 recomends val d'irene. havent been there myself but i could see how the snow could be real nice up there. they advertise 100% natural snow
best pow skiing on the east coast. The backside is all glades, there is no lift so a school bus takes you back to the front side lol. My older bro @TBONE902 was just up there last weekend can we get a conditions report??
Mt Spokane is a legit little resort up in Eastern WA with good tree skiing, an area you can build booters with snowmobile access and a surprisingly dope park:
BradFiAusNzCoCaBoth very good. Meant to mention Powderhorn. Sunlight is funky with all those old janky chairs
Powderhorn holds that special place in my heart. Skied there every winter weekend for like 8 years. West end chair is magical, too bad about the (planned?) upgrade.
I thought sunlight lifts were janky, doesn't even come close to the jank at Mt Hood skibowl.
Which deserves mention too tbh. They have the gnarliest in bounds terrain on mt hood, good skiing too, as long as the snow level is low enough.
Oh yeah I think I heard that. It’s that Chilean investment group or whatever. I’ve got free days at both with my current pass so trying to make it out there.
I’ve skied Ski Bowl too and you’re right!
apc.frPowderhorn holds that special place in my heart. Skied there every winter weekend for like 8 years. West end chair is magical, too bad about the (planned?) upgrade.
I thought sunlight lifts were janky, doesn't even come close to the jank at Mt Hood skibowl.
Which deserves mention too tbh. They have the gnarliest in bounds terrain on mt hood, good skiing too, as long as the snow level is low enough.
SuspiciousFishMt Spokane is a legit little resort up in Eastern WA with good tree skiing, an area you can build booters with snowmobile access and a surprisingly dope park:
Bolton Valley & Cochran’s are both in Richmond VT. Not much of a park scene at Cochran’s but it’s a fun old school little hill. Bolton gets a lot of snow, fewer crowds, and there are some awesome woods. The park can be fun too, mostly rails until later in the season.
Antelope Butte in WY. Open part time and ran by a non profit. Place has 2 lifts I think. Super good terrain up top and minimal to no snow making or grooming, if you like skiing bumps and jumping cliffs this place is sweet.
Also Mt. Baldy, volunteer patrolled here a year and some legit bowls with awesome tree skiing and gnarly steeps. Great skiing in Socal when they get snow
Have to give a shout out to my home mountain of China Peak outside of Fresno, CA. No crazy terrain, but solid lift system, average annual snowfall of 300”+, and an absolute hidden gem on a Sierra powder day. No paid parking, the highway almost never closes, and you can almost count on finding fresh turns a day or two after the storm. Bonus points for fantastic tree skiing and $5 beers.
Sir sams ski in buttfuck nowhere ontario is a pretty ass hill but I love the staff there.. last season they had a few ungroomed runs on opening weekend that were just ~7 inches of pow. Though it's not much, my friends and I build a kicker in the middle of the run and the staff was super cool with it. Stoked about that since most other resorts out here would have staff break the jump and take our passes
