Best ski resorts . . . for summer season vacations

[marzNC]

Fodor's Travel published a twist on the "best ski resort" list. In early July, they put out a list of ten ski resorts that are favorites during the summer season in the U.S. I found out because my home mountain, Massanutten, is one of the smaller mountains that made the list along with Big Sky, Killington, Stowe, Whiteface, Northstar, etc.

Per usual, it's as interesting to think about places that aren't on the list as the ones that make it. Common activities that are being added besides the traditional hiking, horseback riding, and golf include mountain biking, zip lines, and water parks. Timberline Lodge in OR is the only one listed that can offer summer snow skiing.

 

[sibhusky]

I look at these lists after a while and figure their working theory is find one ski resort in every state and list what you can do there. Don't list any from the last time we gave you this assignment.

Most of the bigger resorts make some effort to scoop up summer revenue. We have tons of hiking, mountain biking, zip lines, nature tours (in the tree tops, no less), aerial adventure parks, music at the summit house, alpine slides. In the area, golf, boating, fishing, white water rafting or floating, Glacier National Park, brewery tours, weekly events in most of the towns, farmers markets, etc. The place is, frankly, a mad house. Tour buses are clogging the streets. Parking and making left hand turns is a chore. Nice to live in the woods outside all that chaos.

 

[marzNC]

I wonder which ski resorts have more room bookings during the summer vacation months than in the winter. I know that's true of Massanutten. I can get a timeshare unit any time during the winter, even on holiday weekends, but would need to do a timeshare trade least 6 months in advance for a summer week. Even full cost rentals are hard to find after May. But northern VA is not exactly considered high on anyone's list as a "fly to" ski destination.

Some people complain about the development of real estate and non-skiing activities in resorts, but if they make enough money during the summer perhaps than can help keep prices lower during ski season.

 

[Ringrat]

I look at these lists after a while and figure their working theory is find one ski resort in every state and list what you can do there. Don't list any from the last time we gave you this assignment.

Most of the bigger resorts make some effort to scoop up summer revenue. We have tons of hiking, mountain biking, zip lines, nature tours (in the tree tops, no less), aerial adventure parks, music at the summit house, alpine slides. In the area, golf, boating, fishing, white water rafting or floating, Glacier National Park, brewery tours, weekly events in most of the towns, farmers markets, etc. The place is, frankly, a mad house. Tour buses are clogging the streets. Parking and making left hand turns is a chore. Nice to live in the woods outside all that chaos.

I made a day trip to Whitefish last summer to try and find hiking pants that fit (I ran out of local stores to try). Unfortunately, I forgot to check the Whitefish event schedule first and made the mistake of being there during huckleberry days, and needing to eat lunch right around the time I was in downtown Whitefish. OH MY GOD.

 

[Christy]

We have tons of hiking, mountain biking, zip lines, nature tours (in the tree tops, no less), aerial adventure parks, music at the summit house, alpine slides. In the area, golf, boating, fishing, white water rafting or floating, Glacier National Park, brewery tours, weekly events in most of the towns, farmers markets, etc. The place is, frankly, a mad house. Tour buses are clogging the streets. Parking and making left hand turns is a chore. Nice to live in the woods outside all that chaos.

I'm surprised to hear that Whitefish went that direction. I would have thought they would cater to the national park/fishing crowd, not the folks that want slides/ziplines/adventure parks. Is it an effort to compete with Colorado and the tourist amenities there? God I hope we don't ever see that kind of development in our mountains. WA gets tons of tourists for our national parks--Olympic is the 5th most visited--and with all the cruise ship crowds, I could see entrepreneurs thinking there's a market for it. Crystal put in their gondola with the idea it would get those summer tourists. I can't really see the Forest Service allowing things like ziplines and slides, though.

