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celebratedliving.com
WINTER 2012
SKIING
Powder to the People
SKIING STANDOUTS
HERE ARE SIX STANDOUT PLACES TOADDNEW EXPERIENCES TO
YOUR LIFT-SERVED SKIINGOR RIDING THISWINTER:
JACKSON,WYOMING:
With thehighest vertical in theU.S. and renowned
expert terrain, Jacksonalreadyoffers skiers a lot. But it alsohas the full
arrayof non-lift options, includingdailyheli-skiing in theSnakeRiver Range
withHighMountainHeli-skiing (heliskijackson.com). Full-day cat-skiingon
less aggressive terrain, perfect for first timers, is availableat nearbyGrand
TargheeResort (grandtarghee.com). JacksonHoleMountainResort offers
anextensiveguidedbackcountry skiingprogramusing its summit tramand
wilderness access gates (jacksonhole.com).
DINE:
Local Restaurant
&
Bar is amodern take on the classicWestern
American steakhouse featuring grass-fed steak and house-ground
burgerswith an assortment of beers on tap. localjh.com
TELLURIDE, COLORADO:
Famous for its in-boundsmogul skiing,
Telluride also has guided backcountry programs, and in the past two
years addedmajor hike-to terrain including Black IronBowl and Palmyra
Peak (tellurideskiresort.com). TellurideHelitrax offers daily heli-trips
in the nearby San JuanMountains (helitrax.com).
STAY:
Ski the back country, but stay in town at TheHotel Telluride, a
small (59-room) but sumptuous inn in the center of the charming town
of Telluride.
CANYONS RESORT, PARK CITY, AND SNOWBIRD, UTAH:
In the past
three years Canyons Resort has investedmore than$50million in im-
provements such as heli-skiing. “Our 4,000 acres offer some of the best
variety of in-bounds steeps, glades, and bowls inUtah,” saysmanag-
ing directorMikeGoar. “But in our quest to also provide a truly unique
mountain experience for evenmore extreme skiers and riders, we are
thrilled to offer heli-skiing.”Wasatch PowderbirdGuides, which operates
daily heli-skiing, also flies out of the Snowbird resort near Salt Lake City.
powderbird.com
RUBYMOUNTAINHELI EXPERIENCE, ELKO, NEVADA:
Althoughmost
lodge-based, multiday heli operations are in northernCanada or Alaska,
this one is accessible from Salt Lake City, Reno, and Las Vegas. Its shorter
three-day and one-day programs are the best intro to lodge-based im-
mersion heli-skiing, with cat-skiing as a backup. Many guests combine it
with resort skiing around Salt Lake City. helicopterskiing.com
WHISTLER/BLACKCOMB, B.C.:
NorthAmerica’s largest ski resort also
offers every option for leaving its trails.Whistler Heli-Skiing offers half
and full days, including programs for intermediateswith no powder skiing
experience (whistlerheliskiing.com).Whistler Ski Guides runs backcountry
trips (whistlerskiguides.com), while PowderMountainCatskiing does cat
and heli trips (powdermountaincatskiing.com).
POWDERMOUNTAIN, UTAH:
In sheer size, this sleepy resort outside
Ogden is the largest in the country at 7,000 acres and offers four unique
options. There are single-ride snowcat trips to 700 acres reserved for
cat-skiing. Full-day guided cat-trips to another 3,000 acres are also
available. Powder Country, included in lift tickets, is a 1,200-acre area of
ungroomed powder skiing, but nomatter where you go, you hit a road
with free shuttles back to the lifts— and no special equipment necessary.
Powder also offers guided backcountry tours (powdermountain.com).
For a list of evenmore places to get your powder on, visit celebrated
living.com/webexclusives.
