How to E-Book Road tRipping noRtH amERica

ISSUE ONE, POWDER GUARANTEED

2

EvER HEaRd of tHE saying ‘tHE gRass is always gREEnER on tHE

otHER sidE’? you pRoBaBly did. doEs it makE any sEnsE? it pRoBaBly doEs. EspEcially foR skiERs and snowBoaRdERs,

BEcausE wE’RE tHE typE of pEoplE wHo likE to go out foR an advEntuRE, to sEaRcH foR nEw linEs to RidE, to find waist dEEp powdER and mEEt intEREsting pEoplE.

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Last season, we left the Dutch mountains and we didn’t travel to the Eu-

ropean Alps like we normally do, but decided that this was the right time

to cross the pond and experience the effects of ‘La Nina’. It wasn’t our

first time in the US and Canada, but this trip was different. More than 2 ½

weeks of stormchasing. We decided to document our trip and publish all

our experiences to help you organise a roadtrip like this for yourself.

In the end, we drove over 4500 kilometers (or 2796 miles) to find out that

roadtripping the United States and Canada is an amazing experience that

every European skier and boarder should do at least once. We discovered

new lines, met some great people, visited amazing resorts, but above all

we experienced the stoke and enthousiasm that all the locals had for their

home mountain.

so goodByE ‘tHE gRass is gREEnER on tHE otHER sidE’ and HEllo ‘tHE snow is wHitER on tHis mountain’!

Bart Suichies Arjen de Graaf Maurice MommenHaas

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5

The 2010-2011 season was a La Nina season. Normally that means above average snowfall in large parts of North Ame-rica. Doesn’t that sound like the perfect time to hop over the

pond to roadtrip through the US and Canada?

The wePowder roadTriP

We wanted to make a roadtrip a bit different than a regu-

lar one. In our opinion, we managed to do that. In over

two weeks time, we’ve driven 4500 kilometers, visited

ten different resorts, experienced all sorts of snow (from

deep powder to wet slush) and temperatures from plus

15 till minus 35 Celsius, but above all, we enjoyed mem-

orable moments with a lot of remarkable people.

Our roadtrip started in Seattle, Washington and ended

in Salt Lake City, Utah. While driving those 4500 k’s, we

visited the following resorts:

Snow may be white both in the European Alps and North

America, the moments you’ll remember most during

roadtrips are unexpected experiences and new friends

you meet along the way.

To give you a strong advice: get on a plane and enjoy the

powder in the US and Canada!

CrysTal MounTain (WA)MT. Baker (WA)

whisTler BlaCkCoMB (BC)red MounTain (BC)

whiTewaTer (BC)Fernie (BC)

JaCkson hole (WY)Powder MounTain (UT)

snowBird (UT)snowBasin (UT)

USA

Canada

San Francisco

Denver

Salt Lake City

Seattle

Vancouver

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USA

Canada

San Francisco

Denver

Salt Lake City

Seattle

Vancouver

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15 days18 hours

55 MinuTes34 seConds

and

2796 Miles or 4500

kiloMeTers

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INDEX

inTroduCTion 3

The TriPThe road trip of wePowder 6

Crystal Mountain 12

Mt. Baker 14

Whistler-Blackcomb 16

Travelling 18

Red Mountain 20

Whitewater 22

Fernie 26

Travelling 28

Jackson Hole 30

Powder Mountain 34

Snowbird 36

Snowbasin 38

Partir c’est mourir un peu 40

The guideCulture and history of skiing in

the USA and Canada 44

Ski resorts, ski hills and

powder hounds 48

Where to go 52

When to go 54

Getting there 58

Getting around 60

Accommodation 62

Costs 64

Safety 66

Cat- & Heliskiing/boarding 70

The wraP-uP 72

No trees

Trees

Meadow

Rocky

Glacier

Ski hill

Ski resort

wePowder iConswePowder uses icons to characterize a

skiresort or skihill. They will enable you to

get a quick overview of a ski area. There

are five icons that define the area.

An icon will be used when it’s really char-

acteristic for an area. An exception is the

glacier icon, that will always be used

when a glacier is part of the ski area.

We rate all areas on the following subjects

as well:

costs (is it expensive or cheap to be

here?),

accommodation (is it easy to find

last-minute accommodation in or

nearby the area?)

untracked (how fast does the area

gets tracked?)

overview (is it easy to spot lines if

you’re not familiar with the area?)

We rate the areas with a score between

1 and 3. More icons means that a resort

is more expensive, it’s easier to find

accommodation, the area gets tracked

really fast and it’s easy to spot your lines.

Red

Mou

ntai

n

11

the resortCrystal Mountain is the larg-

est resort in the state of

Washington. Based on the

foot of Mt. Rainier you’ll find

about 2600 acres and over

59 slopes of white stuff to

enjoy. Interesting parts of the

resort are the bowls you can

reach from Northway Peak,

like Morning Glory Bowl and

Pulker’s Gulch, where you’ll

find nice gladed runs. At the

other end of the resort you

can traverse into Campbell-

and Avalanche Basin from

the top of the High Campbell

chairlift. An avalanche beacon

and a little hike are necessary

if you want to get into South-

back Country, but you’ll have

a good chance to be rewarded

with some untracked snow.

Even though Crystal Moun-

tain is one of the most popu-

lar resorts in Washington, it’s

never really crowded. You’ll

only find yourself in a lift line

during holidays and some

weekends, but if you’re used

to lift lines in Europe, it’s like

waiting for a red signal at an

intersection compared with

a 10 kilometre traffic jam.

Because you’re not waiting in

line at the lifts and therefore

riding more, have a beer at

the Bullwheel at the end of

the day. You won’t regret it.

conditions & impressionsAfter we got rid of our jet lag

(Amsterdam – Seattle is a

long way folks!) we’re driving

to Crystal Mountain in about

1 ½ hour. As we’re here the

day before President’s day,

the parking lot is relatively

busy with skiers and boarders

enjoying their long weekend.

It hasn’t snowed for a cou-

ple of days and as a result

everything inbounds is com-

pletely tracked. Despite the

lack of fresh pow it’s easy to

see the potential of Crystal

1. Crystal MountainAltitude: 1192-2137 m - Average snowfall p/s: 932 cm www.crystalmountainresort.com

overview

rates

accommodation

untracked

Sunday, February 20th

Travelling in the morning

Distance Seattle Tacoma Interna-

tional Airport – Crystal Mountain:

69 miles/1,5 hour

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Mountain. With some help

from local Tyler Ceccanti we

find some nice pitches with

untracked powder. After an

hour of skinning we’re get-

ting our first North American

faceshots of the trip! It is the

best way to instantly get rid

of our jetlag! The beer in the

Bullwheel tastes very sweet.

Unfortunately we can’t stay

any longer. On the road again

and on our way to Belling-

ham, on our way to Mt. Baker.

accommodationWe arrived at SeaTac Int. Air-

port in the evening, so we

stayed in an hotel near the

airport. For less than $50 we

got ourselves a room with two

kingsize beds and all the other

things you need during a stay

in an hotel. If you want to save

some money on accommoda-

tion you can easily find cheap

motels along the interstates.

According to European stand-

ards, you get real value for

money and in our case, great

service by our Mexican friend

Cortez of the RedRoof Inn. It’s

also possible to stay in Crystal

Mountain at the base of the

resort. RV’s are welcome as

well at Crystal.

places to goLike every other resort in

North America, Crystal Moun-

tain gets tracked fast. Make

sure you’re in time on a pow-

der day! You’ll find some new

glades from the top of North-

way Chair. There are different

‘gates’ where you can duck

into the trees. You’ll also find

some nice terrain in South-

back Country. The bowls of

nachos at the Bullwheel are

nice and huge!

aftER an HouR of skinning wE’RE gEtting ouR fiRst noRtH amERican facEsHots of tHE tRip! it is tHE BEst way to instantly gEt Rid of ouR jEtlag!