 

[sibhusky]

I'm surprised to hear that Whitefish went that direction. I would have thought they would cater to the national park/fishing crowd, not the folks that want slides/ziplines/adventure parks. Is it an effort to compete with Colorado and the tourist amenities there? God I hope we don't ever see that kind of development in our mountains. WA gets tons of tourists for our national parks--Olympic is the 5th most visited--and with all the cruise ship crowds, I could see entrepreneurs thinking there's a market for it. Crystal put in their gondola with the idea it would get those summer tourists. I can't really see the Forest Service allowing things like ziplines and slides, though.

Well, what kind of things can the ski area, as opposed to the town, do? They started with Walk in the Tree Tops, really just a nature walk, but it was underwhelming for most. I'm wondering what kind of activities you were thinking of? Many of the activities require a significant outlay of sweat (mountain biking, zip lines (you have to carry the truck up a lot of inclines), aerial adventure, hiking). They are still really missing the gawk and click crowd. Ideas?

The lift to the summit really isn't enough, even with John Dunnigan.

 

[Christy]

Well, what kind of things can the ski area, as opposed to the town, do? They started with Walk in the Tree Tops, really just a nature walk, but it was underwhelming for most. I'm wondering what kind of activities you were thinking of? Many of the activities require a significant outlay of sweat (mountain biking, zip lines (you have to carry the truck up a lot of inclines), aerial adventure, hiking). They are still really missing the gawk and click crowd. Ideas?

The lift to the summit really isn't enough, even with John Dunnigan.

I wasn't clear that all of that was at the resort, but still, what I would have expected is that the ski area is closed in summer. I don't think I realized the extent that ski resorts in the rest of the West were open in summer and the different kind of amusements they're providing.

 

[sibhusky]

The town has no issue with Glacier nearby, but the resort is trying to skim off part of that cream. It's helped them lower their debt significantly. I understand they've actually become a profit center instead of a charity.

 

[marzNC]

@Christy : take a look at the Sun Valley website to see what they have going on in the summer on the mountain. I noticed there are direct flights from SF, Denver, and SLC. Do you think those exist in the winter too?

Whiteface is a bit different since there are lots of things to do in and around Lake Placid, in addition to what is available on Whiteface Mountain. I think of Whiteface as a big mountain ski area, not a resort. Summer access includes not only the area where the ski trails are cut, but also the other side that has a road leading to the peak for those who aren't up for a mountain hike. The elevator drilled in the rock was built in the 1930s. That allowed Franklin Roosevelt to go up and see the view after he became President. He was Governor of NY when the project was initiated. Families with little kids can enjoy the North Pole theme park that been there since 1949.

 

[Christy]

@Christy : take a look at the Sun Valley website to see what they have going on in the summer on the mountain. I noticed there are direct flights from SF, Denver, and SLC. Do you think those exist in the winter too?

The only thing SV does in summer on either of their ski mountains is biking on Baldy (you can "hike" the trails, but I don't know why anyone would with the quality of hiking on trails in the surrounding area). You're probably looking at the SV website and seeing all the things to do in Sun Valley, which isn't just a ski area--it's an incorporated town down in the Wood River Valley that includes very extensive facilities (ie concert amphitheater, gun club) run by Sun Valley Corp. I'm not sure what the question is about the flights (if you're curious, the direct flights in winter are from Seattle, LA, SLC and SF). People fly into SUN (which is actually Friedman Memorial Airport in Hailey, 17 miles down valley) has to take advantage of the fishing, hiking and rafting on the Salmon River and in the Sawtooths, as well as to visit the resort.

 

[altagirl]

My husband and I do way more resort visits involving travel in summer than winter, and most of those are not on my radar at all.
My top 10 would be:
Whistler
Winter Park
Canyons
Brian Head
Mammoth
Bromont
Mt. Snow
Deer Valley
And on reputation:
Keystone
Snowshoe

 

[Jilly]

Well to start Whistler and Bromont aren't in the US! But they are both mountain biking destinations. You did Mont Ste Anne a few years ago too didn't you?

