Ski Northwest

SilverStar Mountain Resort, BC

Blake Jorgenson/SilverStar Mountain Resort

PNW Powdahhh

Get ready for a season of EPIC with our guide to top ski resorts around the Pacific Northwest

Written by Kevin Max

The Pacific Northwest has the best combination of deep snow and variety of ski cultures—ranging from Whistler and Sun Valley to Mt. Ashland and 49° North. Use our guide as an update to what’s new at ski areas throughout the Pacific Northwest and to plan your next ski vacation. We’ve culled our favorites by state and by stats crucial for decision-making, such as vertical feet, average snowfall and base elevation. Book your trip and enjoy!

Head to Fernie, in the Canadian Rockies, where snowfall can reach 30 feet each winter.

Henry Georgi/Fernie

Washington

MT. BAKER SKI AREA: Under the sombra of Mount Baker and Mount Shuksan and 54 miles east of Bellingham, Mt. Baker Ski Area is one of the Pacific Northwest’s largest and northernmost resorts, giving it a long season. Baker’s relatively low base, at 3,550 feet, is not an issue when this North Cascades resort gets the greatest snowfall among its Washington peers—663 inches. Noted: The winner of the Mount Baker Film Festival each November gets a free season pass!

STEVENS PASS: In summer 2018, Vail Resorts closed on its $64 million acquisition of Stevens Pass and began talk that it would add two new lifts to Stevens Pass. Lodged in the North Cascades between Seattle and Leavenworth, Stevens Pass becomes the only Washington ski resort that is part of the Epic pass family, which allows its passholders reciprocity at seventeen resorts across the country, including Vail. Noted: Leavenworth is Stevens Pass’ bedroom community and a Bavarian blast during winter months.

MISSION RIDGE: Thirteen miles southwest of Wenatchee, Mission Ridge is on the sunnier side of the Cascades. This small and family-friendly resort has drier powder and easy access to backcountry skiing to Clara Lake, Mission Peak and Stemilt Basin. Noted: The early bird season passes are reasonable and offer price relief for 18- to 24-year-olds.

49° NORTH MOUNTAIN RESORT: Inside the Colville National Forest in northeastern Washington, 49° North has become one of the best spots for tree skiing. About 60 miles north of Spokane and the same distance south of the Canadian border, 49° North offers a classic small ski resort experience without the lines. Noted: Stop into Cy’s Cafe—a new rustic slopeside yurt—for a cinnamon roll and coffee.

CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN: Washington’s largest ski resort, when measured by skiable acres and vertical feet, Crystal is the bomb.com. About 70 miles southeast of Tacoma and 85 miles southeast of Seattle, Crystal is Washington’s most popular ski resort and is one of the few resorts that has on-slope and nearby lodging. Crystal Mountain has chalets and cabins, hot tubs and a 90-degree pool at Alta Crystal Resort, among other places. Noted: No matter where you’re skiing on the mountain on Fridays or Saturdays, finish at The Snorting Elk for live music, and good food and drink.

Crystal Mountain has the biggest vertical in Washington and The Snorting Elk for après ski.

Crystal Mountain

MT. SPOKANE SKI & SNOWBOARD PARK: With its backside expansion of 800 acres, a new chair and seven new runs last year, Mt. Spokane breaks out of the mom-and-pop ranks and into the big time. The new terrain adds wide open intermediate and expert runs to the portfolio. A scenic drive 36 miles northeast of Spokane, Mt. Spokane is a hidden gem for both downhill and Nordic skiing. Noted: Mt. Spokane is a nonprofit organization, and the community and staff make this resort a great experience.

THE SUMMIT AT SNOQUALMIE: Acquired by Boyne in 2018, Summit at Snoqualmie is now a part of the Ikon pass, which includes ski access to forty resorts such as Squaw Valley, Revelstoke and Aspen. The resort’s new Silver Fir Cafe is a beautiful, open and contemporary take on the classic ski lodge. The acquisition of 77 acres between Summit Central and Summit West in 2017 allowed skiers to move freely between the beginner and intermediate ski areas without having to ski advanced slopes. Summit at Snoqualmie has a state-leading nineteen lifts that make approximately 500,000 uphill trips per year At the summit, visitors can see what makes this place special, with views of Keechelus Lake to the south. Noted: Summit at Snoqualmie sees an average snowfall of 428 inches. Do the math.

