Ski! The 2,500 acres of pristine slopes of Copper Mountain steepen naturally from west to east, with the elevation topping out at 3,800 metres (with a 835-metre vertical drop). Despite the calibre of skiing that goes on there, you still find green runs at the top of the mountain, allowing for groups of varying skill to actually spend the day together; the experienced don’t have to say goodbye to the beginners at the bottom of the hill. Expect breath-taking views and perfectly groomed runs.

Play! With one million guests a year, this resort plays host to all crowds, international and local—family, college and otherwise. A quaint and very manageable centre village is full of après ski fun in the form of skating, zip-lining, big drinks and tiny doughnuts. And after the ski hill does you in, an hour (or two) on the four-lane tubing hill will bring out your inner child, and make beer time all the more rewarding.

MORE HILLS: STEAMBOAT SPRINGS

Jump! The indoor Woodward at Copper Barn facility, an indoor year-round training ground with Olympic-grade trampolines, you can play away with foam pits, a skate bowl, ramps, jumps, the works. It’s worth a visit if only to watch the cool kids do their thing on mountain bikes and skateboards, or see aerialists practice their jumps. An intro session will see you on the trampoline for a couple of hours with a coach.

Hydrate! There’s only one hiccup to being up in the clouds so high: It’s all fun and games until somebody gets altitude sickness. Common after 8,000 feet above sea level, this ailment leaves you feeling like you have the flu or a hangover or both. Two litres of water before noon is almost mandatory, and throw in the odd Gatorade to feel sporty. Speaking of drinks, you will also notice that one vodka can actually feel more like two vodkas. Bonus! You’re a cheaper date than you thought!

Rest! Copper Mountain has a sort of communal reception for accommodation, where they then mete you out to the various lodges surrounding the centre village, each with underground parking. Chalet-type furnishings (log lamps, Murphy beds) are comfortable and cool. Each lodge is equipped with a large outdoor hot tub, but sadly no time machine.

Drink! You can’t throw a stone and not hit a drink of something in this place. The college kids favour Mulligans Irish Pub because it stays open the latest, while the older set goes east to JJ’s Rocky Mountain Tavern, which will most likely have live music.

COPPERCOLORADO.COM
VISITCOPPERMOUNTAIN.COM

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Park City Mountain was purchased by Vail Resorts in 2014 and combined with nearby Canyons Resort, making it the largest lift-accessible ski resort in the United States.

In the late 1860s, silver veins attracted adventurers here from around the world, with silver mining the base of wealth for numerous suddenly rich millionaires, including the father of newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst. The region has been a snow destination since the 1930s when the shiny stuff ran dry.

Eat breakfast. Go directly to hotcakes at Five5seeds. Do not pass Go.

Ski your heart out. At 3,000 hectares, Park City Mountain bills itself as the Greatest Snow on Earth, with 350 trails, 41 lifts, eight terrain parks, 13 bowls and one super pipe.

Get a facelift. Via G-force! Take a Winter Comet Bobsled ride down the actual bobsled, luge and skeleton track of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. After donning helmets, we break into groups of three and hop in the back of a truck with our sled for the ride up to the starting line. Thankfully, an experienced pilot takes the helm, and we don’t have to run and jump in on-the-fly like real racers, but we do have to hold on. This is why they make you sign a waiver, I think. The 45 seconds feel like an eternity. Sixty-four miles per hour—information that is on my Instagram feed in minutes.

Check out the museums. Also at Utah Olympic Park, spend quality time in the Games museum and in the Alf Engen Ski Museum. I get lost in case after case of black-and-white photos and mid-century memorabilia, and try to imagine what it would be like to do aerials on wooden skis in a V-neck sweater and tie like Stein Eriksen, the father of freestyle skiing.

Ski with a champ. The Deer Valley Resort’s Ski With a Champion program lets you ski with an actual Olympian for an afternoon. This is not cheap, but incredibly memorable.

