46 AMERICANWAY
NOVEMBER 15 2009
he temperature’s plummeting, and in themountains, cold fronts
are dropping the first dustings of snow. Storms are shrouding
the peaks in deeppowder. And you knowwhat thatmeans: It’s
ski season and time to dust off your sticks, retrieve those boards from
the attic, sharpen those edges, andbook your flights and hotel.
Where togo?Goodquestion. Sincemost people get only one or two
weeksofwinter vacation, this isnotadecision tobemade lightly. Sure,
you want natural beauty, along with great skiing and boarding. But
more than that, youwant a resort thatwillmake you forget about the
office, themortgage, and the garage that still needs to be organized.
We asked 10 celebrities who live to ski — some do it as their job;
others, outofpassion—where theygo toescape. Theiranswersabout
their favorite mountain destinations in the world paint a first-class
picture of top-rate skiing, gourmet dining, rocking après-ski, and luxu-
rious hotels. These pros didn’t hold back, and their raves are your call
to action. So, getmoving!
AltaandSnowbird, Utah
“Alta and Snowbird have a very laid-back, old-school vibe. The resorts sit at
the end of Little Cottonwood Canyon, and there are great lodges (like the
Alta Lodge, preferredbyWilliamF. Buckley andNobel laureateMiltonFried-
man) that offermultiday stays that include breakfast and dinner. Snowbird’s
Cliff Lodge & Spa, [built in] 1973, is a steel and concrete modern palace
decorated with the largest private Oriental-rug collection in the world and
should not bemissed.
“The two resorts share a boundary and offer a combined ticket, giving
visitors the opportunity to ski an enormous area, similar towhat they’d find
in Europe. Alta only allows skiers, but Snowbird has terrific boarding ter-
rain. The steeps aremore concentrated at Snowbird, andAlta haswonderful
glades, confidence-boosting hike-to areas, and one of the world’s best ski
schools.
“Whether you’re a beginner or looking to take your skills to the next level,
you can do it there. The best thing about these resorts, though, is no other resorts compare to their
snow, size, and extremely unique character.”
Info:www.alta.com,www.snowbird.com
LakeLouise,
BanffNational
Park, Alberta,
Canada
“I can’t think of any other
resorts in the world with
grander mountains or more
majesticvistas.HereatLake
Louise, youhave the jagged,
sawtooth rockoutcroppings
and long, open slopes. It’s
like skiing in Yosemite [Na-
tional Park] but better.
“The skiing is phenome-
nal. You don’t get crowds or long lines, and the terrain
is so varied, you can ski backcountry-type conditions
without ever leaving the resort. If you want to ski
backcountry, you can do that too. Every year, the re-
sorthostsextreme-skiingchampionships, butyoudon’t
need to be an expert to appreciate the skiing. There’s
something for everyone.
“The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise is world fa-
mous. Its architectural beauty, restaurants, and com-
fortmake it a great place to go and an ideal place for
kids. The town of Banff looks like a European village.
In terms of physical beautyand resort comfort, I don’t
think Lake Louise has a rival.”
Info:
.com,www.banfflakelouise.com
Expert:
JeremyNobis
Claim to fame:
A
former U.S. Ski Team
memberwho com-
peted in the 1994
OlympicGames in
Lillehammer, Norway,
Nobis is now a heli-ski
guide, lodge owner,
and ski-film starwho’s
made appearances in
more than20 ski films
byTetonGravityRe-
search,WarrenMiller,
and others.
Expert:
Robert F.
Kennedy Jr.
Claim to fame:
Kenne-
dy is an environmental
activist andattorney,
abest-sellingauthor,
and the founder of
theFairmont Chateau
LakeLouiseCelebrity
Sports Invitational,
which raisesmoney
for the environmental
protectiongroupWa-
terkeeperAlliance.
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