Tremblant is into golf, water sports, limited mountain biking, mountain luge and now zip lining. Saw their promo on facebook and really want to try it.

 

[altagirl]

Well to start Whistler and Bromont aren't in the US! But they are both mountain biking destinations. You did Mont Ste Anne a few years ago too didn't you?

Tremblant is into golf, water sports, limited mountain biking, mountain luge and now zip lining. Saw their promo on facebook and really want to try it.

The title of the article doesn't specify "in the US" though. I guess that's just implied, but we travel outside the US every year to visit at least one ski resort in the summer... because it's better than what's available here.

 

[marzNC]

Well to start Whistler and Bromont aren't in the US! But they are both mountain biking destinations. You did Mont Ste Anne a few years ago too didn't you?

Tremblant is into golf, water sports, limited mountain biking, mountain luge and now zip lining. Saw their promo on facebook and really want to try it.

Oooh . . . the Skyline Luge looks like fun! Freewheeling instead of being on a track.

Also in New Zealand and Singapore.

 

[Jilly]

The alpine slide at Mont St Saveur looks like fun too! It's a track type.

One thing that Tremblant is doing well is major events. Right now is Bluesfest. They have already had one Ironman with a world class one coming up in August. 24hr cycling event to raise money for children's cancer charity. (They do a skiing one in December.). Some years they get the "skins" game for golf. And they do one mountain biking event in May - which is a Quebec cup and a Canada Cup race. But they do not have any mountain biking on the mountain. Some lawsuit years ago.....

 

[mustski]

Alpine Slides are fun, but you are really dependent on the guys spacing them correctly. One year, a very little, very slow little girl was loaded in front of me. I caught up to her really quickly. No problem, we crawled down the track together with me leaving enough space. Then it's disembarkment. She took a really long time to get out of her sled. The guy behind me never even hit his brakes. My back was messed up for two weeks. I haven't allowed the kids on them ever since.

 

[NZfarmgirl]

Oooh . . . the Skyline Luge looks like fun! Freewheeling instead of being on a track.

Also in New Zealand and Singapore.

Sky Line is a New Zealand company. My kids just did it here in Queenstown NZ yesterday. We are meant to be skiing but the snow is dismal- way to warm here this year. The luge is based in town with a gondola - not on the ski field so goes all year.

 

[mustski]

Sky Line is a New Zealand company. My kids just did it here in Queenstown NZ yesterday. We are meant to be skiing but the snow is dismal- way to warm here this year. The luge is based in town with a gondola - not on the ski field so goes all year.

I'm so sorry. It sounds like your season is starting the same way ours did in California this year. I will snow dance for you!

 

[NZfarmgirl]

I'm so sorry. It sounds like your season is starting the same way ours did in California this year. I will snow dance for you!

It has snowed a little today- we will ski tomorrow but just on piste probably.

 

[abc]

Fodor's Travel published a twist on the "best ski resort" list. In early July, they put out a list of ten ski resorts that are favorites during the summer season in the U.S. .

What a load of trash!

"Best" (or "favorites") for whom?

I found out because my home mountain, Massanutten, is one of the smaller mountains that made the list along with Big Sky, Killington, Stowe, Whiteface, Northstar, etc.

Just to make you feel better about your home mountain making the "big boy's list", Mohonk Mountain made the list too. If you haven't heard of it, it's because it's not a ski resort. It's a hotel that offers only cross country skiing!

Don't get me wrong, I'm a member of the Mohonk Preserve and ski there regularly. But it's mostly known as a hiking and rock climbing mecca, a "ski resort" it is NOT!

Compare to say, Mt Washington Hotel, which has both alpine and cross country skiing, and is the base for hiking the entire Presidential range. Mohonk Mountain is really tiny in its offering compare to that! But Mt Washington didn't make the grade but Mohonk Mountain did. Go figure! (My guess? Because Mohonk Mountain is 2 hrs from New York City!)