Online - January 22, 2005

Piste Off

2005 Ski Guide

From the Alps to cross-country, from boarding to paraponting, for every mood, ability, and budget, a winter wonderland awaits. Time to hit the slopes.

For ridiculous self-indulgence, Amangani in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, offers some of the best skiing in the U.S., not to mention moonlit sleigh rides, elk steaks, and mind-numbing massages. Close runners-up: Four Seasons in Whistler, British Columbia (the ski concierge warms your boots each morning); the The Little Nell in Aspen (guides lead out-of-bounds powder skiing); Twin Farms in Barnard, Vermont (ice skating by bonfire); and Badrutt’s Palace in St. Moritz (snow polo and fur-clad Russian oligarchs).

Down-to-earth sport cats will love Mad River Glen in Waitsfield, Vermont, or the homey Alta Lodge, which overlooks glacier-carved canyons in Alta, the historic Utah mining town. No boarders allowed, but Nordic skiing, paraponting (ski hang-gliding), and back-country trips are encouraged. Bring the avalanche beeper; leave the snow-bunny gear at home.

Snow virgins should try the gentler slopes in Okemo, Vermont, or Park City, Utah. The ski school at Park Hyatt Beaver Creek near Vail is great, as is the bonfire at the base of the mountain. (Live bands! Marshmallow roast!) Lech, in Austria, is for skiers of all levels (and has that whole cute Tyrolean vibe).

Cross-country heaven might be the 25 miles of trail at the picturesque Sun Valley Lodge. You’ll more than earn a few cocktails at Whiskey Jacques (208-726-5297). Hemingway loved dinner at the wilderness cabin on the Trail Creek sleigh ride (208-622-2135). For sheer beauty, it’s all about Royal Gorge in Tahoe. Don’t miss PlumpJack Cafe, the best restaurant in Squaw Valley.

Boarders aren’t bored at the new Superpipe at Snowbird, Utah. Have lunch on the mountain at Mid-Gad, and hit the avalanche-proof Cliff Lodge (800-232-9542) for après-ski, spa, and sushi. Other boarding hot spots: Telluride — eat at Honga’s Lotus Petal (970-728-5134); the terrain park at Jackson Hole — drink at the Mangy Moose (307-733-4913); and the five parks at Stratton, Vermont — stay at the Four Columns Inn for quintessential New England.

The picture-postcard experience in the U.S. is at Crested Butte, Colorado, and Stowe, Vermont. Across the pond, royals hang in Klosters, Switzerland. Heidi is in the house at the Hotel Les Fermes de Marie in Megeve, France. And the Miramonte Majestic Grand Hotel in Cortina D’Ampezzo, Italy, is straight out of central schussing casting.