Travelling in

the evening

Crystal

Mountain -

Bellingham:

171 miles

3,5 hours

Crys

tal M

ount

ain

13

the resortMt. Baker is perhaps one of

the most iconic ski areas in

Washington. At the foot of the

volcano they get lots of snow

every winter, and we mean

LOTS of snow. Baker holds

the record for most snow in a

season: up to 29 meters came

down in ‘98-’99 season. The

average snowfall per season

is 16.3 meters. Not bad. Eight

chairlifts (without a safety-

bar and all fixed grip) give

access to a ski area that will

mostly appeal to advanced

skiers and boarders. You can

find nice treeruns and bowls

everywhere. You can score

beautiful lines inbounds, but

the out-of-bounds potential is

endless. It’s one of the reasons

that Baker is very popular with

film crews. The backcountry is

open as long as you follow the

rules. Check the backcountry

policy of Mt. Baker at their

website (www.mtbaker.us).

conditions & impressions On the way to Mt. Baker

we are confronted with the

limitations of our rental car

for the first time. The Chevy

Tahoe with its all-terrain tires

obviously has difficulties on

the last part of the road to

Mt. Baker. It’s snowing hard

and the road gets whiter

and whiter. Fortunately we

2. Mount Baker Altitude: 1067-1551 m - Average snowfall p/s: 1643 cm www.mtbaker.us

Monday, February 21st

Travelling in the morning

Bellingham – Mt. Baker:

56 miles/1,5 hour

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at tHE End of tHE day tHE conclusion is clEaR: tHis is an aREa wHERE wE all could BE foR a montH oR longER!

reach the parking lot without

too many problems. Today it

snows all day and there are no

queues at the lifts. First, we

blast inbounds through the

tracked terrain and from the

top of Chair 8 we immerse into

the backcountry. Because of

the heavy snowfall, it is dif-

ficult to exploit the vast po-

tential of Baker, but between

the trees there is some nice

powder and in between the

snow showers we can ski a bit

more of the vast terrain. At the

end of the day the conclusion

is clear: this is an area where

we all could be for a month or

longer!

accommodation Mt. Baker has no accommo-

dation at the ski area. The

nearest hotels are located in

Glacier, which is about half an

hour drive away. We stayed

in Bellingham, the town situ-

ated at the bay. From Belling-

ham it is an one and half hour

drive. Again we had a motel

along the interstate for only

$40 a night.

places to go

If there’s one day that you

should be in Baker (besides

after each heavy dump) is the

day when the Banked Slalom

is organized. This snowboard

event takes place in Baker

since 1985 and attracts partic-

ipants from across the country

and abroad. It started as a race

and defined the soul of snow-

boarding. The winner goes off

with the “Duct Tape Trophy ....

and eternal fame, of course”.

overview

rates

accommodation

untracked

Travelling in

the evening

Mt. Baker –

North Van-

couver: 85

mijl/1,5 uur

(excl. Boarder

control)

15

the resortWhistler Blackcomb is the

largest resort in North Ameri-

ca and winner of many awards

as ‘best ski resort’. The fact

that many sports of the Olym-

pic Winter Games of Vancou-

ver took place in Whistler, has

only brought more fame to the

resort. And it must be said. The

mountains are big, the village

is bustling and the atmosphere

is great. Blackcomb Mountain

is the most challenging moun-

tain, with lots of backcountry

opportunities on the glaciers

but also with many inbounds

options, including lines from

Spanky’s Ladder. On Whistler

Mountain, the Peak Chair is

the must-do. After a dump it

seems that almost everybody

throws themselves of the

cliffs! If that’s too intense then

you’ll find your way to one of

the twenty three bowls or gla-

ciers. And that’s without even

mentioning the great nightlife

and events! Whistler is a place

which every skier and boarder

should’ve visited at least once

in their lives.

conditions & impressionsThe Sea to Sky Highway from

Vancouver to Whistler is a

spectacular road, so the drive

is already an experience in it-

self. Whistler is close to being

the perfect resort. Fast lifts,

great terrain, beautiful back-

country: the resort seems

to have anything. Everything

gets tracked really fast in

Whistler, so after running a

lap at Spanky’s Ladder, we

started hiking the bootpack

towards Blackcomb Glacier.

After a one hour walk we

find an fine line where we

can leave our signatures in

untracked snow. It remains

sunny all day, so we can get

the most out of the mountain.

In the afternoon we have a

beer in one of the friendliest

pubs in Whistler, the Garibaldi

Lift Company. With great at-

mosphere, good beer and the

chance that you bump into a

pro, the GLC is a great place

3. Whistler Blackcomb Altitude: 675- 2284 m - Average snowfall p/s: 1000 cm www.whistlerblackcomb.com

Tuesday, February 22nd

Travelling in the morning

North Vancouver – Whistler: 119

kilometers/1,5 hour (back to the

metric system)

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overview

rates

accommodation

untracked

Whi

stle

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to hang out. Since staying

in Whistler is just above our

budget and we also want to

enjoy the nightlife of Vancou-

ver, we leave Whistler with a

big smile!

accommodationIn Whistler and Blackcomb

you’ll find accommodation in

every price range. Well, you

won’t find any $40 motels,

but all the accommodation

is close to the lifts and you

can enjoy all that Whistler has

to offer: the après-ski, clubs,

shops and and early lift ac-

cess. Want to smash some

money on real luxury? Stay in

the Fairmont Chateau or the

Four Seasons Hotel.

places to goEvery year, the season offi-

cially ends with the Whistler

TELUS World Ski & Snow-

board Festival. A week long

celebration on the mountain

and in the village, with events,

contests and hopefully deep

Travelling in

the evening

Mt. Baker –

North Van-

couver: 85

mijl/1,5 uur

(excl. Boarder

control)

on wHistlER mountain, tHE pEak cHaiR is tHE must-do. aftER a dump it sEEms tHat almost EvERyBody tHRows tHEmsElvEs of tHE cliffs!

powder. You have to be there!

The Garibaldi Lift Company is

a good place to share your

epic stories with your friends

after a day in the pow. There

are many good restaurants in

Whistler, but the line at Sushi

Village is there for a reason.

17

Travelling

Vancouver is a phe-

nomenal city. The

truly superb loca-

tion, with the sea

on one side and the moun-

tains on the other, gives the

city a unique identity. From

downtown Vancouver you

can reach three ski resorts

within half an hour: Grouse

Mountain, Mt. Seymour and

Cypress Mountain. Grouse

is the closest to the city and

here you have stunning view

of Vancouver.

Yaletown is a nice neighbor-

hood where you can find nice

restaurants and you party in

great clubs. So it’s a miracle

we are all quite fresh in the

car. We have to drive a lot of

Wednesday, February 23rd

North Vancouver – Rossland:

619 km/8,5 hour

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kilometers today. Rossland

in the interior of BC is the

destination.

After Hope begins ‘the big

nothing’. We are happy that

we have bought snow chains

in Hope for our Tahoe, be-

cause it will keep snowing all

day and the road to Rossland

is still long.

If you’re used to densely

populated Europe, the road

to Rossland is a relief. Few

villages and stunning views

are like driving through a

no man’s land. Delayed by

strong snowfall we arrive in

Rossland pretty late. It’s a

nice ‘town’ with a small and

tight knit community. We’re

a little later than planned, but

still well in time for the Punk

Rock Bingo at The Shovel.

Here they serve great burg-

ers, one of the best we had

so far. And on top of the great

burger, one of us also wins a

pair of gloves! As the snow

continues to fall, tomorrow

promises to be a good pow-

der day. Let´s fire it up at Red

Mountain!

19

the resortRed Mountain Resort has five

lifts and a total of 88 slopes.

Although the origins of the re-

sort are located on Red Moun-

tain, you´ll find the most chal-

lenging descents on Granite

Mountain (2075 meters). The

area can at best be described

by great tree runs with a con-

sistent slope angle. From the

4. Red Mountain Altitude: 1186-2073 m - Average snowfall p/s: 760 cm www.redresort.com

Thursday, February 24th

Travelling in the morning

Rossland – Red Mountain:

3 kilometers/5 minutes

Paradise Chair, you can ride

nice gladed runs with names

like “Powder Fields’. Actually,

you could ride Granite Moun-

tain on any side with beauti-

ful tree runs with pillows and

nice little cliffs. Besides the

inbound’s potential, Granite

Mountain is also the starting

point for great tours up to Mt.

Robberts and Grey Mountain.

In short, Red Mountain is a

treerun paradise!

conditions & impressionsHell yeah! Powder day! You

will hear loud cheers as the

Silver Lode Chair begins to ro-

tate. Everyone goes directly

to the Motherlode Chair that

brings us to the summit of

Granite Mountain. Guide Ja-

son shows us one of his stash-

es between the trees, offering

face shots all the way down.

Not bad for a first run at Red.

Jason moved to Rossland wih

his girlfriend a few years ago

and does not expect he will

ever leave. “It is a paradise on

earth. People here perhaps

work harder, but we get more

in return”. This certainly ap-

plies to the hike to Mt. Rob-

berts. After about one hour

hiking (on a very relaxed boot

pack) the reward is a fine line

of powder that’s preserved

overview

rates

accommodation

untracked

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Red Mountain

20

well in the shade. A lot of ver-

tical with dry powder! Back in

Red we end up in the parking

lot with big smiles all over our

faces. Meanwhile, the tem-

perature dropped to minus

thirty, time to drive to Nelson!

accommodationYou can stay at the slopes of

Red Mountain, but you’ll find

the best atmosphere in Ross-

land. In this classic ski town

you will find a nice community

of people who chose to live in

the mountains. We stayed at

the Mountain Shadow Hostel

for $ 25 per person per night.

In the hostel you will instantly

contact other skibums and you

can instantly arrange a ride to

the lifts. Have your breakfast

across the street.

places to goThe place to be in Rossland is

the Flying Steam Shovel. It is

a historic place,with good food

(mmm, that Shovel Burger)

and entertainment. A perfect

place to drink a beer and have

dinner after a day in the pow-

der.

Travelling in

the evening

Red Mountain

– Nelson:

83 kilom-

eters/1,5 hour

it is a paRadisE on EaRtH. pEoplE HERE pERHaps woRk HaRdER, But wE gEt moRE in REtuRn.