Eat meat. At The Farm restaurant in Canyons Village, the server makes the mistake of putting a platter of local charcuterie right in front of me – heavenly prosciutto, salami, house mustard. Then, I almost wet myself when I discover that my smoked bone marrow entrée comes with oxtail marmalade. We also try the T-bone, which comes with black trumpet mushrooms, roasted radishes and radish chimichurri. At Firewood on Main Street, chef John Murcko and his team cook the entire menu on a custom-cast, 14-foot-long wood-fire grill. It’s the kind of kitchen where beef is one of the accompaniments to the steak: American Kobe Bavette comes with beef belly and a garlic sauce.

Pound ’em back. At the Spur Bar and Grill, I make friends with the bear tending bar, only to have him line up shots of something that smells mostly like bourbon, inset into little holes on a wooden ski—a “shotski.”

When You Go. Delta and WestJet fly non-stop from Toronto to Salt Lake City in about four and a half hours. Ski season is from late November to early April. Consider a Vail Epic pass. The breadth and variety of accommodation is considerable, so shop around.

PARKCITYMOUNTAIN.COM
EPICPASS.COM
VISITPARKCITY.COM

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At 7,000 feet above sea level, this region of 12,000 is so named because the bubbling of natural hot springs resembled the sound of a steamboat coming down the river, back when French trappers first arrived in the early 1800s.

The gold rush of the 1860s opened up this part of the country, paving the way for ranchers and settlers. And ever since Norwegian Carl Howelsen came to town circa 1910 and awoke an interest in ski jumping and recreational skiing, Steamboat Springs has been a thriving community that eats, sleeps and breathes skiing. More than 70 people from the region have competed in the Olympics in the past century.

Enjoy quality slope time. With 65 runs, 23 lifts, tons of snow and plenty of fresh air, the Steamboat Ski Resort will take your breath away—particularly at the top of the mountain, which tops 10,000 feet above sea level. Find perfectly groomed hills for every level of skiing ability. The après ski crowd is always fun—and thirsty. For a real workout, hit the cross-country ski trails.

Take the waters. After a winding 15-minute shuttle into the woods, you arrive at Strawberry Park Hot Springs to melt your cares away in the rustic pools. Beware: One of them is really cold! Unfussy and unhurried, this romantic spot sees bathers changing in a teepee (don’t be shy). And because there is no electricity, clothing is optional after dark. Closer to home base, the Old Town Hot Springs is mid way between Steamboat the town and Steamboat the mountain, with a lap pool, hot spring-fed small pools, a gym and a water slide.

Hop on a horse. Ranching (and skiing) has been in the Heid family for generations. Triangle 3 Ranch, just 15 minutes or so outside of town, is where you can trail ride through snowy canyon trails on horseback—likely with a couple of dogs in tow.

Hit the shops. The wall of cowboy boots at F.M. Light & Sons on Lincoln Avenue will be more than your eyes can take in. Just try not to paw over all this fine-crafted footwear, hats and belts. The shop opened for business in 1905 and is still in the same family. Across the street, poke your head into Cowboys and Indians and get lost among the locally made jewellery, antiques and crafts.

Cuddle up in the corner. Head to the Ore House at the Pine Grove, built in a 110-year-old barn, for the best steaks in town. Daily prime rib and Angus steaks headline the hearty menu. • The deeply intimate Café Diva is the top restaurant of the region, nestled in the ski village at the base of the mountain. Duck confit pockets come bloated with gouda and maple-bourbon sauce, while a cabernet veal demi-glace dresses up a lean elk tenderloin. • Clever cocktails and shared plates are the orders of the day at Laundry Kitchen & Cocktails, where bartenders resurrect cocktail recipes from the ’40s and ’50s, much to the delight of the après-ski crowd. And if suds are more to your liking, the award-winning craft beers in Colorado are some of the best in the U.S.

Steamboat Springs

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Red Mountain Resort, Rossland, B.C.

Overview: Charming heritage town, really nice people, no lines, terrific skiing.

Selling point: The consistent and brilliant snow, top-rated because of the resort’s location along the famous Powder Highway.

Meeting space: A new conference centre (120 people, theatre-style) is great for cozy and compact multi-day group retreats. A variety of on- and off-mountain lodges and chalets to choose from.