Oregon

MT. BACHELOR: Nicely tucked into the Deschutes National Forest, Mt. Bachelor is, by many metrics, Oregon’s biggest ski area. Even before the new quad Cloudchaser opened in 2016, adding 635 new skiable acres to the mountain, Bachelor was already the undisputed heavyweight among its peers. On a volcano in the sunny Central Oregon high desert just outside of Bend, Bachelor’s powder is light and deep, getting an average of 462 inches snowfall per year. The resort is family friendly, yet has plenty of expert runs and off-piste challenges as well. Noted: Avoid the crowded winter holiday dates and you will have a great experience on the mountain.

Mt. Bachelor opened a new quad in 2016, and with it, a whole new facet of the mountain.

Anelise Bergin/Mt. Bachelor

MT. HOOD MEADOWS: Meadows is the playground for Portland snow riders of all stripes. The upper bowl, with double black diamond runs, is often the destination for freeride skiers and boarders. Just 65 miles southeast of Portland, it’s not a long haul to go from public transportation to powder. With 2,777 of vertical feet over 2,150 acres, Meadows has height and width to accommodate virtually any slopeside pursuit. Noted: Unbuckle at Vertical North for Mediterranean cuisine, a beer and great mountain vistas.

MT. HOOD SKIBOWL: When all of the fun is drained from winter, go to Skibowl. Billed as the resort with the largest night skiing terrain (thirty-four lighted runs), Skibowl brings out the youth in its visitors. There is day tubing and nightly cosmic tubing with LEDs and lasers. Skibowl also has specially designed snowmobiles for little kids to feel the thrill of their first motorized sled. Noted: Open seven days per week.

MT. ASHLAND SKI AREA: Twenty miles directly south of Ashland in Southern Oregon and just north of the California border would seem to be a geographic liability for a ski area. Mt. Ashland, however, has a base elevation of 6,383 feet, which makes it all better. Mt. Ashland is operated as a nonprofit and has a Tudor-style lodge in homage to the nearby Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Noted: Because of its sustainable practices and after installing solar panels, Mt. Ashland became the first in the country to become STOKE certified (Sustainable Tourism Operator’s Kit for Evaluation).

HOODOO SKI AREA: Known by the motto Steep, Deep and Cheap, Hoodoo is an alternative to the popular Mt. Bachelor. Though Hoodoo gets an average annual snowfall of 450 inches, the resort struggles with weather patterns atop the Santiam Pass. When the snow is plentiful, Hoodoo is a classic small-resort experience. Just 21 miles northwest of Sisters, Hoodoo gives its skiers and riders a thrilling day at the slopes and the benefits of being close to the cozy Western town of Sisters. Noted: Thrifty Thursdays passes from January to March are just $25.

ANTHONY LAKES MOUNTAIN RESORT: The base of Anthony Lakes just north of Baker City in Eastern Oregon begins at 7,100 feet, which ain’t nothing. The old-school ski area feels a little like the one you grew up with, but with a twist. The terrain can get a little steep. The snow can get very deep and the backcountry or cat skiing can be top shelf pow pow. One triple chair serves twenty-one runs and 1,100 acres. Noted: The Starbottle Saloon in the lodge is itself worth the journey.

Idaho

SUN VALLEY RESORT: The history of American ski culture is in these hills. In 1936, a Union Pacific Railroad engineer pioneered the first chairlift, and it was installed at Sun Valley’s Dollar Mountain. So began an era of glamorous Hollywood attendance in Sun Valley. Sun Valley’s varied terrain works well for skiers of all levels. The ski lodges hearken back to an era when fireplaces were grand and railings were all polished brass. Much like when the Hollywood stars frequented Sun Valley, skiing is only a fraction of the experience in this town. Its restaurants and bars are places to be seen as much as for eating and drinking. Noted: The Sun Valley ice rink is a storied place to spend an evening, too.

SCHWEITZER MOUNTAIN RESORT: Schweitzer Mountain has to be the industry’s most pleasant surprise. Just 70 miles south of the Canadian border in Idaho’s panhandle, Schweitzer is relatively isolated from large population centers. A narrow winding road out of Ponderay leads up to its 3,960-foot base and to the small village around the resort. The skiing is fantastic and even better because it feels like you’ve just pulled a winning ticket. The resort will add two new lifts for this season and is building a thirty-unit boutique hotel, too. Noted: The Stella lift entry was created by Disney “imagineer” Geoff Puckett.