21

the resortWhitewater is the ski resort of

Nelson, BC. Nelson is a laid-

back, relaxed and fairly liberal

town on Kootenay Lake, with

plenty to do. There’s no ac-

commodation in Whitewater,

but only one daylodge and

three lifts. The three lifts are

in a beautiful setting and open

5. WhitewaterAltitude: 1417-2040 m - Average snowfall p/s: 775 cm www.skiwhitewater.com

Friday, February 25th

Travelling in the morning

Nelson – Whitewater:

16 kilometers/20 minutes

up vast terrain. Whitewater is

known for its dry powder, and

it receives about 40 feet (about

12 meters) per year. There are

beautiful bowls and steep

tree runs, but there’s also a

true atmosphere of skiing and

snowboarding. In Whitewater

the days revive when commer-

cialism wasn’t penetrating the

mountains, but when it was still

about the riding. People come

here for skiing and snowboard-

ing, and nothing else. The at-

mosphere is unique and you

have to experience it yourself

to understand it.

conditions & impressionsIt’s another cold day in the

mountains. The thermometer

shows temperatures below

minus thirty. Fortunately, the

sun is shining and we start

searching for untracked pow-

derfields. That’s quite difficult

inbounds (as in: everything is

tracked), but with some help

of the skipatrol, we make a

nice skin track that will defi-

nitely bring us some freshies.

After nearly two hours we are

on top of a ridge. The sun is set-

ting and shines its surreal light

on the mountain. After the first

turn we get a big smile on our

face. Fresh powder. And that

for about 800 vertical meters.

We ride down to the parking

lot. This must be the feeling

that Whitewater is known for.

In the end it’s all about the rid-

overview

rates

accommodation

untracked

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ing. Totally happy we have a

beer in Nelson. Then it’s time

to follow the upcoming storm

on its way to Fernie!

accommodationYou can not stay in Whitewa-

ter overnight, but there’s

plenty of accommodation in

nearby Nelson. As in Ross-

land you’ll get the most out

of your stay in Nelson by

staying in a hostel. We

stayed at the White House

Hostel for $ 25 withing walk-

ing distance of all pubs.

places to goMike’s Place in the Hume Ho-

tel has a cozy bar with excel-

lent pub food. The atmosphere

is always good in Nelson, es-

pecially during the Coldsmoke

Powder Fest!

travelling in the evening

Whitewater – Fernie: 326

kilometers/4 hours and 15

minutes

pEoplE comE HERE foR skiing and snow-BoaRding, and notHing ElsE.

23

24

The aTMosPhere is unique and you have To exPerienCe iT yourselF To undersTand iT.

25

the resortFernie is an old mining town

in the Elk Valley. The lifts start

from the Fernie Alpine Re-

sort, a few miles outside the

old town of Fernie. Because

of the location of the Elk Val-

ley, Fernie is a real snow mag-

net. When it starts snowing in

Fernie, it can remain snowy

for days and you’ll ride dry

powder with the locals. Dur-

ing such days, most shops in

the village close their doors.

“Gone skiing, the 30 cm rule is

in effect. Locals divide Fernie

into two parts. You have the

‘old side’ with the Elk, Bear,

Boom and the Haul BackT-Bar

and the most “recent” ex-

pansion of the area with the

White Pass, Timber and the

recently opened Polar chairs.

Fernie has five bowls that are

overshadowed by the mighty

Lizard Range. From the bowls

you can reach some ridges

where you van ride steep ter-

rain, but in the bowls you can

make it as easy (or difficult) as

you want. The combination of

a good atmosphere, enthusi-

astic locals, great powder and

nice terrain makes Fernie a

must-ski destination!

conditions & impressionsWow, three days in Fernie and

6. FernieAltitude: 1195-1925 m - Average snowfall p/s: 875 cm www.skifernie.com

Saturday, February 26th, Sun-

day, February 27th and Monday

February 28th

Travelling in the morning

Lizard Creek Lodge – Elk Chair: 50

meters/30 seconds

overview

rates

accommodation

untracked

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three days of Fernie powder.

Fortunately, it is not that cold,

with temperatures around -15.

The snow keeps falling and on

Monday the pow is at least 80

centimeters deep. Everyone

is stoked and with every turn

you almost disappear in the

snow. The Griz, the local snow

god, has done a good job. Dur-

ing snowfall it’s always great

skiing between the trees and

we lap Morning Glory Glades

over and over again. Not a lot

of people ski here, so we find

some nice untracked fields.

We continue to lap Siberia and

get faceshot after faceshot till

the lifts close. It’s time for a

beer in the Griz Bar. At the

end of the day we conclude

that Fernie is ‘a very nice play-

ground for adults’. The locals

are friendly and love to take

you to their “secret stashes”.

The locals know that they live

in a special place and truly

enjoy this. It’s painful to leave

Fernie after three days, though

our next destination is not that

bad either: Jackson Hole.

accommodationBoth in the town and on the

mountain there is enough ac-

commodation that suits every

wallet. The Raging Elk Hostel

Fernie is a nice budget place,

but if you have more to spend

than the Lizard Creek Lodge is

a great choice. On crawling

distance of the lifts, slopes

Travelling in

the evening

Fernie –

Jackson Hole:

977 kilom-

eters/14 hours

tHE comBination of a good at-mospHERE, EntHusiastic locals, gREat powdER and nicE tERRain makEs fERniE a must-ski dEstina-tion!

and the Griz Bar you will get

rooms the size of a hockey

pitch. The outdoor pool over-

looking the slopes and the Liz-

ard Range is attractive at

night. Staying in the Lizard

Creek Lodge is the icing on

the cake of our stay in Fernie.

places to goAt the end of a powder day

everyone gathers in the Griz

at the daylodge. There’s often

a good band, good parties and

always loads of fun. Locals of

all ages, freeriders, freesty-

lers and ‘ordinary’ tourists

provide a unique atmosphere.

An atmosphere that can best

be described as: Enjoy the

mountains! In the town of

Fernie you’ll find more fun in

the hotels and ‘The Pub’.

27

Travelling

Originally the

plan was to

leave early on

Monday morn-

ing in Fernie. Jackson Hole

is the next destination, and

that’s about eleven hours

away. As it just kept on

dumping in Fernie, plans

changed and we decided to

shred some pow with the

locals another day instead of

a day on the road. After a

great day with faceshots, we

left Fernie at about six pm.

But it doesn’t stop snowing.

The intensity and frequency

with which the flakes are fall-

ing from the sky is getting

stronger and stronger. When

we cross the border into

Montana we can’t decide

what to do. Sleeping? Con-

tinue driving? Meanwhile,

the road dissapears. Any-

way, in Europe we do this

every winter (drive all night

to get to the Alps), so we de-

cide to keep on driving.

After four 15-inch pizzas in

Kalispell we drive away into

the night. The road is no

longer distinguishable from

the roadside. Slalomming

through all the deer at 30

miles per hour isn’t the right

speed to get to Jackson in

time. There is an oncoming

car. On our lane. Signals.

Signals. Signals again. Only

at the last moment the car

deviates to the right. Maybe

we should stop driving?

After a couple of hours delay

we reach the interstate to

Missoula. It’s still dumping,

but at least this is one straight

road. At a gas station we get

some drinks and snacks and

our Tahoe gets some fresh

gallons. A state trooper looks

at the whole scene. Haas

takes the wheel and we con-

tinue our drive south. It stops

snowing and the road is clear.

Haas speeds up in order to

make up for lost time. It is now

3.00 AM.

Blue and red lights behind us.

“Is that for us?” Haas askes.

“Think about it,” I reply, “the

last half hour I have not seen

other cars. How fast are

you driving?“.”Ninety-five,”

Haas answers, “I’ll keep

on driving, maybe it’s for

someone else. Two minutes

Monday night February, 28th

and Tuesday morning March,

1st

Travelling in

the morning

Fernie –

Teton Village

(Jackson

Hole):

977 km/14

hours

USA

Canada

San Francisco

Denver

Salt Lake City

Seattle

Vancouver

5

1

2

3

4

6

7

8

10

9

28

skiing”.

Morris and Bart are sleeping in

the back and it’s almost 5.00

am. To get a motel and sleep

for a couple of hours is use-

less. If we continue driving,

we’ll make it right in time for

the lifts to open. At 7:00 AM

we cross Teton Pass. Eve-

ryone wakes up and we are

glad that we ordered some

take away sandwiches at

the pizzeria the night before.

later, an agitated trooper

stands quite irritated at our

window. “What took you

so long to pullover?” With

a mea culpa that we’re just

simple Europeans we try to

apologize. “Where are you

guys going?” “Jackson” The

trooper replies: “Guys, Jack-

son will still be there if you

drive 75!” Eventually he lets

us get away with an official

warning. “Save your money

for Jackson guys. Enjoy the

A meatball sandwich with

three meatballs tastes great

early in the morning. At 8.00

am we’re at the parking lot

at Teton Village. Our friends

from Salomon are waiting for

us. “Come on guys! Let’s

have a coffee and start ski-

ing! “. Two hours later we are

halfway on the hike to Cody

Peak. Welcome to Jackson!

BluE and REd ligHts BEHind us. “is tHat foR us?” Haas askEs. “tHink aBout it,” i REply, “tHE last Half HouR i HavE not sEEn otHER caRs.