Skiing: 4,200 acres of fun. The resort recently added 1,000 acres of intermediate-level runs on Grey Mountain, an entirely new peak.

Getting there: A scenic 2.5-hour drive north of Spokane Airport. As well, Air Canada Jazz flies into Castlegar Municipal Airport from both Calgary and Vancouver.

Closing remarks: As their website says, “The only fluff we offer is our snow.”

Website: RedResort.com

Le Massif de Charlevoix, Quebec

Overview: The perfect mix of meeting, mountain and après-ski, not to mention the heavenly (and homemade) Quebec cuisine.

Selling point: The gorgeous Le Germain, which is just a few minutes’ drive from the ski hill, built on the site of what was once a nunnery and farm.

Meeting space: A flexible business area in the main hotel building can handle from 50 to 110 people, depending on the configuration.

Skiing: The lodge is at the top of the hill, with breathtaking views of the St. Lawrence River below. There’s a 7.5 km sled track as well, the third longest in the world. (And not just for the kids.)

Getting there: Take the private train from Quebec City, which stops right at the lobby of the hotel.

Closing remarks: Pure Canadiana at its finest.

Website: LeMassif.com

Lake Louise, Alberta

Overview: Mountains, glaciers, lakes, forests, big steaks and the beautiful Fairmont Lake Louise in Banff National Park.

Selling point: Voted one of Canada’s best ski resorts, and one of the world’s top ski regions that doesn’t require a car.

Meeting space: The Fairmont Lake Louise has 36,000 square feet of conference room—along with the Banff National Park for themed group exploring.

Skiing: One of the largest resorts in North America, with 4,200 acres of terrain across four mountain faces.

Getting there: Frequent two-hour transfers from Calgary International Airport are available and an efficient shuttle system takes over after that.

Closing remarks: This is old-school skiing at its finest.

Website: SkiLouise.com, Skibig3.com

Aspen Snowmass, Colorado

Overview: World-class service and reputation, glamorous, huge off-slope activity list, great powder.

Selling point: The variety of four mountains—Snowmass, Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk—plus the giant-size scope of everything that goes with it, from dining to racing.

Meeting space: Choose from a variety of rooms, restaurants, decks and log cabins, such as Snowmass’s new Elk Camp, accessible via a nine-minute gondola ride and holding up to 300 people.

Skiing: 11,111 feet, 42 lifts, 5,300 acres, one lift ticket.

Getting there: Aspen/Pitkin County Airport is six miles away, with direct flights to Denver, Chicago, Minneapolis and more.

Closing remarks: With snowcat rides, treasure hunts, picnics and moonlit dinners, your team will love it here.

Website: AspenSnowmass.com

Sugarloaf, Carrabassett Valley, Maine

Overview: Reliable snowfall, loads of space, a real variety of skill levels and terrain, plus a ton of things to keep you otherwise occupied.

Selling point: Never really gets crowded, with 154 trails that draw only about 350,000 skiers a year.

Meeting space: A very popular Maine conference centre. Nine salons can handle from 50 to 1,000 people.

Skiing: This is the largest ski resort in New England with the east’s only above-the-tree line skiing. Even mix of easy, intermediate and black diamond runs.

Getting there: A four-hour drive from both Montreal and Quebec City, and a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Portland International Jetport.

Closing remarks: With just one base area, expect a real “village” feel.

Website: Sugarloaf.com

Arosa, Switzerland

Overview: A charming Alpine town in the mountains of Graubünden, cheese fondue like none other and more than 60 kilometres of runs.

Selling point: The Tschuggen Grand Hotel, where a private funicular whisks guests directly to the ski area, bypassing the masses starting at the bottom.

Meeting space: While the hotel has rooms for up 24 people boardroom-style, the nearby Arosa Sports and Congress Center has conference capacity for up to 400.

Skiing: A full-on skiing experience with sublime runs in a variety of levels. This is the Alps, after all.

Getting there: Take a scenic two-hour train ride from Zurich via Chur. Limousine and helicopter transfers available (naturally).

Closing remarks: An Alpine fairytale at 1,800 metres above sea level. And where else can you snowshoe to supper in the moonlight?

Website: Arosa Tourism

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