Schweitzer is the best surprise of the Pacific Northwest.

Schweitzer Mountain Resort

Montana

BRIDGER BOWL: Bozeman’s backcountry, Bridger Bowl on the east slope of Bridger Mountain Range, is just 18 miles northeast of Bozeman. A longtime tradition that connects Bozeman and Bridger Bowl sits atop the Art Deco Baxter Hotel in town. Since 1988, every time Bridger Bowl gets at least 2 inches of new snow, a blue beacon atop the hotel flashes for the next twenty-four hours. Noted: Bridger Bowl is part of the Powder Alliance, which allows passholders to ski three non-holiday days at any of its nineteen member resorts per year.

BIG SKY RESORT: Fifty miles southwest of Bozemen, Big Sky is second to only to Park City in size. When you’re that big, you need chairlifts like the 2018-installed high-speed eight-seater Doppelmayr. All of the data come together at Big Sky, with a base elevation of 7,100 feet, a vertical drop of 4,350 feet and almost 6,000 acres to enjoy. The top of the Lone Peak tram brings you views of three states and two national parks—Yellowstone and Glacier. Noted: Last summer, Big Sky began construction on a $20 million community center that will include a gym, locker rooms, a climbing wall, an ice rink and an arts wing.

WHITEFISH MOUNTAIN RESORT: The home slopes of Lillehammer Olympic downhill gold medalist Tommy Moe, Whitefish Resort has a rich history in U.S. Alpine championships. For mere mortal recreational skiers, however, Whitefish, with 3,000 acres, will do nicely. Unlike many other Western ski resorts, Whitefish Resort has lodging options on the mountain, making it a seamless transition from ski to après ski. Noted: From Hellroaring Saloon, to the Bierstube and Café Kandahar, there’s no reason to get in a car.

Whitefish Mountain Resort makes skiing and après skiing easy.

Montana Office of Tourism and Business Development

Canada

SILVERSTAR MOUNTAIN RESORT: A gem in the British Columbia crown, SilverStar combines fantastic skiing with a small European village feel. The 3,280-acre ski area has good snow, a week’s worth of terrain and all of the services you would expect in a small ski village—ice skating, bowling, retail, lodging, dining, a bakery, entertainment and a grocery. At the northern tip of the Okanagan wine-growing region, SilverStar is surrounded by the Silver Star Provincial Park. In this greenery lies the connected Sovereign Lake Nordic Club for skinny skiers and families who like to do both alpine and Nordic. Noted: A new gondola from the village to the summit was installed last season. Enjoy.

WHISTLER BLACKCOMB: About 75 miles north of Vancouver, Whistler Blackcomb is the culmination of acreage, powder, convenience, culture and luxury. With 8,171 acres, 5,279 vertical feet and twenty-two lifts, including a new ten-passenger gondola, Whistler dwarfs Park City, Big Sky and Vail. More than 150 eateries that encompass world cuisine and dozens of bars and dance clubs, including highend shopping and luxury lodging, make up Whistler Village. Noted: Merlin’s Bar and Grill is the place to be when you’re done making turns.

Remote and pristine at Fernie, BC.

Henry Georgi/Fernie

FERNIE: Located 242 miles northeast of Spokane in the Lizard Range of the Canadian Rockies, Fernie is renowned for its huge annual snowfall that averages 30 feet. Of course, you’ll only need the top 3 or 4 feet of wispy powder to make it the best ski experience ever. Finish with fire and ice. At Cirque Restaurant & Bar, warm up with flaming cocktails and spectacular mountain views. Then slip on a parka and walk straight into the Ice Bar, built from blocks of ice. Noted: Fernie’s remoteness in southeastern British Columbia is another reason to love it.

REVELSTOKE MOUNTAIN RESORT: Just south of Revelstoke National Park in southeastern British Columbia, Revelstoke is the white stuff that skiers’ dreams are made of. The category killer of 5,620 vertical drop is why experienced skiers train for months before attempting top-to-bottom runs. Get the full mountain experience with Revelstoke’s cat or heli-skiing operations. Noted: The mid-mountain Revelation Lodge puts you at the center of local ski culture with poutine and Mt. Begbie beer.