29

the resort“Jackson, I want to go to Jack-

son.” There are few resorts

that get as many credits as

Jackson Hole. The opening

of the legendary tram in 1966

has been the birth of a legend.

There are many films made

about Jackson, and not only

because Teton Gravity is lo-

cated there. No resort in North

America can match the quality

of the terrain of Jackson Hole.

Inbounds you can find classics

such as the S & S Couloir and

Corbets. In the backcountry,

the headwall is known from

many movies and there are

many lines to ride. Jackson

Hole is a cozy and authentic

cowboy town with much his-

tory. The ski area is located

7. Jackson HoleAltitude: 1924-3185- Average snowfall p/s: 1143 cmwww.jacksonhole.com

Tuesday, March 1st & Wednes-

day, March 2nd

Travelling in the morning

Parking Lot Teton Village – Jackson

Hole Tram: 100 meters/one minute

in Teton Village, resort-style,

but built with charm. The lo-

cals are pretty hardcore and

the Jackson Hole Air Force

is just legendary. Every self

respecting skier and boarder

must have been here. Period.

conditions & impressionsThe sun is shining in Jackson.

The terrain is fairly tracked, but

the guys from Salomon take

us right into the backcountry.

It’s pretty much tracked there

as well (make sure to be at

the Tram at 7 am on a powder

day), but the lines you can ride

are phenomenal, including the

magnificent valley views. Dur-

ing the two days we have skied

in Jackson, we have probably

skied less than half percent of

the potential. Of course, we

took some time to ride Corbets

Couloir. It’s one of the most fa-

mous inbound couloirs in the

world and of the “landmarks”

of Jackson. The entrance is the

most difficult and depending

on snow conditions ranging

overview

rates

accommodation

untracked

USA

Canada

San Francisco

Denver

Salt Lake City

Seattle

Vancouver

5

1

2

3

4

6

7

8

10

9

Jackson Hole

Jack

son

Hole

30

from ‘easy’ to ‘yeah, that’s not a

bunny hill’. We found some sort

of corkscrew that launched you

into the couloir. A free fall of a

few meters, turning in the air

and then hope that your edges

will hold on the hard pack, oth-

erwise the yardsale will start in

about two seconds. After 17

years I can finally remove Cor-

bets from my hit list. We unani-

mously agree that we would

like to stay in “The Big One”

longer, because the potential is

really amazing.

accommodationThere is accommodation in

all shapes and sizes at the

bottom of the lifts in Teton

Village, but also a few miles

away in Jackson itself, which

obviously is cheaper than

Teton Village. We were lucky

that we could crash with our

French friends in the luxury of

the Snake River Lodge, within

walking distance of the tram.

And quite honestly, after a

night of not sleeping and one

day of riding in Jackson, the

spa was very nice. When you

stay in Jackson, you can use

the shuttle buses that run be-

tween Teton and Jackson.

places to goIn Jackson Hole, there are

many places where you

should go. If your into hiking

and touring, Teton Pass is the

place to be. You must have

Travelling in

the evening

Jackson Hole –

Salt Lake City:

273 miles/5

hour

wE unanimously agREE tHat wE HavE to stay in “tHE Big onE” longER oncE BE-causE tHE potEntial is REally amazing.

experienced Corbets and the

backcountry (hire a guide for

the latter!). There’s great food

at the Japanese guys in Teton

Village. There are nice shops

in Jackson Hole itself, such as

Moo’s Gourmet where they

serve the best milkshakes and

ice cream ever.

Jackson Hole

31

a Free Fall oF a Few MeTers, Turning in The air and Then hoPe ThaT your edges will hold on The hard PaCk, oTher-wise The yardsale will sTarT in aBouT Two seConds.

32

Jack

son

Hole

33

the resortPowder Mountain is about a

half hour drive from Ogden.

The name says it all: “They

do not call it groomer moun-

tain.” Four chairlifts access a

large ski area with many possi-

bilities. The terrain in Powder

Mountain is not very steep,

making it great for laidback

rides through the trees. Pow-

der Mountain has no fancy

daylodges or expensive ac-

commodation. The daylodge

is quite old and resembles a

large football canteen. It’s all

about the skiing and board-

ing, that’s for sure. Powder

Mountain is unique because

of two unique features. From

the top of the Sundown or the

8. Powder MountainAltitude: 2316-2712 m - Average snowfall p/s: 1270 cmwww.powdermountain.com

Thursday, March 3rd & Satur-

day 5th

Travelling in the evening

Parking Lot Teton Village – Jackson

Hole Tram: 100 meters/one minute

Emerald Chair you can dive

into Powder Country. Lots of

powder turns later you end up

on a road, where the Powder

Mountain bus will pick you up

and drop you off at the lifts. A

must-do is a ride in the snow-

cat. For $15 the cat drops you

of at Lightning Ridge. You can

hike up to James Peak from

there, but you can ski down

into the valley as well.

conditions & impressionsAccording to the weather

forecast the storm has

missed the Cottonwood

Canyons, so resorts like

Alta, Snowbird, Solitude and

Brighton aren’t that interest-

ing today, so we drive back

up north to Powder Moun-

tain (which we scheduled as

well on Saturday). The road

is closed due to avalanche

danger. At least it’s snowing

up here! With a few hours

delay we drive up to the day-

lodge. The snow is heavy for

Utah standards, but it is knee

deep and we ride through

the trees below the Paradise

Chair in nice mellow terrain.

The rest of the afternoon is

filled with ripping the area of

Powder Country. The runs

are nice, but the atmos-

phere while waiting for the

traditional school bus is even

more fun. In the evening we

have a beer in the cozy main

street of Ogden, which used

overview

rates

accommodation

untracked

USA

Canada

San Francisco

Denver

Salt Lake City

Seattle

Vancouver

5

1

2

3

4

6

7

8

10

9

34

to be a Sodom and Gomor-

rah decades ago, but is now

one of the outdoor capitals

of the world.

accommodationPowder Mountain has no

slopeside accommodation.

There is something to be found

in the small village of Eden at

the bottom of the mountain,

but you should stay in Ogden.

Here you’ll find plenty to do

at night, there are good res-

taurants and you have much

choice in accommodation.

Because we’ll ride at Snow-

bird the next day, we book a

motel in Cottonwood Heights,

but we are really looking for-

ward to staying at the Marriott

in Ogden, and ending our trip

in style!

places to goWhen you visit Powder Moun-

tain you should definitely ride

Powder Country and ride

the snowcat up to Lightning

Ridge. These are the gems of

the area. In Ogden, there are

plenty of nice bars and res-

taurants at 25th Street, such

as Brewski’s and Roosters.

Try to read about the history

of Ogden itself as well. The

city that was too intense for

gangster boss Al Capone has

an impressive past.

Travelling in

the evening

Jackson

Hole – Salt

Lake City: 273

miles/5 hours

tHE snow is HEavy foR utaH stan-daRds, But it is knEE dEEp and wE RidE tHRougH tHE tREEs BElow tHE paRadisE cHaiR in nicE mEllow tERRain.

35

the resort‘The Bird’ is one of the two

resorts (with Alta) in the Lit-

tle Cottonwood Canyon. The

area is known for its snow.

The dry powder is driven into

the canyon by the “lake ef-

fect”. Snowbird annually re-

ceives about 500 inches of

white gold. The tram takes

you to an altitude of 11,000 ft

and from here you have many

options. You can ski the

steeps of the Peruvian on

one side, or you can dive into

Mineral Basin at the other.

Here you can traverse to the

Bookends or you can jump

over to neighbour Alta (ski-

ers only). At the top of the

Baldy Express there’s the in-

terconnect with the ski re-

sort of Alta. You get the most

out of Snowbird if you have

some experience in your

legs. Inbounds, you can find

very challenging terrain and

with small hikes there are

also beautiful things to ride

out-of-bounds. And we don’t

even have time to take our

touring gear into the LCC.

conditions & impressionsWe are lucky. Our friends at

Black Diamond have invited

us to join them for first tram

at the Bird with skipatrol. It’s

early, but we’re in the tram by

7.30. It’s cold, but the sun is

shining and there’s about 20

centimeters of fresh powder.

For two great runs, we have

the whole resort to ourselves.

After that, the first commer-

9. Snowbird Altitude: 2364-3352 m - Average snowfall p/s: 1270 cmwww.snowbird.com

Friday, March 4th

Travelling in the morning

Cottonwood Heights – Snowbird:

12 miles/28 minutes

overview

rates

accommodation

untracked

USA

Canada

San Francisco

Denver

Salt Lake City

Seattle

Vancouver

5

1

2

3

4

6

7

8

10

9

Snowbird

36

cial first-tracks trams arrive.

By that time we have already

left our marks in Mineral Basin.

In the afternoon we find some

powder in the Peruvian Gulch.

All the terrain that doesn’t re-

quire any hiking gets tracked

fast, so you better come early.

The best place to have a beer

is in the Goldminer’s Daugh-

ter, in the nearby resort of Alta.

accommodationSnowbird has some ski-in,

ski-out accommodation, but

unless you’ve got a lot of

money to burn, don’t stay at

the resort. We slept in a sim-

ple Super 8 Motel in Cotton-

wood Heights. The advantage

of staying in Snowbird is that

you’re directly near the lifts.

It’s only half an hour drive from

Salt Lake City, but it some-

times happens that the road

to Snowbird and Alta is closed

because it has been dumping

too hard. In that case you’re

lucky if you stay in Snowbird!

places to goSnowbird has awesome ter-

rain, but we just loved the

Bookends. The area of Mt.

Baldy is great as well. The vil-

lage itself isn’t exactly bustling

with action, but if you are stay-

ing in Salt Lake City there’s

plenty to do. If you’re into

3,5% beer and the Bible a visit

to the temple of the Mormons

is an idea. When the Utah Jazz

plays a home game, it will cost

you only $25 to see these

NBA giants play. Now that’s a

bit different from the Austrian

après-ski experience!

Travelling in

the evening

Snowbird -

Ogden: 64

miles/1,5 hours

you gEt tHE most out of snowBiRd if you HavE somE ExpERiEncE in youR lEgs.

Snowbird

37

the resortSnowbasin has the same

owner as Sun Valley in Idaho

and has hosted the downhill

skiing during the Olympic

Games in Salt Lake City in

2002. This has been the rea-

son to invest heavily in the

resort and the results are

mindblowing. Although not

as well known as the resorts

in the Cottonwood Canyons

and Park City, Snowbasin is a

large and varied resort with

high speed lifts and beautiful

terrain. The most salient are

the lavish daylodge and res-

taurants on the mountain.

With thick carpets, large

chandeliers and huge fire-

places, they look more like

medieval castles or old-boys

clubs than your average day-

10. Snowbasin Altitude: 1935-2838 m - Average snowfall p/s: 1016 cmwww.snowbasin.com

Sunday, March 4th

Travelling in the morning

Ogden – Snowbasin: 20 miles/

34 minutes

lodge. Nowhere you get so

much luxury for the price of

your lift pass. As an added

bonus, you can even ski down

to Ogden - snow conditions

permitting - from the top of

the tram! Be sure you ski

down with someone who

knows the terrain very well.

conditions & impressionsIt’s the last day of our trip and

the contrast could not be any

bigger. From the ‘football can-

teen “in Powder Mountain to

a five-star lodge in Snowbasin.

What luxury! Our boots sink

into the thick carpet while we

wait for our guide. It’s snow-

ing. It’s snowing hard and

where you really have to be

sure you get there in time in

the more popular resorts in

Utah on days like this, you can

ride powder in Snowbasin all

day without efforts such as

hiking or skinning. It is wonder-

fully peaceful. We ride deep

powder through the trees of

Mt. Ogden Bowl and the No

Name Peak. Everyone gets

some on this last day. It keeps

snowing all day and when the

days ends, we’re all okay with

the end of the trip. Thank you

Snowbasin for ending in style

with a great powder day!

accommodationSnowbasin has no slopeside

accommodation. The most ob-

vious option is to stay in Ogden.

We had the luxury of staying at

the Marriott, a nice hotel in the

heart of Ogden. They even

have a chair lift in the lobby!

overview

rates

accommodation

untracked

USA

Canada

San Francisco

Denver

Salt Lake City

Seattle

Vancouver

5

1

2

3

4

6

7

8

10

9

Snowbasin

38

And it is very relaxing to chill in

the pool or gym after a powder-

day. From the Marriott it’s

close to the bars and pubs of

the historic main street.

places to goOne of the places you

shouldn’t miss if you ride one

day at Snowbasin is the Shoot-

ing Star Saloon in Huntsville. It

is the oldest bar in Utah (since

1879) and little has changed

since then. This is where the

history of the Ogden region

comes to life. With banknotes

from around the world on the

ceiling, stuffed animals (even

a St. Bernard) on the wall and

good burgers (especially the

Starburger!), this is where you

go if you really want a local ex-

perience!

Travelling in

the evening

Snowbasin –

Ogden:

20 miles/34

minutes

fRom tHE ‘footBall cantEEn “in powdER mountain to a fivE-staR lodgE in snowBasin. wHat a luxuRy! ouR Boots sink into tHE tHick caRpEt wHilE wE wait foR ouR guidE.

39

Partir, c’est mourir un peu

Sometimes it’s very hard to

unclick your bindings for

the last time. The knowl-

edge that the last run of

the trip has ended sometimes makes

me emotional. It feels like all the beau-

tiful moments of a trip come together

in that click. And there were more than

enough of that moments during the

trip we made in North America.

And so it feels strange to leave those

good times behind us and get on the

plane to fly to Europe (which fortunate-

ly lasted a little longer because we had

booked a flight that no longer existed).

The last part of our road trip consisted

mainly of reliving those moments, but

also making new plans.

Because the grass isn’t greener on

the other side, but obviously it’s very

nice to have some fresh grass with a

little different taste. And to help you

get out there as well, we decided to

write down all our experiences. So you

already get an idea how to start your

own road trip. We made a list of all the

things that are important for you as a

freerider. Things like costs, accommo-

dation, lift passes, transportation and

much more.

In our opinion, an important part of

the experience of the trip is to know

a little bit about the history of skiing

in North America.

We hope you will get some ideas out

of this wePowder Essential and that it

will help you plan your trip to North

America.

Travelling in the morning

Ogden – Salt Lake City Internation-

al Airport: 39 miles/50 minutes

40

sTay sToked and keeP on riding!

41

BesT sPoTs

BEst couloiRs

JACkSON HOlEWhistler

Fernie

BEst small REsoRt

WHITEWATERRed Mountain

Powder Mountain

BEst tREERuns

RED MOUNTAINWhistler

Fernie

BEst tERRain

JACkSON HOlEWhistler

Snowbird

BEst viBE

WHISTlERJackson Hole

Fernie

42

43

44

For many skiers and snowboarders riding in the United States

or Canada is a dream. Endless slopes filled with powder.

Helicopters flying you to the highest peaks. And by hearing

names like Aspen, Vail and Whistler the heart of every avid

rider beats faster. If I ever could ride there once.... ‘Waist deep blower

all day every day’. It is time to live the American Dream. But... you’ll

have to do something for that. And with the fulfillment of every dream

it’s essential that you properly tackle your dream, so you can get the

maximum out of it. So it actually becomes the fulfillment of a dream

and does not result in a nightmare.

History and cultureLike Europe, North America also has

a nice ski history. A little bit of histor-

ical awareness on the development

of winter sports in North America

will help you appreciate your time in

North America even more. Just like

Chamonix and St. Anton am Arlberg

in Europe breathe much history, you

can also find this in some areas in

the United States and Canada. And

so here is a step back in time.

45

Although people

have been skiing

in the U.S. and

Canada from the

mid 19th century, it was not of-

ficial until 1905. In Ishpeming,

Michigan, the National Champi-

onships were organized and the

National Ski Association (now

the U.S. Ski and Snowboard

Association) was founded.

The German Otto Schniebs

migrates to Massachusetts in

tHEn tHE most difficult ski Run in tHE u.s., tHE RocH Run, opEns in 1941 in aspEn.

first time in the United States.

Lake Placid is the location,

but alpine skiing isn’t on the

agenda yet. In the same year,

the first skilift (a rope) opens in

Shawbridge, Quebec.

They don’t have to hike up

anymore In Utah since 1936.

The ski club of Brighton opens

the first rope in the Wasatch in

that year. A little further north,

in Sun Valley ,Idaho, they are

a little bit more serious. They

open the first chairlift in the

world that hangs high enough

so you can ski under it.

Skiing becomes more serious

and it is time to install ski pa-

trol. The East is ahead in this

period and ski patrol starts in

Stowe Mountain, Vermont in

1938. The first chairlift in Utah

opens in Alta in 1938. The lift

iss built from materials that

they used in the mines and is

funded by businessmen from

Salt Lake City. It takes two

more years until the famous

Alta Lodge opens. The largest

mountain in California, Mam-

moth Mountain opens its first

lift (still a rope though) in the

same year.

Then the most difficult ski

run in the U.S., the Roch Run,

opens in 1941 in Aspen. The

Second World War under-

standably has a negative im-

pact on the development of

ski areas, but in 1946 Aspen

1927 and becomes the first

ski instructor who will teach

the Arlberg technique in the

US. Schniebs was quoted

about 80 years later in the

film “The Waiting Game” by

Wink Inc. “Skiing is a way of

life”. In that aspect, not much

changed.

In 1929, Orland Bartho-

lomew skis more than 480

km through the High Sierras

in California. He roughly fol-

lows the route now known as

the John Muir Trail. Along the

way he climbs Mt. Whitney,

the highest mountain in the

lower 48’s, for the first time

in the winter.

In 1932 the Olympic Winter

Games are organized for the

46

VerseSneeuw 43

1990

De bereikbare droom

Nu

Het product wintersport

2020

Waar is de passie?

1952De mens speelt met De natuur.

De eerste vierkante meter kunstsneeuw wordt geproduceerd in Grossinger, New York.

Anno 1950

a012-Watdeedjij50.indd 43 26-10-2009 15:14:08

builds a new lodge and a chair-

lift aimed at a first-class target

group, something that hasn’t

changed today.

In 1949, Mad River Glen (now-

adays one of the last three

resorts where only skiers are

allowed) opens. Squaw Val-

ley, that is hosting the Olym-

pics eleven years later, opens

in 1949. Squaw, near Lake

Tahoe, California plays a lead-

ing role in the winter sports

in North America. Icons like

Scott Gaffney and the late

U.S., Jackson Hole, Wyo-

ming opens in 1966. The fa-

mous “Tram” to Rendezvous

Mountain is a fact (the tram

get’s replaced in 2008 by a

more modern copy). In Jack-

son Hole the Austrian Josef

“Pepi” Stiegler is the head of

the ski school, and he stands

at the base of the extreme ski

culture of Jackson. Whistler

opens in 1966.

The crisis of the late ‘70s and

early ‘80s, however, makes a

turnaround. Nearly 20% of the

ski areas disappear and large

cooperations that exploit sev-

eral ski areas form. Intrawest,

Vail Resorts, Resorts of the

Canadian Rockies, Aspen Ski-

ing Co. are some big names

who operate ski areas. It leads

to a further professionalisation

of the industry.

intRawEst, vail REsoRts, REsoRts of tHE canadian RockiEs, aspEn skiing co. aRE somE Big namEs wHo opERatE ski aREas.

Shane McConkey have their

home in “Squallywood”.

Although the Americans have

bring many things from Eu-

rope, the first artificial snow

is produced in Grossinger’s

in New York. That is in 1952.

In those decades skiing be-

comes more and more a sport

for the middle class. Men as

John Jay, Warren Miller, Dick

Durrance and Dick Barrymore

travel through North America

to promote the sport in the

cinemas. Ski resorts grow

and grow. One of the most

exciting destinations in the

47

EvEntHougH tHE aREa appEaRs com-mERcial, onE tHing’s foR suRE: tHERE is lots of powdER to RidE!

Red

Mou

ntai

n, D

ave

Heat

h

48

ski resorTs, ski hills

and Powder hounds

ski resortsThis professionalism has led to

the formation of large ski resorts

with more than excellent facilities.

Famous resorts such as Whistler-

Blackcomb, Vail, Keystone and Lake

Louise are owned by the earlier men-

tioned large corporations. There is

much invested in these areas and

therefore you’ll find state-of-the-art

lifts, fine restaurants and many oth-

er amenities to ensure you can enjoy

a nice holiday. New resorts are still

being developed. The small ski re-

sort of Revelstoke recently changed

its name to Revelstoke Mountain

Resort including a new gondola and

many new apartments.

ski hillsThere are also ski hills. The main dif-

ference with resorts is that the ski

hills are non that commercial. Some

exist for public benefit. And in our

view that benefit is indispensable.

An area as Bridger Bowl (Montana)

is an example of such a community

hill. The lifts are a bit older (some-

times the lifts are occasions that are

bought from other resorts), the day

lodges are less luxurious and there

is often little or no accommodation.

But on the other hand, the lift passes

are a little bit cheaper. Best of all:

it does not mean that the mountain

is less steep and the powder less

deep. On these ski hills you can often

49

still find the real skibums. Skiers and

boarders who have given up every-

thing just to be in the mountains. An-

other example of a community hill is

Mad River Glen ski area in Vermont.

Anyone can be a shareholder of Mad

River Glen. For $ 2,000 you are a

shareholder in this small ski hill in

the eastern part of the U.S..

powder houndsHowever commercial a ski area

might be, one thing is certain: peo-

ple ride a lot of powder. In North

America, the threshold to ride pow-

der is much lower than in Europe.

The ski patrol secures the entire ski

area. This is indicated by a boundary.

If you stay within this boundary,

where the slopes are, you may as-

sume that the ski patrol checks the

whole area on avalanches. How this

works? Imagine the ski area of Les

Quatre Vallées in Switzerland. Draw

a circle around the area and every-

thing within the circle will be checked

by ski patrol. In the U.S. and Canada

a lot of skiers and boarders therefore

don’t ride with avalanche beacon,

shovel and probe. Everyone aged

from 8 to 80 rides in the powder. It

provides a unique atmosphere in the

ski areas, as each area turns into a

freeride area after a good dump.

Cheering people in the lifts, big

smiles and of course a lot of compe-

tition for fresh lines to ride. Of

course, in the area you still have to

deal with “natural hazards”, such as

cliffs, other rocks, trees and more. It

is still a risk sport!

Red Mountain

50

EvERyonE fRom 8 to 80 RidEs in tHE powdER. it pRovidEs a uniquE atmospHERE in tHE ski aREas, as EacH aREa tuRns into a fREERidE aREa aftER a good dump.

Red

Mou

ntai

n

51

USA

Canada

San Francisco

Seattle

Vancouver

Calgary

Denver

Salt Lake City

Reno

The possibilities for skiing and boarding in the U.S. and Canada are almost endless.

There are over 500 ski resorts in the U.S., but where do you go? Obviously, the best

area is the area with the most powder, but you have to start somewhere. In the Salo-

mon Powfinder for iPhone, for Android and on wePowder.com you’ll find a selection of

ski areas in the U.S. and Canada, that are definitely worth a visit.

where To go

But the real adventurer gets into his car and

sets up his own road trip. Follow the storm

on your way to new experiences. To get you

started you’ll find some suggestions for road

trips in North America.

Some U.S. locations are perfect to stay for a

whole week. Around cities like Reno, Salt Lake

City and Denver you can find world-class re-

sorts. Of course you can stay in the ski areas

themselves, but the distances to the ski areas

from Reno/Truckee or Salt Lake City, are in

most cases not longer than about one hour to

several hours.

Reno/Truckee: e.g. Squaw Valley, Kirkwood,

Alpine Meadows, Heavenly, Mammoth.

Salt lake City: e.g. Alta, Snowbird, Bright-

on, Solitude, Park City, Canyons, Snowbasin,

Powder Mountain.

Denver: e.g. Aspen, Vail, Winterpark, Key-

stone, Breckenridge, Copper Mountain.

10 days*From Flames to Canucks

Start: Calgary

End: Vancouver

Distance: 1050 km

Resorts: Lake Louise,

Sunshine, Kicking Horse,

Revelstoke, Sun Peaks,

Whistler-Blackcomb

12 days*The Powder Highway Plus

Start: Calgary

End: Calgary

Distance: 1530 km

Resorts: Fernie, White-

water, Red Mountain,

Panorama, Kicking Horse,

Lake Louise

20 days*The Coastal Connection

Start: Reno

End: Seattle

Distance: 2255 km

Resorts: Squaw Valley,

Kirkwood, Mt. Shasta,

Mt. Hood, Mt. Bachelor,

Crystal Mountain, Alpen-

tal, Stevens Pass, Mt.

Baker.

20 days*Mormon to Montana

Start: Salt Lake City

End: Bozeman

Distance: 1672 km

Resorts: Alta, Snowbird,

Park City, Snowbasin,

Powder Mountain, Pebble

Creek, Sun Valley, Jack-

son Hole, Grand Targhee,

Big Sky, Moonlight Basin,

Bridger Bowl.

52

USA

Canada

San Francisco

Seattle

Vancouver

Calgary

Denver

Salt Lake City

Reno

53

If you want to ride powder, you need fresh snow. Obviously, you’re best chance to ride

powder is during or just after a storm, but you have to know where it will be snowing.

North America is pretty big, and because of the size and shape of the mountain ranges,

and because of meteorological laws, it won’t be snowing everywhere at the same time.

With the right knowledge about the weather you know when and where the snow will fall.

Not only you’ll ride more powder, but you’ll also develop a natural feeling for freshies.

Next to the ‘regular’ storms there are two larger phenomenons that influence the winter

in general in North America. Their called La Nina and El Nino, and alltough they don’t

influence the winters in Europe, their impact in North America is significant.

when To go

la nina and El ninoLa Nina and El Nino have their origins at the

Pacific Ocean and are part of the ‘El Nino-

Southern Oscillation (ENSO) index. It’s one of

the many indexes scientists use to get more in-

formation about the weather. During an El Nino

period, the Pacific Ocean is warmer than nor-

mal, in particular at the equator and the coast

of Peru. During a La Nina period the water is

much colder than normal in those regions. The

differences between cold and warm water are

so big, that they influence weatherpatterns all

over the world. If you want to ride powder in

North America, you’re better of with La Nina

then El Nino.

How does it work?During an El Nino year, North America has to

deal with a powerful jetstream from the west.

The polar jetstream is pushed up far north,

giving way to warmer air from the south and

southwest. This ‘Pineapple Express’ will bring

rain and wet snow. It’s the difference between

Whistler and Drizzler, between Mt. Baker Pow

and Mt. Baker Concrete. The opposite happens

during a La Nina season. The polar jetstream

brings in cold air from the north, and in the

meanwhile the subtropical jetstream brings in

humid air from the west. When those two jet-

streams collide, you’ll hit the jackpot. Extreme-

ly cold air combined with extremely humid air

La Nina periods

1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980

54

will result in massive amounts of snow. That

happened in the 2010/2011 season between

October and December and later between

February and March. Matchstick Productions

called their 2011/2012 movie ‘ La Nina, the

bitch is back’ for a reason!

when is it on?After monitoring the impact of La Nina for

over 35 years scientist can tell that El Niño and

La Niña take place every three to five years,

though there can be an interval between two

and seven years. According to the National

Centers for Environmental Prediction, this

century’s previous La Niñas began in 1903,

1906, 1909, 1916, 1924, 1928, 1938, 1950,

1954, 1964, 1970, 1973, 1975, 1988, and

1995. These events typically continued into

the following spring. Since 1975, La Niñas

have been only half as frequent as El Niños.

La Niña conditions typically last approximately

9-12 months. Some episodes may persist for

as long as two years.

important weather phenomenonsLake effect around Salt Lake

The Great Salt lake never freezes and can

warm rapidly which allows lake-effect precipi-

tation to occur from September through May.

Lake-enhanced snowstorms are often attrib-

uted to creating what is locally known as “The

Greatest Snow on Earth.”

Lake-effect snow around the Great Salt Lake

is generated in a similar fashion to elsewhere

in the world. For the Great Salt Lake, lake en-

hanced precipitation occurs when a strong,

cold, northwesterly wind blows across a rela-

tively warm lake. This is common after a cold

front passage, where the winds are predomi-

nantly northwesterly and the air is much colder

than the lake. When the land-lake breeze blows

towards the lake, there is a convergence zone

that acts to channel the cold air over the center

of the lake and further enhance precipitation.

The salinity of the Great Salt Lake prevents

freezing but reduces the saturation vapor pres-

sure and latent heat flux into the overlying air.

As a result, minimal amounts of moisture and

latent heat are added to the air moving over the

lake. The Great Salt Lake primarily provides a

lifting mechanism and acts as an atmospheric

destabilizer, which encourages convection.

This is in contrast to the Great Lakes, where

the lakes contribute significant amounts of

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

55

moisture and latent heat. The high relief of the

Wasatch mountains further capitalizes on lake

enhancement and can receive multiple feet of

snow from lake-effect alone.

A strong Northwesterly current maximizes

precipitation for the Salt Lake Valley.

A minimal temperature difference of 29 °F (16

°C) {fact} between the surface and the 700

mbar (70 kPa) height is needed, but not nec-

essarily sufficient in itself to cause lake-effect

snow.

An inversion or stable layer below 700 mbar

(70 kPa) has never yielded lake-effect snow.

Lake-effect snow can occur in concert with

synoptic scale storm systems.

A large lake-land temperature difference fa-

vors over-lake convergence.

Lake-effect is typically initiated during the

night when land-breeze convergence is fa-

vored and convection occurs predominantly

over the lake.

During the daytime lake-effect precipitation

dissipates when solar heating creates scat-

tered widespread convection over the land.

The 700 mbar winds typically determine the

geographic position of the precipitation

Limited amounts of directional and vertical

wind shear tend to produce heavier precipita-

tion events.

The Great Salt Lake contributes minimal

amounts of moisture so that upstream mois-

ture is a crucial variable.

Pineapple Express is a non-technical term for

a meteorological phenomenon characterized

by a strong and persistent flow of atmospheric

moisture and associated heavy precipitation

from the waters adjacent to the Hawaiian Is-

lands and extending to any location along the

Pacific coast of North America. A Pineapple

Express is an example of an atmospheric river,

which is a more general term for such narrow

corridors of enhanced water vapor transport

at mid-latitudes around the world.

The composition of moisture-laden air, at-

mospheric dynamics, and orographic en-

hancement resulting from the passage of this

air over the mountain ranges of the western

coast of North America causes some of the

most torrential rains to occur in the region.

Pineapple Express systems typically generate

heavy snowfall in the mountains and Interior

Plateau, which often melts rapidly because of

the warming effect of the system. After be-

ing drained of their moisture, the tropical air

masses reach the inland prairies as a Chinook

wind or simply “a Chinook”, a term which is

also synonymous on the Coast with the Pine-

apple Express.

Keep in mind that

there’s a time

difference of 6-10

hours between the

Europe and North

America. Give

yourself some time

to adjust to that!

56

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Deluxe Condo style units RestaurantSpa / Health Club /Pool Gift Shop / Ski Rental

Lizard Creek LodgeLocated at Fernie Alpine ResortSki In Ski Out

There are plenty of opportunities to fly to North America from Europe.

Sometimes you’ll need to take a domestic flight to arrive at your desti-

nation. Count on a minimum of 12 hours travel time from door to door,

depending on the region you are going.

geTTing There

Denver and Salt Lake City in the U.S. and Van-

couver and Calgary in Canada are the airports

that are popular with European skiers. This

obviously has to do with the proximity of large

and well known ski resorts:

Denver: e.g. Keystone, Breckenridge, Vail

Salt lake City: Alta, Snowbird, Park City,

Snowbasin

Vancouver: Whistler

Calgary: Lake Louise, Sunshine Village, Kick-

ing Horse, Fernie

Sometimes it is necessary to transfer to other

airports from the ones above (or any first ar-

rival point on the East Coast, such as Wash-

ington or New York) to reach other ski resorts.

Bozeman: Big Sky, Bridger Bowl

Reno: Squaw Valley, Mammoth

Seattle: Mt. Baker, Crystal Mountain, Ste-

vens Pass

Albuquerque: Taos

Spokane: Red Mountain, White-

water

costsObviously it depends on the departure air-

port and arrival airport, but an amount be-

tween € 500 and € 800 for a return flight is

pretty common.

gearAlmost all airlines charge extra fees for car-

rying skis or snowboards. Check in advance

whether it’s a problem to bring your own gear.

In some cases the airline should be notified

about the baggage in advance, or you can

get a discount if you already paid in advance.

The cost for carrying skis or snowboards are

between €25 and €€50 (depending on the

airline.

Bringing an ABS backpack or similar can be

difficult because of the tightened regulations.

Although you can officially bring the cylinder

in your hand luggage, you will never succeed

when trying. Not really strange when you’re

not allowed to bring toothpaste. So print the

form you can find on the website of ABS and

put the cylinder including the form in your lug-

gage that you checked in. Indicate this clearly

at the desk.

visaFor almost all Europeans, it is possible to

travel to the U.S. without a visa. However, it

is necessary to leave your data and the first

destination at the Electronic System for Travel

Authorization (ESTA).

58

lufthansa: www.lufthansa.com

British Airways: www.britishairways.com

klM/Air France: www.airfrance.com

Continental: www.continental.com

Air Canada: www.aircanada.com

United Airlines: www.united.com

Delta: www.delta.com

59

geTTing around

carThe distances in the United States and

Canada are large and both countries are

fully equipped to use the car. Public trans-

portation is not an option when you’ll make

a road trip through North America. Obvi-

ously, a car is not an absolute necessity

when you are staying in one place all week.

Areas such as Whistler and Jackson Hole

have excellent public transport that will

bring you to the lifts. If you want to visit

more areas, than a car is an absolute must.

Please note that U.S. rental cars are gener-

ally not equipped with winter tires, but with

all-season tires. Ask for this specificly at

the car rental. 4x4 is also extremely useful.

The price of a car ranges from $ 60 per day

for a mid-range up to $ 150 per day for a

big fat SUV.

Another interesting option is renting a mo-

torhome. You’ll save on your accommodation

and you’ll immediately have the feeling of the

ultimate road trip. Where it can be hard to

find a place to park a camper in European

areas, it’s no problem in most areas in North

America. Indeed, in many areas such as Fern-

ie or Crystal Mountain, the campers can be

parked at the bottom of the mountain. The

rent of a motorhome will cost you about $

1000 a week.

Alamo: www.alamo.com

Thrifty: www.thrifty.com

National: www.nationalcar.com

Hertz: www.hertz.com

Budget: www.budget.com

Highways & interstatesThe public transport in the U.S. and Canada

is not good outside of the big cities, but obvi-

ously the roads are perfectly developed. The

roads are wider than in Europe. There is of

course more room to build roads, but the big

pickups and SUVs need to have some space.

And that is a virtuous cycle for the camper.

You’ll mostly use the highways and the inter-

states. Highways are regional roads where

the speed is limited to 55 miles per hour. If

you really want to travel fast then you use the

60

interstate. These are the roads with ramps

and without intersections, where the speed

limit is generally slightly higher, between 50

and 75 miles per hour. Since traffic jams are

rare outside the big cities it is easy to calculate

the travel time between resorts. Interstates

with an even number generally run from west

to east, where those with an odd number run

from north to south.

passesThe Col de Lauteret, the Julier Pass and the

Col de la Forclaz won’t be found in North

America. Many resorts are accessible without

really having to take significant hairpin bends.

Naturally, there are some passes, but these

are much lower than the average European

mountain pass. However on those passes

(and in most mountainous regions in North

America) you must have winter tires or carry

snow chains with you during winter. Exam-

ples of passes are the Kootenay Pass in Brit-

ish Columbia, Teton Pass in Wyoming, but

also the Little and Big Cottonwood Canyon

in Utah.

gasThe petrol price in the U.S. has recently ris-

en considerably, but at this time (late winter

2011) a gallon (3.79 liters) costs $ 3.50 for

about. All in all a lot cheaper than in Europe.

Of course this advantage is somewhat offset

by the petrol consumption of larger cars.

Kootenay pass, Google earth

61

hoTelMoTelholiday inn?

accommodationUnless you have access to a camper, you will

have to sleep somewhere. And of course you

can draw your platinum card, but there are

cheaper options.

Book in advance?If you’re stormchasing it’s simple: do not book

in advance. Make sure you are flexible in order

to follow the storm. It is (with the exception of

the mentioned holidays) no problem to score

last minute accommodation. As mentioned

earlier, Americans don’t have that many holi-

days, so there’s not much chance that you end

up in a very busy period.

stay outside the resortSome areas don’t offer any accommodation,

like Bridger Bowl. An area consisting of a day-

lodge with facilities and a large car park, but

no appartments or hotels. You’ll stay in nearby

Bozeman. The advantage is that for relatively

little money you can rent a spacious motel

room. For about 40-50 dollars per night you

have a room with two queen beds, where you

can easily sleep four people.

In areas that were designed specifically as

a “Mountain Resort” such as Kicking Horse

Mountain Resort or Fernie Alpine Resort,

there’s plenty of accommodation, but it’s

worth it to stay in the ‘old’ town (in these cas-

es, Golden and Fernie) because you’re stay is

cheaper there. The same applies to the areas

in Utah. Staying in Salt Lake City or Ogden is

a lot cheaper than in the skiresort itself.

This construction works well in most resorts.

In a large area like Whistler it’s more difficult

because there’s no ‘old town’ and almost all

accommodation is situated on the slopes.

Besides motels, there are many ‘skitowns’

like Rossland and Nelson in British Columbia

where they have hostels where you’ll find a

bed for about $ 25 a night.

62

63

Road tripping in the U.S. and Canada is more expensive than any road

trip in Europe. In some ways you save money, but on the other hand,

but you can also spend your money three times as hard. Due to the

powerful Canadian dollar, Canada is relatively more expensive for

Europeans and Americans. A credit card is actually very useful and

almost necessary in the U.S. and Canada. Here is a brief overview

of the costs you are going to make (regardless of car or motorhome

rental and airline tickets).

CosTs

*lift passes (more expensive than

Europe)

Obviously it depends on the area, but

generally lift passes are more expen-

sive in North America than in Europe.

This has to do with the fact that skiers

and snowboarders don’t stay long in

an area (they have less holidays), on

average three to four days. Commer-

cial resorts generally have higher rates

than ski hills. Of course this is based

on matters such as the number and

quality of the lifts and the size of the

ski area. How much is a day pass in:

Squaw Valley: $59

Telluride: $98

Whistler: $ 95 (CAD)

Alta: $ 69

Jackson Hole: $91

Bridger Bowl: $ 47

Pebble Creek: $ 39

Castle Mountain: $ 64 (CAD)

Mt. Shasta: $ 39

Powder Mountain: $ 59

At gas stations, motels and on the in-

ternet you can find vouchers, where

you can get a discount on your lift

pass at some resorts.

*Restaurants and other food

(cheaper than Europe)

In the U.S. you initially think of fast

food. Burgers, pizza, fries. It is also

widely available, both on the slopes

and along the highways and in cit-

ies. The costs? Not much. For less

than $ 10 you can have a filling meal.

Whether it is healthy is the next

question. Healthy meals (ie vegeta-

bles) are more expensive and less

widely available. Sushi is a good al-

ternative. In many resorts you can

find Japanese restaurants and for

about $ 20 you’ll have a meal of this

delicacy from the land of the Ris-

ing Sun. Prices in supermarkets are

comparable to European prices.

*Gas (cheaper than Europe)

Gasoline is much cheaper in the

U.S. than in Europe. As mentioned

earlier, you pay about $ 3.50 a gal-

lon. In Canada, the gasoline is more

expensive. Here you pay (late winter

2011) an amount of approximately $

1.39 (CAD) per liter. Gasoline prices

are always changing and varying by

state, like in Europe.

64

download salomon powfindER at www.wEpowdER.com

66

Because of the ‘ski area boundaries’ freeriding in the U.S. and

Canada is more accessible than in Europe. Within these bound-

aries you’re usually safe from avalanches. Skipatrol checks the

area every morning and the areas they don’t trust are blown with dy-

namite or simply closed. Few skiers and snowboarders ride with the

holy trinity of avalanche beacon, shovel and probe. Simply because

there’s less need to than in Europe.

saFeTy:

read FirsT

BeFore droPPing

in

67

However, there are other dangers

that you need to consider and that

are less common in Europe.

trees always win‘Glades’ are specially prepared for-

ests where some trees are cut so

that the forests are perfect for ski-

ing and snowboarding. It is awe-

some to ride through the trees, but

there are of course risks. Trees are

generally not as flexible and the risk

of trauma by hitting a tree in a fall.

Moreover, there is a risk of “tree

wells”. These are a type of wells

that exist at the foot of the tree. It

is most common with trees that re-

main green in winter (such as a pine

or a fir) and it works like this: be-

cause of the large branches at the

base of the tree, the snow around

the trunk can not completely fall

down. There is thus an invisible hole

that can be over two meters deep.

Research shows that 90% of peo-

ple who disappear into a tree well

are not able to free themselves.

Here we have a so called NARSID

(Non Avalanche Related Snow Im-

mersion Death). More information

on NARSID’s is available at:

www.treewelldeepsnowsafety.

com.

out of boundsWhen you leave the boundaries of

the ski area it’s entirely your own

responsibility. Here you are, as in

the Alps, all on your own. You are

responsible for your route selec-

tion, and the assessments of the

safety of yourself and others in your

group. Are you going out of bounds,

then it is obviously necessary that

you have sufficient knowledge of

backcountry features, that you are in

possession of an avalanche beacon,

shovel and probe and the people you

ride with have the same skills. Not

sure of any of these things, then it

is always wiser to hire a local guide.

It’s not that you just can get into the

backcountry by leaving the bound-

ary. The rules differ by resort. Some

areas have an open policy, which

means that wherever you are you

can get into the backcountry. Other

areas have a gated policy, which

means that you can only leave (and

enter) the ski area through a gate.

Often this gate only open when you

have a beacon. Examples include

Jackson Hole and Delirium Dive at

Sunshine Village. Another name for

the backcountry that you reach from

a ski resort and is quite prevalent is

‘side country’.

The backcountry policy has not al-

ways been like this. In the 70’s and

80’s the backcountry in many areas

was inaccessible and you could lose

your lift priviliges. The late Doug

Coombs has played a major role

in changing this policy, as a mem-

ber of the Jackson Hole Air Force.

Coombs was banned in 1997 from

Jackson because he had poached

the backcountry and was caught by

ski patrol. It started a small revolu-

tion. Skipatrol, management and the

locals were talking to each other.

Two years later, Coombs was wel-

come again and Jackson Hole had

his backcountry officially opened for

skiers and boarders.

68

tHE woRld’s fiRst powdER application on youR dEsktop. download it now foR fREE!

No road trip through North America is complete without a helicopter

or snowcat. There are many companies that will give you the experi-

ence of a lifetime, but there are some things you have to consider.

CaT- & heliskiing/Boarding

70

differencesThe differences are clear. A cat rides and a

helicopter flies. Or it doesn’t. If the weather

is bad (clouds, wind, snow), the helicopter

sometimes stays on the ground and you’ll

have a down day. A cat always rides. Rain

or sunshine.

terrainThe terrain you ride is dependent on the level

of the group with which you ride. So you’re

as strong as the group’s weakest link. When

you have only booked one day on a helicop-

ter or cat discuss this level with the opera-

tor. There is not much difference between

the terrain you ride with a snowcat, and that

with a helicopter. Depending on the weather

you ride more tree runs with a snowcat . Of

course there’s other terrain in Alaska than in

Montana.

vibeEveryone is stoked during these days. The

vibe in a cat is usually more relaxed than in

a helicopter. You’re in the cat a little longer

because it takes longer to drive to the runs

and thus you can make more contact with

other skiers and snowboarders in the group.

costsCosts range from about $ 500 for one day in

the cat to $ 800 for one day in the helicop-

ter. When you book a week in a lodge, then

you quickly pay between $ 3000 and $ 5000.

Naturally, this includes your accommodation,

full board and a large number of vertical.

71

VerseSneeuw 9

a004-editorial.indd 9 26-10-2009 14:54:23

Hopefully now that the threshold for a North american road

trip is lowered, you’ll get on a plane and go stormchasing in

the U.S. and Canada. Below is one more quick-and-dirty check-

list of the points that you have to check:

The wraP-uP

where to go-Which route to take?

-How long will you be underway?

when to go- Is it a La Nina year?

-Do you want to leave last-minute or do you want to arrange

everything before you leave?

-Is the period you want to leave the best time for the region

you want to go?

getting there-Do you bring your own gear?

-Have you registered with ESTA

(for travel to the U.S.)?

getting around-Have you told car rental that you need snow chains and /

or snow tires?

accommodation-Do you want to book in advance?

-Have you considered any public holidays?

other costs- Is it cheaper to buy your lift tickets in advance?

72

VerseSneeuw 9

a004-editorial.indd 9 26-10-2009 14:54:23

73

wEpowdER.com tHE BEst powdER foREcast on tHE wEB